FlatOut 4 (PS4)

I buy too many games. There, I admitted it. I've tried to curtail the number of games I pre-order but I gave in to the temptation to get Flatout 4, even though I had misgivings about the series. Now I can repent at leisure.Flatout 4 is a destruction derby style of racer and I usually prefer this type of driving to the Forzas and Gran Turismos of this world. But I like them when they are good, not like this mess of poor design decisions and lack of attention to detail. The problems become obvious as soon as you take to the track and try to steer the car. Basically, all the vehicles are far too light and floaty, and although you can adjust the sensitivity of the controls, you can't change the physics of the cars. They overreact wildly to the smallest object, spinning and backflipping like an Olympic gymnast, and sometimes they even freak out when there isn't anything on the road.This is not good, especially in a racer as fast and crazy as this. To its credit, Flatout 4 is fast, with efficient if unremarkable graphics. The problem is, the game can't sustain this sort of gameplay and the design is erratic, sometimes stupidly difficult, sometimes stupidly easy, and more often, just plain stupid. The game's structure is a good example. The first race is too hard, the second too easy. The initial cars, even when upgraded, are incapable of being competitive beyond the first two cups in the Career mode, but the new cars are too expensive and the prize money inadequate to buy them. So you end up stuck, having to repeat the same couple of cups to earn some cash. The CPU AI is unfair too, with a nasty tendency to target the human player, even at the expense of their own race position. When you combine these problems with the clown car handling, you have major problems - not only is Flatout 4 not fun, it seems to be anti-fun.The classic Flatout mode is no better. The ability to fire your driver out of the car like a human cannonball was a highlight of the original game but even this is botched in Flatout 4, with your living projectile unable to knock down the targets, having to rely on hitting explosive barrels to do the job. The end result is you either get a high score or no score - there is no inbetween.The pity is that with more thought Flatout 4 could have been fun - not a classic but good, dumb fun. As it stands it is just dumb. Strange design decisions, a lack of thought and possibly, a lack of testing, Some of the faults are obvious in minutes of play and it is hard to understand how the developer enjoyed making this. Anyway, my copy of Flatout 4 now resides in the pre-owned section of my local GAME, awaiting some other poor unsuspecting fool. Don't be that fool.

If you liked the old Flat out games on the Xbox there is nothing to dislike here, quick pick up and play fun without having to spend hours playing to get very little distance through a game! more a good old fashioned arcade blast!

Terrible game. Compared to the last iteration of series. The vehicles handle Terribly, the damage system pretty much consists of parts going black. The game will have you tearing your hair out in frustration at the constant unfairness of how the damage is dealt during death matches and capture the flag events. Flatout ultimate carnage is still fun to play now. I wish it was backward compatible but doubt it will due to the rights changing hands.This game is a massive step down.

Short and simple...Theres a game mode where you speed your car down a ramp, eject your driver and send him soaring through the air towards a set of beer pong cups.The rest of the game (all game modes) are great fun, but it was the party mode stunts that sold it for me and have not disappointed.

Got the ps4 game as a present to a family member

Not the best game out there but fantastic fun for me and my two sons.

Great fun, reminiscent of motorstorm

poor game not the best in the series of flat out feels like the cares are on water and floating