In mid-2002 the original Stuntman game hit stores for the Playstation 2. It was a different kind of racing game that let you play behind the wheel as a stuntman driver. You then got to drive and crash over the course of six different films and this in itself provided its fair share of thrills but was criticised for its insanely high difficulty level.

Gameplay:

Five years later and Stuntman Ignition is released and like the previous rendition of the series you complete stunts by hitting the various stunt markers in the environment. These maybe as simple as overtake a vehicle or smash some boxes but then build up to more tricky manoeuvres such as driving on two wheels or passing under closing doors.

Again like the previous game there are 6 films, albeit new ones, all of which are spoofs of actual films. Aftershock, a disaster movie that is similar to Dante’s Peak. Whoopin and a Hollerin 2 a sequel from the original game also based on Dukes of Hazard. Strike Force Omega a take on classic army based action flicks. Overdrive which is a Starsky and Hutch style cop film set in San Francisco. Never Kill Me Again, which is a James Bond style film. The last one on the list is Night Avenger a superhero film taking references from Batman.

So there are six films, like the original and the main gameplay is the same. But Ignition does do some things different. The main change is to the difficulty to make the game a lot more accessible. Instead of the old scoring system that wasn’t very likable, the game runs on a strike system that gives you 5 strikes per attempt. This allows you to approach the stunts in whatever way you would like so for example if there is one marker that seems a little bit out of your way then you can miss it out (this will affect your score). This is definitely a good move because it provides that little bit of leniency that the original so desperately needed.

The other main difference from the last offering is the idea of stringing a whole stunt. This basically means to keep one long combo going through the whole take. This provides the game with a lot more life and definitely gives some challenge after making the rest of the core gameplay easier.

Graphics:

This is where the game starts to fall apart as it looks a lot like a higher end Playstation 2 game in places. It’s a shame as sometimes the graphics hold up but compared to some of the most recent releases they don’t even come close. It’s a shame the graphics aren’t stunning but they are passable, but they do leave you thinking that they haven’t really explored what the system can do. I’ve also noticed some slow down at times but this seems rare rather than prominent.

Sound:

The music and effects complement the action quite nicely. The soundtrack is an array of film tributes each suitable for the 6 films. Like the graphics, the sound is nothing special but fits the game play nicely. With all the on-screen carnage going on sometimes it helps to actually turn the music off. This affects the games pace and makes it a lot calmer and thus easier to complete a level. It's also important to be able to hear the director shouting out to you prior and during stunts.

Longevity:

The takes are hugely replayable because of the ‘trial and error’ factor the game brings. Instead of having a rehearsal for each take you have to figure it out as you go and due to their size it becomes near impossible to pass the first time through. Couple this with the fact that each take has different score targets, so you will want to improve your ranking to unlock more stuff. This comes in the form of cars and ramps for use in the Stunt arena.

The Stunt Arena is basically a build-a-take mode where you get to place ramps and items wherever you want and share them online. My only gripe with this is that you can’t download anyone’s arena as you can only get the ones that have the highest scores. Typically the ones with the highest scores also have ramps and items that you don’t have - meaning you can't play them. It’s a shame they couldn’t make a youtube style system of arenas.

To further aid longevity Stuntman Ignition has odd job stunts and you can do any sequence online against other people then you’ve got a lot of life if you don’t mind doing the same stunts over and over again.

Overall:

Stuntman Ignition, sticks to the same formula while improving the only bad thing about the original and should be at least tried by anyone that isn’t afraid of a little trial and error. It’s just a shame that it won’t appeal to everyone and is let down by its poor graphics and repetitive nature. Despite that it’s still an interesting game that will be well received by any fans of the original.