Stuntman - PlayStation 2

The game puts you on the sets of several fictitious, stunt-heavy movies, including the 007-inspired Live for Two Tomorrows and the Guy Ritchie-inspired Toothless in Wapping. You're to execute detailed driving stunts by following the director's instructions over a radio and several onscreen visual cues. The stunts are constructed mostly out of driving around, through, and over obstacles, but there are more than a few inventive sequences that you have to time just right. If you do it wrong, or mess up the timing of the shot, you have to retake the scene.

The game can be quite a strain on one's patience, however. There's no initial "walk-through," as there would be for a real production, so it takes several passes to even get a grasp of what you're doing. Plus there's a pause for reloading between each scene that can be grating. Still, players receive tremendous satisfaction from mastering a scene.

Gamers may be disappointed in the quality of Stuntman's graphics--it seems only a half-step above Driver 2--but they'll love the handling of these vehicles and the interactivity of the environments. Nearly everything in the game can be moved or broken. The really versatile Stunt Constructor tool lets you play with all kinds of fun toys or tricks, such as jumps, loops, and even cannons. Lay them out in an arena and then drive the course. You have to unlock all but the most basic toys and vehicles by completing scenes, but it's a great way to blow off steam. --Porter B. Hall

Pros: Car handling is easy and responsive Great game physics with lots of interactive items The Stunt Constructor tool lets you wreck stuff in lots of different ways Cons: Lack of walk-throughs adds a needless level of difficulty to an already challenging game There are reload screens between each take

Amazon.com Product Description
In Stuntman, you'll perform dangerous stunts in three or four vehicles as you play the part of a Hollywood stuntman for hire. You'll need to be good: the stunts will get harder, and you must accumulate skills to progress from low-budget productions to multimillion-dollar Hollywood blockbusters. Each stunt consists of a series of clearly defined objectives, which can range from 180-degree spins to perfectly timed jumps, dramatic barrel rolls, and T-bone smashes. To succeed, the player must achieve all or some of each scene's set objectives. Stunts take place on movie sets in six different countries around the world; completing each stunt rewards you with bonus items for use in the Stunt Arena, which you create yourself. Stuntman was developed with the help of one of the movies' most experienced stuntmen, Vic Armstrong.