Scrap Metal Review

If you’ve been waiting for a sequel to R.C Pro-Am, then Slick entertainment have delivered, well sort of anyway. It isn’t actually an R.C racer, but the top down viewpoint makes it appear as if you’re driving miniature cars. This game is not a simulation by a long shot, the name of the game is action and nothing but. While the game has it’s issues such as some buggy controls and some below par artwork there is still some fun to be had here if you can fork over the 1200MSP without choking.

Scrap metal is comparable to Super Sprint, but with one difference each of the cars are brimming with weapons and hardly ever hold them back. There are 8 tracks to cause carnage on, with you having to complete a set number of missions before you face the track boss. What Slick has done well here is vary the mission types, in a genre that can sometimes be awfully repetitive. In Scrap Metal you’re constantly having to change strategies from races to demo derby’s and even monster trucking.

Whenever you wreck an opponent’s car, you gain that car in your garage. Each vehicle not only has different strengths and weaknesses, but weapons. However, you have to choose what to put in your garage and carefully, as you only have four spots and if you replace a car you lose all the upgrades you have bought. Completing mission’s gives you upgrade points for coming in the top three positions, which you can then use to upgrade your chosen car.

The graphics for the tracks and cars are good, unfortunately some of the tracks lack personality and unlikely to make you want to chose them again. The animations for the weapons and track effects look good, but don’t overtly impress. My biggest niggle with the graphics however, is the 2D character art, which looks as if they got it for free. Over all on the graphical front Scrap Metal would have benefited if it had a unique or memorable art style, which sadly it lacks.

Multiplayer allows you and up to 3 other people to battle it out online with the addition of a number of NPC competitors. There are three match types, Demo derby, Race and King of the Hill. Demo derby just consists of you getting the most number of wrecks before the time runs out, race is exactly the same as in campaign with each of you vying for first place. King of the Hill is exclusive to the multiplayer and combines elements of Racing and Demo Derby. In it you have to have the highest high score by the time the clock runs out but there's two ways to go about accumulating points. One way is to stay in one of the three medals positions, and for each half lap you get rewarded points. The other way is to wreck other cars and by doing this you can get a substantial amount of points. While the multiplayer is unlikely to hook you like MW2 or BF BC:2 would, it doesn't mean that it would be fun to give it a spin with some mates.

Last but not least there are the controls, which is easily the largest flaw in the game. Slick entertainment did the right thing by offering two different control systems for you to choose from. The first mode, which is recommended to beginners, is where you just simply push the stick in the direction you wish to go. You would then think you would push it in the other direction to reverse, but instead you have to press LT. It does feel a bit weird at first and during a tense race you’ll often get tripped up. The second control scheme lets you drive from the perspective of the car with R.C style controls. The biggest problem is if you’re driving towards the bottom of the screen you have to remember to reverse your steering controls. However, the physics engine can be the most frustrating thing in the game causing you to spin out for no reason at all and cause you to lose the race. This is where the game stops being fun and enjoyable and just becomes frustrating if not evil.

The Xbox Live Arcade Block Party Promotion has so far been a good way for Microsoft to do some self-promotion of first-party studios. Block party started of with a fantastic little tower defence action game called Toy Soldiers. Which was then followed up by Scrap Metal before the world ends and we finally get the re-release of Perfect Dark. Unfortunately, when compared to these games it may look like Scrap Metal belongs in the Block Party junk heap.

Scrap Metal is a good game in its own right, but not compared to how Toy Soldiers nearly reinvented the Tower Defense genre and the nostalgia of Perfect Dark or even the slightly overpriced potential of Game Room. Scrap Metal just can’t stand up and compare itself. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take it for a test-drive, but with a price tag of 1200MSP you won’t be too eager to jump right in.

Final Thoughts

Presentation: With the somewhat shoddy controls, and a lackluster art style, its a surprise that Scrap metal still manages to be a fun and enjoyable game.

Sound: The metallic guitar riffs are a great backdrop for vehicular destruction.

Gameplay: The variety of missions and the upgrade system keep things interesting.

Re-play value: With multiplayer races with up to 3 friends there is a reason to go back, but not a very strong one.

Overall: 7