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::PUBLISHER::
Xbox LIVE Arcade
::DEVELOPER::
Slick Entertainment Inc.
::GENRE::
Racing
::RELEASE DATE::
03/10/10
::PLAYERS::
1-4
::LIVE::
Online Multiplayer 2-4, Co-op 1-4, Content Downloads, Leaderboards, Voice
::COST::
1200Points
::FEATURES::
Players 1-4, System Link 2-4, HDTV 1080p, In-game Dolby Digital
Good: Variety of modes to play, satisfying gameplay
Bad: Controls feel a bit loose, which made the game frustrating at times.
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Scrap Metal Review
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A pretty satisfying top-down racer with a good amount of destruction, but some slippery controls make the experience quite frustrating.
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I enjoy top-down racers, so I was a bit excited for Scrap Metal. It's a top-down racer featuring some arcade elements similar to something like Vigilante 8, where all the cars are equipped with weapons. It's not just one big destroy fest though, as there are various way to play.
Before I get into the details of the game, I want to talk about the controls. You are given two schemes to choose from - directional and traditional. Directional control caters more to players who haven't played much top-down racers. Tilt the thumbstick in a direction and your vehicle will follow. Acceleration is done automatically, while braking/reversing is done with a button. The setup is alright, and is easy to control. For Traditional control, you'll get the set-up seen in other top-down racers where your current direction layout is based on where the car is currently facing. If you've played past top down racers like R.C. Pro Am on the NES or Micro Machines on the N64 and Playstation, you'll have a firm grasp on how this layout plays. For the less experienced, it could take a while for some to become attuned enough to fully understand the controls. Both work fairly well though.
The game is comprised of 8 different tracks, with each track housing their own set of missions. You'll get the typical win-the-race objective, but there's a good variety present so that things aren't dull. There's the derby, where cars just destroy each other to rack up the most points; elimination race, where the person in last place after each lap is eliminated; and also missions where you have to outrun enemy cars and survive. Each track will also have their own boss, so there are boss battle missions as well. You'll get ranked with a bronze, silver, or gold star depending on how well you do. If you don't rank, then you don't complete the mission. For example, getting 4th place in a race will be a mission failure.
The neat thing with Scrap Metal is with how new cars get unlocked. In order to unlock new cars to your garage, you'll need to destroy them in missions. Blowing up an enemy car in a race or a boss fight will cause that car to be available from the junkyard. Simply select it and bring it to your garage, where you can customize some of its properties (colors, accessories) and even upgrade its stats (speed, grip, armor). As you complete missions, you'll get a set amount of upgrade points depending on your rank. These points will be used to upgrade your car. Unfortunately, you can only house 4 cars at one time. As more cars become available to you, there may be a point where you'll need to replace cars you possibly spent lots of points on. Doing so will cause the replaced car to disappear, and you won't get any of the spent upgrade points back. So you'll need to choose wisely.
It's pretty enjoyable playing through the different missions and progressing to the next unlocked track, but I began getting frustrated in the later points of the game. My reason for the frustration is due to the game's car physics. It seems you can spin out and lose control of your car very easily whenever you're turning. Even cars slightly bumping you from behind can have a large effect on you. It just felt like I was driving on a slippery road the entire time and never getting any grip in. This becomes more of a problem with the later tracks as they consist of more turns, especially sharper ones. This got really frustrating when I lost many races due to spinning out suddenly after doing so well. It becomes a bigger problem for boss fights since you need to shoot them down. And it's quite difficult to follow closely behind a boss to shoot down once you lose speed due to a spin out. Over time I did get use to the slippery feel, mainly cause it isn't so bad depending on the car you're driving.
In terms of graphics, Scrap Metal looks good. The tracks designs are cleverly done so crashes and confrontations happen often, plus they have been detailed nicely. You'll also see your car slowly getting destroyed as you take up damage. However, the artsytle for the bosses may seem generic for some and a bit out of place amongst all the mayhem. Explosions, weapons, and crashes sound good though, so you'll never stop feeling the violence. I didn't find the music too memorable, but what you get fits the game. Also, the car engine sounds were a little annoying for particular cars.
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7
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7.8
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Despite the controls not being as tight as I wanted, I still enjoyed Scrap Metal. The mission based gameplay flows well thanks to its variety, so it doesn't feel too repetitive. Having cars that perform differently from each other also helps keep things fresh. There is a multiplayer mode for local, system link, and online as well, which will keep the fun going long after you've completed the single player. Those who enjoy top-down racers will enjoy what the game offers, and the easy control scheme works well enough for newcomers. 1200 points is a bit steep for this simple game, but it offers enough content in gameplay and fun to make it a satisfying purchase.
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