Black Rock Studio offer a racing pastiche of an action TV series with choreographed destruction and hilarious driver-passenger duos. Races feel like a network show, the 360 stays an ideal field for short and especially spectacular multi-player sessions with friends on the couch.
Your verdict
Category
Racing4 players7+
Split screen
Description
Arcade racing by Black Rock Studio and Disney Interactive, May 2010. Drivers race on circuits where explosions, crashing planes and collapsing bridges reconfigure the track in real time. Power Play system triggered by spectators to drastically transform the circuit mid-race. Spectacular racing with unique evolving track.
Split-Second review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
The race is presented as a television show: channel logos inlaid in the corner of the screen, replay slow motion, camera angles fixed to the bodywork and a control room triggering the incidents. The explosions do not destroy at random, they are framed like filmed stunts, a crane toppling or a gas station going up exactly as the car enters the shot.
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.
North American (NTSC-U) edition of Split-Second, a Black Rock Studio arcade racer built like a TV show where you trigger scripted explosions to trap rivals, a spectacular idea left without a sequel. Still common, its collector interest rests on this singular concept and a niche demand rather than scarcity. An interesting piece for arcade-racing fans of the console, valued for its staging.
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?
Released in 2010 on Xbox 360, Black Rock Studio's Split/Second is an arcade racer with a spectacular concept, where you trigger explosions and the collapse of entire sets to trap your rivals mid race. This TV blockbuster staging, where the track transforms under the effect of accumulated Power Plays, creates a unique tension and spectacle. The sense of speed and the frantic pace appeal. The server shutdown limits the online side and the content repeats. But the concept stays exhilarating. For fans of spectacular arcade racing and action, this singular title keeps a strong appeal today.
