Gaming Target - PlayStation 2: Stuntman

Written by Matt Swider on July 08, 2002

Full Review: Infogrames says screw the warning label you see before all stunts and lets you Уtry them at home.Ф

From the Destruction Derby franchise to the hit series of Driver games, Reflections Interactive has impressed us more than once with its original concepts and new ideas on and slightly off of the road. Until recently, we haven't heard too much from the developer since the sequel to Driver released on PlayStation. However for the past two years, the company has been working on a game known as Stuntman, which happens to be its first for the PlayStation 2. With former publisher GT Interactive in the dust, this is the first time that Reflections is solely working with Infogrames, who bought of the publisher a couple years back. While behind the wheel in yet another intense vehicle focused game, don't except the straightforward driving aspects that were present in Driver. Instead, Reflections has put together a very unique and innovative package that you have yet to see.

Stuntman pits players as exactly what the name describes in a series of shoots for different films. It may seem a bit unusual to base a game on the career of a professional stuntman, however in the end, there's a lot of action and thrill to be had. In completing stunt scenes in movies and earning more moolah, players will advance to bigger budget films that involve more explosions and greater risk. While the stuntman is climbing the ladder of success, the game will visit a number of sites in order to film the various movies. Players will be able to witness several real-life locations in which the game is based off of. From areas like the backwoods of Louisiana, to the marketplace of Thailand, until finally reaching the streets of Hollywood, California, there's tons of culture to take in and vehicles types to utilize.

Depending on what the movie script calls for and where it's being shot, Stuntman comes up with a countless number of variations to keep the game fresh. Each of the 40 drivable vehicles differ in look, handling, and special effects. Although most of the game is spent burning rubber in more traditional style cars, there's also an assortment of odd vehicles. For example, in Thailand players will be involved in high-speed chases while driving a tipsy, three-wheeled cart. After that, players will find themselves on a snowmobile and then in another movie driving a jeep through the jungle. Features like this deliver a unique experience that can't be found in any other titles on the system.

For any given scene, there are more than a dozen stunts to perform on the spot. What's nuts about this is that there is little preparation or direction before the take, so players are required to execute all stunts as the director call out the cues. Going along the directors voice command is an icon that will appear on the screen representing what should be carried out. Since there are times when only a split second is given to pull off stunts, players must use excellent judgment and be confident in their accuracy. Making even a minor mistake can spoil the take and cause the whole shoot to restart. Winging the course in one take is almost impossible, so players find themselves trying to learn the course by playing it again and again.

Spending so much time getting the game perfect is what makes Stuntman so tedious, and with this can come a lot of frustration. However, with frustration comes the determination to complete the scene and nail the stunts. That's where the games sucks you in and can become rather addicting. It may be heartbreaking to perform the very last stunt say, by hitting the lead car into off the dock, learn that you aren't supposed to fall into the water too, and being forced to replay the whole thing again. Yet, the levels I had the more trouble with remain the ones that felt most rewarding upon completion. And, no matter how much mullah you make from any given take, its usually priceless just to move on to the next stunt scene.

Upon completing a shoot, players will be given the chance to replay and save the complete scene, only here, it's taken from a number of different camera perspectives that capture the action perfectly to make it as exciting as watching a movie. After filming is complete for the entire movie, players are treated to the trailer with unseen drama and action parts mixed in with the stunt cutaways. When watching the clips you'll begin to notice that each film is merely a take off of a blockbusters movie or television series like Indiana Jones, James Bond 007, Dukes of Hazard, among others. What's great about these trailers is that the stunt segments are actually your own gameplay footage from the successfully completed takes.

Besides the career portion of Stuntman, Reflection also includes a number of additional modes that are definitely worth looking into. Between making movies, your stuntman will thrill an audience packed arena with a show featuring wild tricks and even some death-defying stunts. For instance, players will have to jump through a ring of fire and atop a stack of cars, take part in synchronized driving, or try to set a record distance for the long jump. Within the driving games mode, players will be tested for their speed, how well they can maneuver, and to see if they can perform certain tricks. The driving games are one thing that could be clearer on directions, and sometimes you'll sit there, wondering what's next. So, my question us: Where's that director when you need him? These side antics are a great diversion after completing so many of the same takes on any given movie.

