The history of the FlatOut over time and its success has been fluctuating, where decidedly brilliant ideas and totally crazy ways are often combined with a technical realization that is not exactly applause for the historical period of each title. Although with a construction background to be scrapped, he has still been able to give players hours and hours of fun, including crazy races, spectacular destruction and ... flights from the windshield. After a long wait, he has therefore arrived FlatOut 4: Total Insanity, which basically re-proposes the same concept as always, but seasoning the sauce with many more spices. Let's remember: we are not dealing with a competitive racing game, or one devoted to simulation, nor does it come close to that level of seriousness that one would expect ... madness is an integral part of it, and it is with this approach that it is mandatory to interface with it. All of these things will fit perfectly with the recipe, or the team of Kylotonn Entertainment will have exaggerated making it inedible? Let's take a look at the menu.
Appetizer: American Scrap
Not even the time to install the title, that we can give the "ready-to-go" to our binge! To begin with, we will be awarded 10.000 credits, which will be needed to buy our first car, belonging to the "Derby" category (out of the 3 available divisions, the others are "Classic" and "All Star"). Let's be clear, our initial choice given the limited availability of funds is reduced to only two cars, which in total amount to 9 per category. Obviously they differ in weight, acceleration, speed and all the characteristics that make it more or less suitable for a type of challenge. Once we have made our choice we can start playing in the career mode. Before proceeding, however, I want to make a premise: whatever championship level we are going to meet, it will present classic circuit races, but they will be accompanied by different crazy and reckless modes that will take place both on the circuit and in the arenas! The constant in all modes remains her, succulent and more present than egg in Carbonara: the destruction. Let's face it, in an ambiguous period like the one that has accompanied us in the last decade, there have been very few titles on wheels that have made it an omnipresent dogma and return to the past with the simple desire to break everything in a demolition derby was d 'obligation. To do this, however, it is necessary to succeed "with a bang".
First Course: Linguacce to the opponent
The career mode, as mentioned, is divided into three categories, and each with championships of various levels of difficulty and length. The method to proceed in the game is the standard one: run, win, unlock, run. It seems simple so far, but after a couple of warm-up races you will realize that the war will be anything but a walk. In fact, during your raids, your opponents will do everything to destroy you and suffer a large amount of damage could mean the end of the race! The classic races take place on circuits that usually count 3 laps to complete, and each track has dozens of alternative routes and shortcuts to use to detach the opponents. Obviously, destructible objects on the map, a real trademark of FlatOut 4, cannot be missing, but also buildings, containers and so on and so forth, which instead of breaking will make you fly out of the car, forcing you to respawn. Dab and destroy is not to be underestimated, because it will be your inexhaustible source of Nitro! The difficulty is not only due to the tracks, but also to how much you will be able to modify your car (money, money, money) and how well it will turn out to your opponents: they will be very grim, especially thanks to an AI that is not exactly forgiving, which will sometimes give priority to ramming you rather than just overtaking you. Precisely because of this "nature", too the stages played in the arenas will be devastating, with blows from every angle, and with a machine that will have to endure them all in order not to be defeated. But who are the opponents? Characters, with their personalized car… and their totally crazy looks! Clowns, convicts, ex-soldiers and paintball players are just some of the ones you will face. Yes, you will end up hating them.
Second Course: Curved cut
The tracks where we will run will not all be of the same type and even if many times we will find ourselves experiencing deja vu, like the classic sawmills or the slides in the water channels, certainly know how to vary just enough (I warn you, the tracks, like the cars, are not very many). But what is the response of cars in these areas? Let's say that in terms of impacts the title knows how to do it (and I would like to see well ed.), But in terms of physics we would definitely have demanded something more. Nothing that in any case goes to affect the title too much, since it is not exactly the realism that Kylotonn aims at with FlatOut 4. This is where the varied and numerous alternatives to career mode come into play. First of all we find the online multiplayer, but above all we see the return of the acclaimed stunts: Sports inspired mini games that can be played by up to 8 players alternately, and which will see our driver shot out of the car countless times! Funny? To say the least, seeing is believing. These stunts will be 12 sports in total and also include Curling, Soccer, Baseball, Long Jump and so on. For a more serious and competitive challenge, on the other hand, Flatout 4 presents us with a very welcome addition, the homonymous one "FlatOut mode": an alternation of challenges with a lot of medals, which also have a global ranking, with the possibility of becoming the wild number one madman in the world! The types of challenges present here are for example the already mentioned stunts, but also the deathmatch in the arenas, the take the flag, the slaughter, and the beat the bomb, each with its own insane rules.
Dessert: Crème Burnout
As unfortunately expected, it is precisely the technical aspect that undermines FlatOut 4: Total Insanity in a greater way. Where fun is king, certainly on a graphic level we don't find the same satisfaction. Ok, let's say that the very concept of the game recalls a more "good" atmosphere, but many of the details, especially the grass or bushes, could be reproduced more faithfully. To this we add very slight frame drops and a seldom annoying pop up effect as regards some subjects of the vegetation (such as the bushes already mentioned). Also present some bugs during the stunts, which will see the body of our unfortunate pilot sticking on objects where in reality it would not be possible, and creating rather bizarre movements and ... stretching of the limbs. After a hearty meal, summing up, we find ourselves half full: with a triumph of taste dictated by fun and challenge, we also expected a longer longevity, which went beyond the online challenges, friends and otherwise. Unfortunately, moreover, the dessert leaves us with a bitter taste in the mouth, burning with a dancer technical realization that could aspire to something better in the current gen. In any case, dinner is served, but the dessert remains indigestible. And the bill? The price of the game is definitely too high for what it offers us on day one: will DLC arrive? Who knows, but at the moment the aforementioned longevity holds the spot and to win the title it is advisable to wait for a price drop. Is it recommended at a lower price? Unmissable.
Modus Operandi: This review was written after completing the campaign in all categories, after testing online multiplayer, and after testing all challenges in FlatOut mode. In addition, stunts were played with several participants, testing their "party game" potential
