Stuntman

"An Innovative and Exciting Game, Slightly Marred by Repetition and Load Time"

I have never played a game quite like Stuntman before. It is a truly innovative game that tests the gamer's reflexes as well as their ability to think ahead. Unfortunately it can also test your patience. What is perhaps the biggest flaw in this game is the frustration caused by a few of it's problems. Let me break down the major facets for you:

Story - 10/10
You are a new guy to the stuntman profession and must work your way through the ranks to make the big bucks. What more could you ask for? You get to be the guy laying your life on the line for that great shot. Do it with enough style and you'll be raking in some big time paychecks when your skill is needed for Blockbusters.

Sound/Music - 9/10
The soundtrack is perfect for each individual movie. The sound effects for crashes and explosions and such are phenomenal and truly add to your immersion into the stuntman role. The only drawback to the sound is the use of voices. The voice acting is great, but I was surprised that the same voice was used for the director of every movie.

Graphics - 9/10
There are minor flaws that do not detract from gameplay in any measurable way. Some may complain about pixellation and such, but any flaws are truly negligible. The videos are spectacular and add a great facet to the game when you get to see your stunts being performed in the movie's preview trailer.

Controls - 10/10
I see no flaws with the controls except that it might take some a while to get the right feel for them. The learning curve seems reasonably low, so this should not impact anyone with experience in driving games.

Frustration - 10/10
Yes, here is the games flaw. It will make you very angry at points as it forces you to strive for perfection. As you advance you will find yourself repeating stunts over and over which can become very frustrating. It slows the games pace down and may detract from enjoyment, But, you are certainly not supposed to breeze through this. If it was real life and you weren't perfect, you'd be dead, so I would say they are staying true to the profession. Now, if you couple this frustration with the fact that the game can have some unnecessarily long load times, you might be pulling out your hair. I say use the load times to think about what you're doing next and you'll hardly notice them.

Overall - 9/10
Yes, this game has flaws, but none of them truly detract from the overall experience. It is a game that set a benchmark as it is one of a kind, and for that it is truly worth the experience. Because I can not call it perfect it can not get a 10, but it certainly earns an overall 9 for all the things that are right with it. Some fun extras as well as the sheer novelty of the experience more than balance out the small flaws. Play it and you'll certainly enjoy it. See you in Hollywood!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/07/02, Updated 07/07/02