FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage

"This is nothing more than Flatout 2.1"

Once again I find a game that is a perfect example of why people download games versus paying for them. This is supposed to be the next game in a series of three, however it's honestly nothing more than a bad Xbox port of a game that already exists on the PC, Flatout 2. Basically they took Flatout 2 and put it on the Xbox added a few extra AI opponents during races, a couple new tracks and supposedly added HD graphics. Well I don't have HD but I can tell you that the graphics in my opinion are worse than Flatout 2. Then they took this creation and ported it back to the PC and called it Flatout Ultimate carnage. Here's the funny part, it still has the Xbox consol interface. For example; Press A or B to continue or cancel. They were too lazy to change it I guess. Other than that it really is Flatout 2 and a worse version of it if you ask me.


Graphics 4/10

They were worse than the previous version running on my AMD Dual Core SLI system with Twin Corsair 2GB RAM and two Geforce 8600 GT 512MB video cards. My system is far better than the games recommended system specs. It was grainy, jagged and sloppy. This was on max video game settings.

Sound 8/10

The one thing they did get right and always did was the sound tracks. They are great mood music for this type of game. However the effects like engine sounds and car smashing was a bit lacking and hollow, not as good as in Flatout 2. I don't understand why they'd do a remake and wreck all of the good things about the game. Strange.

Controls and Game play 6/10

Nothing much is new here from the original or 2. It's an action packed racer with emphasis on arcade. If you're looking for a racing simulator this game is not for you. The physics are set up for action and not realism. Some complain about the control in these game, I however like them as a change from the old racing sims. All the tracks and stunts are here from the second game plus a couple new tracks. This really could have been a patch for the second game and not a new title. Money mongers!

Overall 5/10

If you're looking for a sequel to Flatout 2 you definitely won't find it here. And if you're new to the franchise then I'd suggest trying Flatout 2 or even the original. This is a shotty port from Xbox and bad remake of an already good game for the PC. Get Flatout 2!

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 09/11/08

Game Release: FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage (US, 09/02/08)