Q: Was it hard to create a destructive racing game without using weaponry (like Full Auto, Twisted Metal, etc)?
A: Trying to create a destructive racing title without weapons actually allowed us to be more creative and open in our design.
Q: What is the “coolest feature” of Split/Second?
A: The Power Play abilities are what really set Split/Second apart and contribute greatly to making it such an intense racer.
Q: Will Black Rock Studios ever branch out from making racing titles?
A: Before we became Black Rock Studios, we were Climax Racing. We have tremendous expertise in racing titles and it is at the heart of what we do, but making something outside of the racing genre is a possibility.
Q: What were some of the locales that were considered for Split/Second but were eventually dropped?
A: We had wanted to do a casino-style level in which there was just a lot of electrical lights and electrical explosions. While visually that would have been spectacular, we didn’t feel it worked out right for the gameplay. We do have a track based off of those ideas though.
Q: What is the greatest difficulty in creating a racing game?
A: Getting the AI balanced properly. To make the CPU not too easy, but not too hard, is the greatest challenge.
Q: How many different types of Power Plays are there?
A: There are three or four different kinds. To be able to use or trigger any of them, you have to have earned enough “power.” Power is earned by drifting, drafting, jumping, and so on. The power bar has three segments to it, and each segment represents a different class of Power Play. A level one Power Play can be considered a ‘small scale’ Power Play, but even with that you’re talking about an event like a gas station exploding, so it’s really not that small.
You will know when your opponents are in a ‘danger zone’ for a Power Play by an icon that will appear above their car. The icon can be either blue or red, with red. The red icon only appears if you have all three power bar segments full. These Power Plays have a huge effect on the race and cause things like a freeway falling down behind you as you race under it.
The second power bar segment is for creating route changes. These can greatly alter the flow of a race because they open up alternate routes for you to take, which can allow you to catch up to the race leaders.
Q: How many Power Plays are in a single event?
A: There are fourteen to fifteen large Power Plays and several smaller ones. Some Power Plays can be triggered multiple times while others are one-timers.
Q: Do more Power Play options open up as you progress through the race?
A: Yes, for example, if a route-changer Power Play is used, that new route can include other Power Plays.
Q: How do you make sure that the Power Plays aren’t too powerful?
A: Power Plays can only be used on the racers in front of you, and only when there is an icon above their car. So if you’re in first place, you cannot trigger Power Plays. We found that when a 1st place racer could trigger a Power Play, they would use them in such a way as to make it impossible for the other racers to catch up with them.
Q: At what point did you have to stop making the environment destructible?
A: The console memory was the limiting factor. We had to balance gameplay and our programmers and artists and designers all had to work together so that we kept load times down while making the gameplay as intense as possible.
Q: Do any modes just allow you to race, and not use Power Plays?
A: Not really. There is an explosive truck mode (explosive barrels keep falling out of a truck), but other modes utilize Power Plays.
Q: What makes Split/Second stand out from other racers?
A: The intensity sometimes never lets up. other racers you may get short bursts of intensity but with Split/Second you will experience races that are intense from start to finish.
Q: What types of vehicles?
A: We have concept cars, sports cars, muscle cars, and trucks.
Q: Are all vehicles available from the start?
A: You start with three vehicles and as you play through the season, you earn more.
Q: Can players fully customize their vehicles?
A: No, but we have lots of variety that should appeal to everyone.
Q: Does vehicle damage stay persistent (visually) throughout a race?
A: All vehicles start pristine, but will sustain damage. The damage is mostly superficial, and vehicle performance stays consistent despite damage.
Q: Is it possible to get stuck (from another player’s Power Play for example) and not be able to proceed or continue the race?
A: No, there is always a way to continue racing, you will not get stuck.
Q: What types of multiplayer options are there?
A: We have two player split-screen and eight player support for online. Racing and Elimination races are included.
Q: Are full replays available?
A: Full replays aren’t available, but players can start a replay with the Left Trigger.
Split/Second releases for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC on May 18th. Check back later this month for our full review.
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