“Alot of people complained like children that the first Stuntman game for Playstation 2 was too difficult and sometimes got so frustrating that it was near unplayable at times. When they bought a game from the creators of driver, what did they expect? What they have done in the second game, is to listen to these peoples complaints and do the complete opposite by making it twice as hard, which I think is great. Stuntman Ignition sets you as a rookie stuntman driver who needs to work his way up the ladder and get noticed by the directors. Your objective in the game is to drive from point A to B while dodging falling cliffs, shooting attack helicopters out the sky with rockets, dodging semi trucks by balancing your car on two wheels, set on fire, trample down bikes and henchman and whatever else the script asks of you. The game is not about great graphics, sound or AI, because frankly, this game has none of those, not because the developers were lazy, but because it doesn’t need it. Stuntman Ignition is purely for the gameplay and you can tell it’s been worked on to a very high degree.”

Graphics

Don’t get me wrong when I say the graphics aren’t good, by that I mean the graphics aren’t Gran Turismo 5. The style that Stuntman uses however is very nice even if it hasn’t been made into the gleaming trophy of 2007. The graphics are very clean and this is helpful with so many things happening on the screen at the same time. You don’t want your car blurring when you go through and explosion, especially not in this game and thankfully it doesn’t. A lot of you care about graphics, I do in certain games, but in Stuntman you will be concentrating so hard on how to the next jump or how to perform your reverse 180 that you won’t have time to realise. Nearly everything in the world you drive through can be blown to pieces or smashed up. You smash through crates; the crates explode with pieces of wood flying further the faster you hit it, handbrake turn through a glass window, the glass while mainly smash inwards the whole thing is made for when you finish the certain mission. When you complete your objectives and get to the end of the level, you are given the option to watch the instant replay, which most people will probably skip. This however is not just a normal instant replay, it shows you how it looks when it’s added to the movie with different camera angles and music and is well worth a watch after you have just received your 4-5 star rating from the director. This is where the graphics would have come into play but would it be worth delaying such a great game for 2 minutes of replay?

Gameplay

The gameplay in Stuntman ignition is by far the most impressive aspect. In Grand Theft Auto, you’d be smiling with glee if two cars in front of you exploded and flew over you. In Stuntman, it’s a casual sight as you get points for making it look good. You get given directions of what to do next, for example “Do a reverse 180 and then smash through the car park wall” and a little icon also appears on the floor letting you know where to do it. The only fault I have with this is that a lot of the time he doesn’t tell you quick enough and you’ve already driven past the objective. This can be a right pain as you have to restart the level numerous times and eventually learn where to go instead of rallying on the Colin McRae style navigator. If there’s one game to get your heart beating as you get near the end of the level Stuntman Ignition is defiantly it. Sometimes there will be one stunt in a level which really gets on your nerve and you end punching something to get rid of the frustration. The levels are linear as you are following a scripted movie so freedom in the career mode is non existent, but you’re playing as an actor, what do you expect? You play through six stages all with 6 levels in. These stages are based on real life movies, from James Bond to Starsky and Hutch. As the game is rather quality over quantity, there’s not much more to talk about other than it is a very addictive game and well worth playing which is more than what I can say about folklore.

Sound

There’s not really much to say about sound, apart from there is a sound for everything. Explosion sounds are ok, so are the varying engine sounds and anonymous Yee Haww’s when you are doing one certain level. The voice acting is actually funny which can’t be said for many games. After you restart a level 30 times, the music can really get annoying and half the time you end up turning it off until you reach the next level where the cycle just continues.

AI

As this game is completely scripted and pre programmed, the AI is literally non existent.

Replay Value

I nearly completed the game in one night of playing with near 4-5 star rating on the levels. This one night was about 8 hours long and I only realised that after I peeled my eyes off the screen and checked my watch that it was 5am. Even though it doesn’t sound it, Stuntman Ignition is highly addictive and time consuming but once you have finished the career mode, there isn’t a great deal to do apart from go back and complete it with a 5 star rating. There is however a sandbox mode where you can build your own stunts by building ramps, obstacles and other tings in a giant stadium. This is good for a laugh but it won’t keep you playing for much longer. They have also added in a multiplayer mode where you and another must do a stunt course and get as many points as possible. Hitting the other car steals their points stored in their stunt chain. I suggest playing the demo on the Playstation network and then if you like that maybe rent it. I can’t say six stages of 6 levels are enough for the buy price but it would certainly be worth it when its second hand.

I have to say that this game is by far one of my favourites; I just wish it was longer.

Graphics: 7
Gameplay: 9
Sound : 7
AI : N/A
Replay Value: 6

[This game has been reviewed and rated by Sanctuary. The setup on which this review was played is a 32″ Sony Bravia TV running at 720p, connected to a Playstation 3 via Component Cable.]