FlatOut Ultimate Carnage (360)

[chub]

I got this yesterday, and after playing it for a few hours I think it's good fun but really hard. This is the first FlatOut game I've played, so maybe I just haven't found the right technique yet. Using boost is obviously a way to go faster, but earning it usually requires crashing into things, which slows the car down. I'll have to try upgrading my car too to see if I can make it keep up better with everyone else. At least it's possible to earn money without doing well in races, since you get rewarded for causing mayhem, so you can just race around trying to make the other cars have accidents, which is fun.

This game shows how to do interactive environments. In Burnout for example, if you go wide on a corner and slide towards a barrier, you know you can use it to carry on going round the corner. In FlatOut however if you do that, you just pile straight through the barrier scattering bits everywhere, then pile through the scenery beyond scattering more debris. There are objects being scattered everywhere during the races, so by the end the tracks are a complete mess. It gets tricky if you're actually doing well in a race, then accidentally hit some debris which causes you to spin or go off the track, as you usually lose places.

So has anyone who has played one of the PC versions got any tips?

[Rod_S]

So has anyone who has played one of the PC versions got any tips?

Play Burnout instead. Flatout's racing model is too flawed and frustrating to be any fun, you're always anticipating the next random spin or unavoidable collision with debris.

I always thought it'd work great as a top-down racer like Mashed, the 3D view just doesn't give you enough time to respond to the shit all over the track, and you can't see your opponents crashing into your carefully planned obstacles if they're behind you. Change the perspective and it'd be brilliant.

[Ratsoap]

I really liked Flatout 2 on the PC. My only real tip is to conserve the boost, and use it get yourself out of any wobbles, and to help you if you start drifting out on the corners. Oh, and learn which bits of scenery earn you big boost when you smash them, so you can avoid unnecessary slowdown.

Perseverance is the key with Flatout. Race to enjoy smashing things, and see winning as a by-product. It's a lot less frustrating that way.

[merman]

I enjoy the ragdoll minigames, racing/smashing the other cars is a bit tedious...

[chub]

I had a much more successful go last night. I tried to learn the tracks more, especially how much I could cut each corner without hitting something solid (like a tree or rock). A good way of going fast is to cut every corner if possible to keep the speed up, with crashing through fences on the inside of corners also helping to gain boost and make a clearer line for the next lap.

Anyway I did this and started doing well in races, winning some of them and generally doing well enough to get 1st or 2nd in the overall events. Progress!

I had a go at Carnage mode too, a separate section made up of the various minigames (stunts, destruction derbies, beat-the-bomb, carnage races), which is also hard but still rather fun.

I'm really enjoying this game actually.

[Stone]

I always thought it'd work great as a top-down racer like Mashed, the 3D view just doesn't give you enough time to respond to the shit all over the track, and you can't see your opponents crashing into your carefully planned obstacles if they're behind you. Change the perspective and it'd be brilliant.

Has there been any word on Mashed working on back-compatibility yet? I can't really think of any comparably-awesome 360 party games...

Stone

[Bod]

Picked this up for the 360 today.

Never played any of these before, & am totally loving it ... almost has the same fun factor as Excite Truck on the Wii.

[louiecat]

its growing on me too - I actually enjoy the challenge level - not too easy and once you get the racing lineoncorners ok, its rather easier to get a podium placing.

the stunt high jumping in Carnage mode is really good fun too. hilarious stuff.

[mutopian]

Just got this today (25quid from Play) and having never played any of the previous Flatout games didn't really know what to expect.

Having an absolute ball with it. It can be frustrating in that a slight mistake can put you from 1st place to 12th but the fun factor makes you forget about that.

Nice to have something to tide me over until the next Burnout game appears

[trezzer]

I much prefer this over Burnout as it's indeed a proper racing game albeit a chaotic one. If you're wondering why I'm saying Burnout isn't a proper racing game, it's been pointed out here better than I could: http://www.actionbutton.net/?p=152

There's a definite sense of progression as you learn the courses and the feel of the various vehicles. The most important thing is, as pointed out previously, the boost. Not just because it can give you a helping hand when you're behind, but it will also get you through obstacles that would otherwise have knocked you out of course. So use it wisely but not necessarily sparingly - especially once you master boosting it while using it.

An important aspect is finding a car you feel comfortable controlling, though. Some of the cars drive more like houses on wheels than racing cars

[Ratsoap]

Any of you chumps in this thread fancy a multiplayer sesh sometime? Them Forza lot seem to be having a ball. Maybe Flatout can offer some shennanigans too.

[trezzer]

I'm up for it. I haven't really ventured online at all in FlatOut yet. So much to do offline, but feel free to add me if you wanna have a go sometime.

Gamertag: Helvedeshunden

[Dragst]

Funny fact...

I was in the devteam of FOUC

[chub]

Funny fact...

I was in the devteam of FOUC

Heh, nice to know we have a bugbear here with us. I think you lot did a fine job on this!

[trezzer]

Heh, nice to know we have a bugbear here with us. I think you lot did a fine job on this!

Yeah certainly.

I would, however, love to get the address to whoever placed the camera on the X (and had B as an alternate) as well as made replays the default after-game option. Because I do believe a spanking is in order for those rather horrid mistakes.

But considering that's the only thing that annoys me in an entire game, I'd say it's very, very well done

(in case you're wondering about the camera button: it's so darn easy to accidentally touch it in the heat of the battle, when you're going for the start button to reset a race that started horribly - when you do that it means you either have to go back, cycle through camera modes to get the one you wanted, pause again and restart, or be left to fight with it right when the next race starts. It left me cursing quite a few times )