A Thrilling Ride Through Stuntman: Hollywood

At the recent Summer Game Fest, I had the opportunity to experience a 15-minute demo of Stuntman: Hollywood, and it was one of the most enjoyable 15 minutes I’ve spent at any gaming event. Although I haven’t played the original games, this title is already making a strong impression with its fast-paced arcade-style driving and engaging stunt sequences.

The game’s premise is straightforward: you take on the role of a stunt driver performing stunts for various action films. As you navigate through different levels, your director provides real-time instructions, accompanied by visual cues along the track. These cues guide you to perform specific actions like drifting around corners, launching off ramps, or squeezing past oncoming vehicles. It’s a bit like having a rally co-driver, but with more explosions and high-octane action.

Stunt on These Bros

Each run in the game is just a minute or two long, which makes repeated attempts feel fresh and not exhausting. While none of the five levels I played were particularly difficult, achieving perfect scores on every stunt proved to be a real challenge. This challenge keeps me hitting the restart button repeatedly, trying to refine my performance. The producer, Tim Lohrenz, who was overseeing the demo, even joked about how glad he is that current-generation consoles have eliminated loading times, allowing for seamless gameplay.

What truly sets Stuntman: Hollywood apart is its excellent control scheme. The car physics are not realistic, as expected from an arcade-style driving game, but this lack of realism gives players more freedom to execute precise drifts and cornering. On my first attempt through a level, I felt like I was barely in control of my vehicle. By the second or third try, I was already starting to build a rhythm that brought me closer to a perfect run.

Licensed Courses and Exciting Challenges

One of the standout features of Stuntman: Hollywood is its inclusion of courses licensed from actual car-focused action films and shows. These include franchises like Fast & Furious and Miami Vice, with more unannounced collaborations on the way, according to Lohrenz.

During the demo, I played through a Back to the Future stage that recreated the scene where Marty McFly escapes terrorists in the mall parking lot. While the level isn’t an exact replica of the film’s scene—there are more terrorists and additional challenges—it captures the essence of the original with the iconic soundtrack playing in the background.

However, the original courses might be even more exciting. My favorite part of the demo involved a collapsing stretch of highway filled with falling boulders, ruined cars, and even crashed airplanes. The undulating terrain creates a great sense of verticality, and the thrill of drifting across a 70-degree slope made the experience even more exhilarating.

Fast-Paced Action and Replay Value

Even the simpler tracks are thrilling, thanks to the precise controls and fast-paced action. During my brief demo, I was already eager to revisit each level to perfect my line and nail every stunt. I can only imagine how much that urge will grow once I get the final game and all its checklists and trophies.

If you’re a fan of high-speed racing and stunts, Stuntman: Hollywood looks like a must-play title. Its combination of arcade-style driving, licensed content, and replayable challenges makes it a standout in the racing genre.

For more stories like this, follow us on MSN by clicking the +Follow button at the top of this page.