As each stunt scene completed and players make more cash, they will be rewarded with new cars and toys. After receive somewhat of a collection of toys, players will be able to enter the Stunt Constructor mode, which allows them to build their own course from the rewarded obstacles. In somewhat of a track editor fashion, creating your ultimate arena lets you customize what you want and where you want it. Players will be able to places boxes, ramps, loops, pyrotechnics, among other goodies, and then drive the car of their choose around the lot for all sorts of fun. Of course, all of this must be unlocked by being earned in the main portion of the game, so you'll have the skills by the time you earn everything needed to make a state-of-the-art stunt area.

The many car models within are complete with fine detail, but could have benefited from explosion animation. It is especially strange to see them involved in a major collision between two trains or falling upside-down from a three-story building and come out with only minor wreckage. Other than that, the cars look terrific and the stuntman inside moves along with the steering of the vehicle. Speeding toward the actors that appear on the streets will cause them to flee in terror. Knowing that it'll take me a couple times to complete each course in making fatal errors, it's my belief that they run for good reason and not just for the acting. You can also play along by beeping on the rampage with a car horn, which varies depending on the type of vehicle. By chance, in Thailand, I entered a room filled with people who scattered is fear and beeped the horn on my three wheeled cart. Later, when replaying the scene, I was amazed to discover the sound was recorded along with the video. I definitely saved that one to my memory card.

The only visual problem that seems to afflict Stuntman is it's choppy frame rate during instances where action is too heavy. Even so, I hardly took notice myself, as I was to involved and yearning to beat the level and move onto the next stunt shoot. Load times are a more constant problem that seems to effect Stuntman. Waiting around for the game to start can be a real drag, especially when you're so keen on completing the stunts the right way Уthis time.Ф When restarting levels, it has to take a good deal of time to load back up, however, it'll give you enough time to stop cursing after making one faulty mistake and not being able to complete the stunt scene due many of the minor reasons. All joking aside, the loading time should have been address more before releasing, but it's something we can live up.

One of the finer points in Stuntman has to be it's audio department with excellent voice acting, decent music, and some sharp sound effects. When the stuntman speaks about his job, it's always interesting, and the best part about it is, it's something your about to attempt. The character seems a bit thick, though that might explain why he took the role as a stuntman. The movie clips contain accents that come from distinctive regions with actors being bloody England, of country folk, or even from Bangkok. Since you six different films, the actors, and therefore their voices, are different. However, for some odd reason, the director remains the same for each picture. I don't know about him; giving me late cues, and following me to every movie I do, all I can say it, that boy ain't right.

The director also gives players some heat and makes things a bit frustrating when he yells random faults of yours when a take goes wrong and ends. It can be aggravating when a mistaken call occurs. Sometimes he yells, advising me to next time Уstick to the route,Ф and meanwhile I just stopped flipping and ran into an oncoming train that carries me along the tracks for a half-mile. While it might not be much of a big deal for some, it just makes him come off as being a tad anal, if you will. Still, the director has your keys to success (not literally) in giving you the directions to complete the film's stunts.

The sound effects are as well done as the voice acting in the game, with precise crash noises like breaking of glass and crunching of cars. Also, the inclusion of horns and sirens are a nice touch. The music in the game plays according to the theme of the film and sets the mood of the part of the country you are in. You're sure to recognize instruments such as the banjo being used in the country movie, however, open up to music that's foreign to our ears on the streets of Bangkok. The only problem I have with the music is that the song is constant throughout working on the movie, which means it will play during each take and each scene. With Stuntman's reoccurring gameplay, you'll be hearing the same music again and again, each time you play all of the levels. Nevertheless, the brain does its best in trying to drown out all distractions and focus in on completing the stunts after a couple failures.

Lastly, I feel the need to mention the inclusion of Stuntman's DVD extras. Segment like this are becoming largely popular in games these days, and for good reason. Within, players are treated to movies that detail the making of Stuntman, letting them become an eyewitness to what kind of work goes into making such a game. In addition to that, there are clips from the promotional ad, interviews, and a couple of short teasers for Reflections next project, Driver 3, and two new Infogrames titles. Though the teasers are is purely for promotion purposes, it's nice to see what goes during the development process.