FlatOut 4: Total Insanity - Review

Article by Domenico De Rosa

Among the many franchises belonging to the racing-game category, FlatOut can be one of the craziest and most reckless ones out there. The famous series is back in better shape than ever thanks to the new chapter, which already from the name makes it clear what users will be up against. FlatOut 4: Total Insanity embodies the true arcade spirit of a car racing game: full speed and nastiness, little lucidity.

A tutto gas

Anyone who has never approached the FlatOut saga must keep one thing in mind: being an arcade and not a simulator, you won't find yourself driving famous cars either struggling with a technical and "real" gameplay. Absolutely not! In contrast, FlatOut 4: Total Insanity it will free that crazy and reckless pilot in all of us. The main mode of the game, or the Career Mode, is based on crazy street racing, where the main purpose is not only to cross the finish line first, but also to be to destroy all the surrounding environment to charge up your Nitro bar and whiz at full throttle. Furthermore, another main feature of the title is that of destroy the cars of the opponents using every method, especially the unorthodox ones. In summary, in FlatOut 4 you need to take the perfect driver's manual and throw it out the window! The Career Mode represents the largest pot of the entire game, both in terms of longevity and content. Users have indeed access to twenty-seven cars (not all available immediately), divided between three categories: Derby, Classic e Allstar. These categories also represent the types of races that we will face, even if at the beginning we can only buy two cars and participate in a single cupa, a little bit to be honest. By winning races and earning money, it will then be possible unlock other competitions, races or time trials, upgrade your car or buy others, thus increasing its car fleet. In the title you can also change the livery of your cars, though the personalization of the cars is not quite extensive. If there is one thing that “Career” teaches us it is that in FlatOut 4 the more you play, the more content it will block. This also applies to the other modalities.

Stop, we have to fill in the CID!

As you may have guessed, FlatOut 4: Total Insanity is equal to pure arcade. Each track has been created so that it is not sport that wins, but total destruction. This is also evidenced by the type of cars present: they range from classic cars to heavy trucks, from muscle cars to ... ice cream trucks. This is not to say that gameplay rewards destruction at the expense of speed. Yes, because thanks above all to Nitro, rechargeable, destroying everything that comes within range or "denting" enemy cars, you will reach a speed beyond all logic. Despite the presence of real Demolition Derby, car racing is also a battlefield where not everyone will reach the finish line. Each car has its own energy bar, which can be reset by hitting its car against walls and the like, or clashing with other means. Once that bar is zeroed, you have to say goodbye to the race. This makes any competition truly fascinating, especially because any position can be suddenly reversed and it is not said that who is in last position cannot aspire to better places. To thrill us even more, the radio could not be missing, which offers the possibility to select during each race the most suitable soundtrack for the situation. But if you think that FlatOut 4 is just racing and that's it, then you don't know the series at all!

See how I fly!

If in any self-respecting racing-arcade there must be various "destructive" modes, in FlatOut 4 this is law! La FlatOut mode precisely it offers to the players various alternatives to "normal" races, one crazier than the other. First of all, it should be noted the return of Stunt Mode, where you will have to improvise some stunman and throw the driver of your car out of the car, demolishing buildings made with constructions, trying to hit glasses in full beer-pong style, transforming the pilot into a soccer ball, thus trying to score goals, as well as many other crazy stunts. As previously stated, not even the Demolition Derby are missing, arenas whose purpose is to blow up other cars, thanks also to power ups located throughout the area. However, the winner will not be the last car to remain "standing", but whoever accumulates the most points within the time limit. Obviously the FlatOut Mode can count on many other game modes, as special timed races against bombs ready to explode, or still on elimination matches, where the last to reach the checkpoint is eliminated, but above all, as well as the Career Mode, even the “FlatOut” rewards constant and assiduous players. The more you play, the more points you accumulate, the more challenges you unlock and inevitably, the more you will have fun. Career Mode and Flatout Mode therefore guarantee many hours of play, a factor that never hurts in this type of security.

The nails in the wheel

There is a saying that goes: "Not all donuts succeed with a hole". This saying can be very well readjusted for Total Insanity: not all tires are properly inflated. FlatOut 4 has many positive features, but also many things that make you turn up your nose more than once. In terms of graphics and detail of cars and game environments, the work of the developers was not entirely excellent. Although this is a title devoted to the arcade, the fast-paced gameplay doesn't justify such low quality graphics. The eye also wants its part and certainly FlatOut 4 does not offer many joys for the eyes. The design of the cars is captivating, true, but the graphic rendering is not at all. Even the tracks and the various arenas, although totally "alive" and almost completely destructible, they have been made with minimal effort and therefore, with careless details. Such a pity! The other flat tire is shown by the inexplicable absence of the split-screen, feature that usually goes hand in hand with this type of game. Multiplayer is (obviously) present in FlatOut 4: Total Insanity, but as for local multiplayer, it is represented only by a kind of party-game (up to eight players) with challenges that can only be performed in turn. Far too little, since everyone would have preferred have the ability to perform local split-screen races against your friends. Indeed, being an arcade-racing, this was completely necessary. This lack comes in part tappata thanks to online multiplayer (always up to eight players): here it is possible carry out any kind of competition against other users, although matchmaking would seem favor "random" games more than the one with specific settings. There is also to say that the game is not yet available to everyone, the number of players online is very low. 

Keys in hand?

In conclusion, FlatOut 4 it represents a distinct (unfortunately not very good) racing-game, which offers a lot of content and many competitions, especially in its Career Mode, which as mentioned in the review there will allow you to stay glued to the game for many hours. If you love this type of car arcade, fun is guaranteed. The only thing to know before any purchase of the game is that the driver seat is unique and does not allow you to be joined by anyone. Translated, no chance to run with your friends or family, the only lack that over time will make itself felt overwhelmingly. Aside from that, Flatout 4: Total Insanity it has nothing to envy to the most renowned racing-arcades that are already in circulation.