Flatout 4 Total Insanity review: coasting on fumes?

The Flatout series is in many ways a spiritual successor to the Destruction Derby franchise.

You’ve got arcade handling, a variety of race tracks set around various urban and rural environments and, of course, an emphasis on demolition derby hijinks.

So then, Flatout 4: Total Insanity has a lot to live up to, but truth be told, I expected more from the game for the price.

Where’s the gameplay polish?

Much like previous games, Flatout 4 has you taking on various tournament races and events. Earn enough points in each race and you win a cup, earning cash in the process. Earn enough cash and you can upgrade your current vehicle or buy a new one — simple stuff then.

The gameplay variety in the cup department is pretty solid, featuring the usual races, time trials and demolition events (get the most hits/eliminations). The track variety isn’t great in the early going, so expect to race on the same tracks at first. Variety does improve as you progress in the cups, but you’ll still be seeing the same tracks every few races.

Then there’s the track design itself. Half of the tracks are sensibly designed, while the rest seem hastily thrown together. Jumps before a hairpin? Sure. Choke points? Yep. A slew of debris that makes getting back on-track a nightmare? Indeed. Arcade racing games are supposed to have a solid track flow to them, with the cars providing the chaos. Instead, we get courses that don’t have a good sense of rhythm.

Flatout 4 needs a few more months in development — and a price cut

Another culprit is the unpolished nature of the gameplay. It’s not uncommon to see your car flip over for no reason whatsoever. While racing on a mostly flat path. It doesn’t happen in every race, but you’ll find yourself going “what the hell?” every now and again. Disappointing.

The game goes some way towards redeeming itself with the bonkers minigames, such as bowling and Angry Birds-style building destruction.

Some of these minigames do support hot-seat style multiplayer and online multiplayer is available across the board, but I would’ve liked to see split-screen being a feature. Sigh…

Production values?

Flatout 4 isn’t reaching Forza or Gran Turismo levels of visual fidelity unfortunately, having more in common with last-gen games than the current crop of titles. Expect loads of earthy colours and a solid but not system-pushing level of detail. In saying so, the game has a fair amount of trackside objects and debris to smash into, such as tree logs, signs, containers, fences and more.

Probably the best part about the visual department is the lighting system though, especially in later levels, such as a snow-swept track that glints in the wintery sunlight. The game isn’t going to push your console then, but the engine definitely keeps things stable, with frames being kept very steady for the most part.

The audio department is another paint by numbers aspect though, and I grew tired of the soundtrack very quickly. I can only listen to Twin Atlantic so much.

Game information:

Release Date: 17 March 2017
Developer: Kylotonn
Publisher: Strategy First, Bigben Interactive
Genre: Arcade racing
Platform(s): Xbox One (review), PC, PlayStation 4
Launch Price (RRP): R700+
Industry average score: 67/100 (Xbox One)

Verdict: Flatout 4 isn’t a bad racing game then, but it’s certainly not worth the R800+ price tag. Between the uninspired track design, ho-hum visuals and buggy car mechanics, it’s clear that Flatout 4 needs more work. Still, arcade racing fans will get a kick out of the minigames and destruction derby shenanigans — wait for a significant price drop though.

Score: 6 out of 10