by Danreb VictorioThe appointment with Saber for Stuntman: Hollywood was a just a blast. It was probably the funnest time I had demoing a game at SGF this year. It was also among the most punishing appointments I had at SGF.
The funny and sad part is that I almost canceled this appointment. Boy, I’m sure glad I didn’t.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Stuntman series, no worries. I was too. It wasn’t really much of a series. One game launched on the PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance in 2002, and Stuntman: Ignition came in 2003. Stuntman focuses on the career of a movie stuntman, and you do things like take death-defying leaps, go on high-speed car chases, pull off stunts that would get any regular person sent to the shadow realm, and more.
So why is this series coming back when nobody asked for it? Beats me, but if that trailer and this demo were anything to go off of, I’m glad it’s back.
In the 30 minutes I played the game, I completed four levels, each more challenging than the last. The object of each level was not unlike what I explained earlier. You’re a Hollywood stunt car driver, and it’s up to you to perform the tasks the director tells you to do on the headset. The first level is the tutorial, pretty much breaking down the basics of driving a car in a video game. Accelerating, turning, drifting, that sort of deal.
The second level is a bit more challenging. You’re given less time to follow directions for more steps. You’re colliding with boxes, drifting at every corner, taking those aforementioned death-defying lips, only to land safely enough for an immediate drift all while staying on one side of other cars on the road without hitting them. Overwhelmed yet?
Then came that Back to the Future level, which was crazy. You start by driving in reverse, going into a 180, driving on a ramp to ensure only two wheels are on the ground as you accelerate, taking U-Turns, driving over other cars in leaps of faith, and more.
In the final level of the demo,I drove through and past apocalyptic wreckage consisting of fallen planes and crushed cruise ships along the interstate, making sure I’m clearing the way, and I don’t know what I’m clearing the way for. Somehow, I failed less in this place than I did with the Back to the Future level.
As far as failure goes, if you don’t do enough of the tasks you’re given within a certain time, you have to start all over. There isn’t much room or flexibility for freelance driving here. You play by the rules, and while that might push people the wrong way, I’m fine with it.
Out of all the demos I played during SGF, this was the only one that had me looking at my watch because I didn’t want it to end. I was having so much fun despite all the failures I was going through. I know I’m probably overhyping it by mentioning that I gave it one of our initial “Best of Show” stickers during the last day of the show, but this game really deserved it. It wasn’t quite Burnout 3, but it definitely had those vibes.
Maybe that’s why it’s back. No other IP in the genre is dare giving it a try against the king that it’s Forza, but Saber deserves some credit here.
It goes without saying, I’m absolutely excited about Stuntman: Hollywood. Unfortunately, no release window has been announced for it yet, but we’ll be waiting with bated breath.
Stuntman: Hollywood
