Parents' Guide to

Split/Second

By Brett Molina, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Explosive racing game encourages aggressive driving.

Game PlayStation 3 , Windows , Xbox 360 2010
Split/Second Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Split/Second Game: Screenshot #1
  • Split/Second Game: Screenshot #2

Community Reviews

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age 7+

Based on 2 parent reviews

RealReview007
RealReview007 Adult
July 3, 2020
age 7+

Common Sense is right.

Split/Second is a game made by Disney. It's the same company that created Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. The game is extremely fast and extremely dangerous if applied in real life. Explosives are detonated left and right with a press of a button. The sounds and the graphics of this game are almost life like, it's a blast. For this game, there is no victory in safe driving. Destruction is the key to winning. Theres helicopters launching explosives on the roads, there are airplane crashes, trucks and cabs exploding. Also theres gasoline stations ignited in fire. This game is full of destructions and explosions. It's a total havoc and chaos just like in most Michael Bay films. But who in their right mind will apply this game to real life? It's a fictional arcade racing game. Young kids who knows how to work any game controllers knows that racing games are not real. By the time theyre old enough to drive, theyll know that driving has rules and regulations to follow. All parents have nothing to worry about. Common sense, video games are not real and should stay behind tv screens.

This title has:

Easy to play/use
nuenjins
nuenjins Parent
August 18, 2014
age 6+

The only cool game that has had the Disney name attached in ages.

Yeah, believe it,... Disney. Yeah I know, everyone who would love this game will most likely roll their eyes and spit at the thought of watching some fluff Disney garbage, but it must be just the financial backing of Disney only because as an adult with teens, this is one of the best and original racers out there. With 2 player split screen and the ability to activate various environmental hazards with a button press as well as earnable speed boosting nitro, jumps and lots of Hollywood style over the top destruction. This is a very good arcade style racer with very intense fantasy action. All this is executed with realistic, smooth texture graphics and flawless steering sensitivity with a varity of cars to fit your 'feel' for the road and playstyle. I am usually a very particular and straightforward reviewer, however, being a lifelong gamer myself I can honestly say my second thoughts were washed away very quickly my family all had a blast playing together. Lacking is the 4 player split screen of games like Blur but at the current price of $20 or less it is definitely worth the buy. Besides, after an intense race, taking turns can often be a good thing as you may need a breather in between, which begs me to mention it's fun to watch as well.

This title has:

Easy to play/use
See all 2 parent reviews

What’s It About?

SPLIT/SECOND is an intense racing title set inside a reality television show. Players work through a \"season,\" which consists of a series of episodes each filled with multiple events that include straightforward races, elimination bouts, and time trials. The key twist is that players use their environment to cause spectacular crashes. Once players build up a meter via aggressive driving they can initiate Power Plays which can blow up giant buildings or take out part of a bridge and cause other players to wreck. Outside of season mode players can participate in individual events and battle other drivers online.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (25 ):

The game uses a simple approach for arcade racing, but it proves to be exhiliarating and thrilling. Generating blasts that wreck multiple cars and push you to the front of the pack is quite gratifying, as is dodging huge blasts en route to victory. The driving controls are pretty easy to pick up as well.

Also, there's a sense of unpredictability to each race. Just because you're in last place early doesn't mean you can't execute a major Power Play and hop right back in front. The game features a solid variety of unique, fun modes that make this a great avenue for satisfying your inner thrill-seeker.

Online interaction: Online matches include open voice chat. Common Sense Media does not recommend open voice communications for players under 12 years of age.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how this game compares to other racing titles. Do you prefer games that employ arcade style racing as opposed to a more authentic style?

  • Families can also discuss the consequences of high-speed racing, and how most racing games fail to depict them with accuracy. Do you think there might be a way for game makers to create a fun racing game with realistic accidents? Do you think this would benefit younger players?

Game Details

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