At a glance...

Reviewer	Platform	Publisher	Developer	Players	Screenshots
Matt Bailey	PlayStation 2	Infogrames/Atari	Reflections	1	Here
Requirements					Buy from Amazon.co.uk
760kb free memory card space for main save, 86Kb for settings, and more if you wish to save your stunt arenas.					Click here to buy Stuntman.

Stuntman review

Famed for their driving series, Destruction Derby and Driver, Newcastle-based Reflections bring us their first PlayStation 2 game, and although it's not from either of the aforementioned series, it is a driving game. Stuntman sees you take the role of, unsurprisingly, a stuntman in the movie industry.

The game is split into six fantasy films each stereotypical of different types of action movie - for example, there's a gangster movie and a Bond-style movie - and for each film you must complete a set of driving-related tasks, such as jumping over wraps and on to barges, breaking through stacks of boxes, and narrowly avoiding being crushed by freight trains coming from opposite directions. Already you can guess how enjoyable the game is, but things aren't as easy as that. The game demands near perfection, and taking too long or making a big mistake on a particular stunt may require you to start a section again. Thankfully, each film is divided into individual sections, so that you do not find yourself repeating the last half an hour's work just because you tipped over your Tuk-Tuk. That said, the sections do involve quite a long series of stunts (which would form one long action scene in a movie) and you could find yourself repeating your previously perfected work if you happen to make a mistake on the final stunt (the pinacle of each scene), but then repetition is key to a game that bases itself in an industry where perfection is strived for, and very rarely achieved first time. The scene-splitting not only reduces the amount to retry and makes things more film-production-like, but it also provides for some cut scenes where 'you' (the nameless Stuntman you play as) explains in a 'making of' style interview the upcoming scene and it's key stunt. These vary from corkscrew turns to explosions to landing on moving barges.

It's not only the sections which don't simply flow from one to the next; upon completing all the scenes of a film you are presented with the films trailer containing story-related cut scenes as well as snippets of some of your best stunts all brought together in a very professional manner. It's one of the games' many features that give it a sense of realism. But before you move on to your next film after you've watched your trailer, you do what real Stuntmen do in between films; you take part in a daredevil show. Here you will be performing to your audience in an arena taking part in odd stunts such as the cannonball jump and jumping throw flaming hoops. It hasn't got the glamour of the film stunts, but they're certainly enjoyable little tasks to add a bit more realism to the game.

As mentioned earlier, the game requires a lot of retrying, and this can be very frustrating, but thankfully, your perfection is awarded with ramps, cars, and various other toys. "But what for?" you say. Well, the cars can be used for the unlockable driving games, but you're sure to have more with them and the ramps and toys in the stunt arena mode. This mode allows you to create your own stunts at your own pleasure, then go out and try them out. It is immense fun, and qualifies as an important part of the game itself, despite being a side feature that shows off your bonuses.

As you can tell from the screenshots, the graphics do look rather good, but there is defiantly room for improvement. Things could be a bit smoother, and the frame rate could be a bit better, but other than that everything is there to impress. There's a large amount of wonderfully formed shadows, heaps of detail in the textures, nicely modelled objects and vehicles, and special effects to please. Each location is clearly different, and the gives a realistic sense of the environment.

The voice-overs in the trailers you earn are great, and are they hive a complete sense of realism. The accompanying music is also good, but the sound's score is let down by the director and his irrating comments.

I've already mentioned that the game is difficult, and you may be a bit put off by the over-sensitive steering, but sticking by this game brings great rewards, and a long, enjoyable game.

Ratings

Graphics	Great detail, effects, shadows and models, but detail could have been smoother, and the frame rate faster	8/10
Gameplay	The repeating can be frustrating, but the game plays well, and is thoroughly enjoyable	9/10
Value	At the time of writing, we did not have a value for money ranking.	0/10
Lifespan	Driving games and the excellent stunt arena to earn, along with toys, cars, and the movie trailers, all in a game that makes you want to keep on playing	10/10
Audio	Brilliant voice-overs, great music, irritating director	8/10
Overall	Another brilliant game from Reflections if you have the patience to discover its glory	9/10

Click here to buy Stuntman from Amazon.co.uk.

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