Blur vs. Split/Second

Racing fans lucked out this year with the release of two awesome arcade racers.

My review scores might speak for themselves (Blur: 8.5, Split/Second: 8.25), but when sizing up these two games it's not as simple as one being better than the other because it has the higher score. These two titles are slightly different, and I'm going to compare and break them down along a few categories.

Multiplayer: Here Blur gets the nod simply because of its addictive ranking system and 20-player mayhem-filled racing. At first, it's a little dis-heartening to find that you have to start your leveling and fan accumulation all over again from the single-player, but you'll earn it all back in no time. And let me say this again: 20. Player. Racing.

Blur's 20-player online sessions are epic

Boss Battles: Both games feature boss battles of sorts, but I prefer Split/Second's Air Revenge battles (where you deflect missiles coming down from a  helicopter) and Survival mode (which has you dodging explosive kegs as they bounce off runaway trucks) over Blur's boss showdowns.

Both have some slight negatives, however, in that Split/Second's boss modes are repeated throughout the game, and the criteria by which you unlock Blur's bosses can sometimes lead you to grind and re-race events. Overall, though, both games are smart to include boss battles of any kind.

Air Survival, Air Revenge, and Survival modes in Split/Second change things up

Strategy: I found that Blur's strategy of when to play what power up more satisfying than Split/Second's power play system. Although saving up to trigger a giant, level-quaking Route Change power play in Split/Second could be very gratifying, there were times when I saved up for a Route Change, but it didn't pay off because the track's big event was already triggered.

In general, I always knew where I stood with Blur's power ups. They are certainly more disposable than Split/Second's power play system, but at the same time I never felt like I wasn't using them correctly (or regretted using them at certain times), which could happen every once and a while in Split/Second. I also loved alternate fire options of some power ups, as well as the offensive and defenses uses for many of them.

The Big Bang: You won't find anything as grandiose as Split/Second's Route Changes (like de-railing a train from a suspension bridge) in Blur, and what I find just as impressive about Split/Second is that game's regular, moment-to-moment racing. Plumes of smoke obscure your view, wrecked cars whip overhead in a streak of sparks and steel, and the sense of speed is awesome.

Blur also leaps out of the screen at you as power ups like the Shunt tosses cars into the air in a red explosion or Barges slam down their area-effects.

You can't beat Split/Second for its extravagant set pieces

Driving/Cars: Each game does a good job making use of the different characteristics of its cars. Things like overall strength and drift capabilities (apart from speed, obviously) are important in Blur and Split/Second depending on what kind of race you're in. For Blur, you'll want more drifty cars for certain courses or if you want to earn more fans by sliding your way through corners. Strong vehicles like SUVs can be great because you aren't tossed around as much and you don't have to waste time picking up Repair power ups.

Some of Split/Second's tracks and modes are much easier depending on what kind of car you're using. For instance, in Air Revenge mode, I liked to use a vehicle with a high acceleration rating so I could keep up with the missiles raining down. This was necessary to get a combo bonus for driving through and dodging an entire salvo of missiles, and to keep up with the countdown timer.

Finally, it might matter to some of you (although it's not something I particularly care about) that Blur uses real, licensed vehicles while Split/Second doesn't.

I hope you guys get to play both games. They may be similar in some respects, but I think that they're different enough and each have their own strengths that they're both worth a look.