At first glance, the life of a stuntman may seem to be all fun and games. But closer inspection reveals a job full of headaches, stress, and other factors that make the task of driving the same stunt over and over again till you get it right not for the impatient. And so it is with the title of the same name.
Stuntman puts you in the role of a professional stunt driver that must work his way up from low budget films to the big time, blockbuster Hollywood smashes. Each level consists of several sections in which you must complete a stunt within a given time limit, hitting certain objectives along the way. These objectives vary greatly, and include such tasks as smashing barrels/crates, jumping a truck in the middle of traffic with the aid of ramps, overtaking vehicles in a cramped tunnel, or just keeping up with the lead car in a climactic car chase. Oftentimes in the middle of a stunt, you'll need to pull a quick turn manuver, or a 180, or something to that extent to continue in the other direction so that "the film looks good". Cutscenes between levels truly in which the director or a fellow stuntman will brief you on the upcoming scene help to immerse you into the game, and all told, it truly is a wonderful, unique concept with some fabulous, unforgettable moments.
However, concept can only get you so far: Problems arise when you sit through the sub-par load times, attempt a stunt for the 25th time, and make no progress. While a challenge is always welcome, many of the stunts can be so unforgiving that they require perfect driving, which really takes away from the concept of Stuntman. Some are simple trial and error, while most require that you memorize each section of the level. While some gamers will no doubt enjoy this aspect of the game, it all comes down to personal preference, and I found that Stuntman just couldn't walk the fine line between "challenging" and "cheap".
Graphically, Stuntman is quite nice: the cars all feature exquisite damage modeling, and the environments are very highly detailed, though it's very doubtful you'll have time to appreciate the scenery: you'll need all your concentration if you hope to pass the insane difficulty levels contained within, and taking your eyes off the road will most likely result in the director screaming "CUT" in your ear.
While Stuntman's look, feel, and sounds all help to get you hyped up to play it (a hard task for any game), the game simply cannot live up to that hype. Rent it and see if you can appreciate that "zen" feeling Atari's going for. If not, put the 50 bucks you saved towards a stunt driving clinic.
-George
CompanyLine
From Reflections, creators of the award-winning Driver franchise, comes a new style of vehicle-smashing action game! Play as the Hollywood stuntman for hire on a quest to cheat death and earn serious money. As stunts get harder, players need to accumulate skills to progress their careers from low budget productions to multi-million dollar Hollywood blockbusters.
Each stunt consists of a series of clearly defined objectives, ranging from 180-degree spins in front of a building to avoid oncoming traffic to perfectly timed jumps, dramatic barrel rolls and T-bone smashes. In order to succeed, the player must achieve all or some of each scene's set of objectives. Completing each stunt rewards players with bonus items that can be used in the Stunt Arena, which players design themselves.
Stuntman is set in a number of different and well-known locations. Stunts take place on movie sets in six different locales around the world, including London, Louisiana, Bangkok, Egypt and more.
Rise from a lowly rookie driver to hero of the silver screen. Have you got what it takes? You are the Stuntman.
Key Features
Awesome number of extreme vehicles for you to experience-smash up cars, bikes, armored vehicles and many more in adrenaline-fuelled scenes!
Fantastic rendered cut-scenes from each movie relive each death-defying performance
Explosive film set action-six different locations based on real blockbuster film sets
Two game modes-Story Mode and Arcade Mode (Stunt Arena)
Collectable bonus items such as ramps and explosives for building the Stunt Arena
Photo-realistic graphics and environments pull players into the excitement
Stunt-double for popular movie characters, from ruthless London gangsters to Indiana Jones-style heroes
Movie trailers feature the player as the star!
Special DVD features - details to be revealed soon
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