There's something rather charming about the low-fi nature of FlatOut: Head On. With its Dukes of Hazzard-style vehicles and single-minded hunger for destruction, it definitely has a gritty charm--like Burnout on a budget, if you will. But what FlatOut lacks in refinement, it makes up for with a twisted sense of humour, an assortment of game modes, and some frankly outrageous stunts. FlatOut fans will definitely get a feeling of déjà vu if they pick up this first iteration of the series for the PlayStation Portable, but that doesn't stop it from being a very enjoyable handheld racing game.
The Good
* Multiplayer modes
* Great physics and damage
* Lots of varied game modes
* Plenty of challenges.
The Bad
* Not that different from FlatOut 2
* Slightly too difficult.
andPOP writes: "I'll be brutally honest, I've been putting off trying out Flatout: Head On for one very poor reason, with the re-release of Final Fantasy 4 every time I reached over to pick up a portable system instead of reaching for the PSP to do some work, I'd pick up the DS to play some FF. Eventually however, I buckled down and got to work and boy did I not realize what I was missing! When I first try a game I like to watch the entire introduction video before pushing start because I feel an intro should get you excited to play and show you what kind of game it is. Flatout did this fantastically as I watched cars crashing left and right and brilliantly detailed explosions occur, granted these were not the in-game graphics, but boy howdy how it got me excited!"
FlatOut's inaugural run on the PSP is just as much of an action-packed, feature-rich event as you'd expect. The fun throw-the-driver-from-the-car minigames are all here, and the developer has kept a lot of the unpredictable crashes and trash-strewn environments.
The graphics are impressive for the handheld console and the pick up and play elements combined with the carnage and mayhem that ensues from the tournament levels is enough to keep you entertained for more than a weekend.
Flatout: Head On is a great pick up and play car game that will have you oh-ing and ah-ing as you crash into yet another obstacle or take out another race competitor.
