A spectacular arcade racer with explosive in-race environmental events. Triggering traps mid-race remains thrilling even today. A hidden gem among PS3 racing games that deserves rediscovery.
Your verdict
Category
Racing2 players7+
Split screen
Description
Arcade racing by Black Rock Studio transposing TV Power Plays into destructible circuits. Published by Disney Interactive Studios, released in May 2010 in Asia, North America and Japan. Anonymous driver entering Split/Second reality TV show with spectacular races on destructible circuits, arcade racing gameplay with activatable Power Plays that destroy environment to trap rivals like collapsing a tower or crashing a plane, over twelve dynamic circuits inspired by a fictional TV series, over forty customizable racing cars, Season campaign mode in twelve TV episodes, online multiplayer mode for up to eight players, pure survival Elimination mode, soundtrack by Andrew Davenport.
Split-Second review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Racing filmed like a spectacular television show, scripted explosions and monumental destruction: the track turns into a disaster-movie set. The intensity of the staging and the brilliance of the effects compose a permanent spectacle. This visual extravagance, snappy and stylish, electrifies every race.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
An arcade racer where you trigger spectacular explosions to trap your rivals mid-race, turning the tracks into shifting hazards. Bringing down a building at the perfect moment delivers an instant, exhilarating thrill. Snappy, spectacular and packed with adrenaline, a racing game that bets everything on timing and staging, for explosive, unforgettable clashes.
The Asian run of Split Second, circulated far more narrowly than the Western editions of Black Rock's explosive arcade racer. This release appeals to collectors attentive to the rare local versions of a title from a defunct studio. Its desirability lies mainly in this geographic scarcity, the content matching the standard.
Better with friends
A spectacular racer where you trigger scripted explosions to wipe out rivals mid-circuit, turning every lap into a blockbuster. The competition blends snappy driving and timing the perfect trap, where the chaser can topple the leader with a well-placed collapse. The original online leans on uncertain servers, but local split-screen keeps all its explosive tension and laughs.
Is Split-Second still worth playing in 2026?
Split-Second is a spectacular and too-overlooked arcade racing game whose core concept stays of rare originality. Through the race, the player builds a gauge that lets them trigger devastating environmental events, blowing up a gas station or collapsing an entire building on their rivals, or even altering the track in real time. This mechanic turns every race into a blockbuster under permanent tension, of a jubilant intensity. The brisk driving and the big-spectacle staging land well. For the fan of explosive arcade racing, this forgotten gem amply deserves a second life.
