Stuntman: Ignition – 360 – Preview

The original Stuntman was somewhat of an underground hit
for the PS2. Allowing players to live the life of a movie stunt driver, you
could pull 180-degree turns, perform jumps off of ramps and drive like a bat out
of hell to your heart’s content. Now, THQ is preparing Stuntman: Ignition, set
to release this Summer on the PS2, PS3 and Xbox 360, and the game is looking to
add even more intense action to the Stuntman franchise.



Stuntman: Ignition Xbox 360 screenshots

Stuntman: Ignition will allow you to play through six
different movies, each with their own set areas with their own goals. At THQ’s
Gamer’s Day event, they showcased two of these movies: Aftershock and Overdrive.
Aftershock presented a disaster movie involving a volcanic eruption, similar to
movies like Volcano and Dante’s Peak. You must drive through flaming buildings,
jump across lava flows and dodge oncoming traffic as you progress through the
stages and perform various stunts as they appear on the screen at the behest of
the director. The second playable movie, Overdrive, was done in the style of a
70’s cop show like Starsky and Hutch, where you drive through a San Francisco,
weaving through trolley cars and screeching through the windy streets.



Stuntman: Ignition Xbox 360 screenshots

The areas in Stuntman: Ignition were completely action
packed, and there’s never a lull in intensity from the time the director yells
“action” until he yells “cut.” Your goals will require some pretty crafty
driving skills, and you’ll have to become pretty dexterous behind the wheel to
keep in the game.

Graphically, the game is coming along quite nicely. The
preview build of the game featured tons of great special effects and movie
magic, including camera crews at the side of the screen (if you’re not careful,
you could end up hitting some poor unsuspecting grip, so keep your eyes on the
road). The cars responded with the right amount of arcade feel to them lending
well to the game’s overall fast-paced intensity.



Stuntman: Ignition Xbox 360 screenshots

The first Stuntman was a fun game that came out of left
field and became a sleeper hit. However, Stuntman: Ignition is a great step up
for the series, and could project it to a full-fledged success.