Ultimate Carnage is an enhanced port of FlatOut 2 which was released in September last year for the Xbox, PlayStation 2 and PC. We enjoyed FlatOut 2 but with only a few minor improvements from its predecessor and a few frame rate issues we did see room for improvement. Apparently we weren't alone and Bugbear Entertainment saw room for improvement as well and even though Ultimate Carnage features a few aspects from FlatOut 2, the game isn't just a direct port with more of everything thrown in for good measure.
Oops..
For those who are unfamiliar with the FlatOut series we would liken it to the Burnout series but set in the country. For each race in FlatOut, you'll not only want to try and come in first place but you'll also want to destroy scenery, catch air and flip your opponent's vehicle over. The more destruction you cause the more nitrous you'll get, nitrous is awarded sparingly in Ultimate Carnage so you'll want to ration it and use it at the right moment.
Rather than intertwine the race modes and the mini-games Ultimate Carnage has quite a few options which split up the gameplay modes. First up is the FlatOut mode. The FlatOut mode is restricted to just racing and is divided up into three race classes; derby, race and street. Each class dictates the kind of tracks you race on and the type of vehicle you'll require, for example you cannot enter into street races with a car which is designed for derbys. Each class is divided up into three levels with several different tournaments. The objective of the FlatOut mode is to keep winning the tournaments and complete each race class. Obviously the vehicle you begin with is only going to be able to keep up for so long and as you win tournaments, you'll win cash which can be used to upgrade your vehicle or purchase a new car altogether.
One of the things that differentiates the FlatOut series from all of the other arcade racers is the mini-games. The carnage mode features over fifty different events which aren't anything like straightforward races. Each challenge in the carnage mode has a different objective and if you complete an objective well enough then you'll earn either a bronze, silver or gold trophy. As you earn trophies you'll also earn carnage points which unlock more of the carnage challenges. There are far too many carnage options to run through individually but one challenge for example requires the player to propel the driver out of the front windscreen and try and send him flying as high up in the air as possible. Bugbear Entertainment has provided a unique spin on several different events including playing cards, stone skipping, curling, baseball and more. The carnage races are a lot of fun and quickly become a necessity, playing successive tournaments can become tedious and this tedium can be broken up by the carnage mode. There are a few recurring events in the carnage events, such as the beat the bomb mode which is self explanation and the derby which is a bit like Destruction Derby, except more frantic and with powerups. The beauty of the carnage mode is that it is the type of mode you can return to frequently, the mini-games are a lot of fun and it's always tempting to come back and try and beat your top score.
I upgraded my vehicle a little.
Which is a beautiful segway for the Xbox Live Leaderboards. For every carnage event you can upload your scores to the leaderboards and see just how skilled you are at shooting a man through the front of a car windscreen. The Live options don't end there though, the game supports up to eight players online and features some exclusive multiplayer modes you won't see in the single player modes. The Live support is fantastic and playing online is a bundle of fun and will really test out your FlatOut skills.
If you'd prefer to just have fun then there is a single event option. In the single event option you can choose the type of event you're after such as a race, derby or time trial. After you've selected the event type you select the track and the vehicle you'll be driving and you'll quickly jump into that event. As you progress through the other single player modes you'll unlock bonus event types which can also be chosen in the single event option once they've been unlocked.
What makes Ultimate Carnage such an easy to recommend title is the gameplay. Nitrous is a precious commodity and using it all with a lap to spare is a tactic that could relegate a player to last place. There are hundreds (even thousands) of objects to destroy on the track and unfortunately, not all of them are objects you'll want to drive over. Occasionally some of the objects which look harmless on the track will actually do enough damage to your car to completely flip your vehicle around, which is frustrating. It's obvious that objects like parked buses and massive logs are a hazard but it is extremely frustrating when you're driving over scenery and all of a sudden you're facing the other way. This is only really a minor complaint and overall Ultimate Carnage is a lot of fun, it's tough and challenging and the AI is extremely aggressive. Last years FlatOut 2 featured a few frame rate hitches but even with twelve racers on track and thousands of objects being destroyed at any given moment, the game doesn't skip a beat.
Oh look at the sun..
Graphically Ultimate Carnage looks rather impressive. It's tough not to be impressed when you're driving at over 150kms an hour through a shopping mall and knocking over posts and hundreds of other objects. The cities have been majorly overhauled and the tracks look brilliant. The music is average and not exactly memorable, you may want to turn on the custom soundtracks through the Xbox 360 dashboard.
With an extensive FlatOut mode and a very challenging Carnage mode, Ultimate Carnage isn't the type of title you can complete overnight. The Carnage mode has enough replayability to keep you coming back heaps of times. The multiplayer has the potential to be addictive too. It's simply exhilarating when there are eight players racing and smashing through crates whilst bumping each other off the road. The achievements have been well thought out too. Most points are devoted to the single player campaign but getting all 1000 points will require a lot of effort.
FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage is the best title in the FlatOut franchise and one of the best arcade racers on the Xbox 360. The game will inevitably be compared to Burnout but the fact that FlatOut can be compared to Burnout and still come highly recommended is a testament to the quality of the game.
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