Racing in a game can be an exhilarating experience. However, mix racing with parts of unpredictability and you could be talking an instant classic. Over the last year, I've played Burnout 3: Takedown to the point that I've junked more cars than a demolition derby's year-long run. And lest we forget, the wild street races engaged in Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition, Rockstar's latest (and greatest) underground racing opus. Now here comes BugBear and Empire Interactive's FlatOut, a game that's been a while in the making but promised to be one of the most wily racing games yet. If you've seen the commercials, then you know it has an emphasis that leans on the destructive side of nature, whether you're plowing through a billboard or turning your car into a rusty pile of metal in just under 60 seconds.

To its credit, the game lives up to its destroyable nature. It has great moments of trashing and memorable wreckage to make it worth a look to hardcore racers. I just wish that an equal amount of focus was applied to the gameplay and the sound as it was to the destruction, for then we would have a classic on our hands. As is, it comes up short, like the guy who wants to cross the finish line but forgot where the race path was.

FlatOut is very simply put together, so you can just jump right into a Quick Race or try your luck at a number of other modes, including a Career mode that allows you to build a more beastly machine. It's all about keeping your car in place while avoiding the pratfalls around the junky tracks, and it's pretty easy to get into an accident. Hit an object the wrong way (like a street pole or even a sidewalk curb), and your driver flies out through the windshield, crumbling to the ground like the broken man he is.

One of the problems with FlatOut is the physics. Not only is it questionable that you'll get launched hitting the smallest of things, but the way that the cars themselves handle seems to be more "floaty" than precise. This can lead to some frustration, as you find yourself trying to handle a hairpin curve and eventually either get pushed off the track or force yourself into a braking situation and watch your opposition pass by. Furthermore, the only way you can earn precious nitro to get back into the race is to either pass by an opponent or destroy something in the environment that won't force you to a sudden stop, like a few billboards or scaffoldings around the tracks. Really, this game is so lopsided that it caves upon you just as you're starting to build championship appeal. It's like the last rung on the ladder you're ascending is rusted out and collapses just as you're at the peak of your climb.

Not to say that the rag-doll physics of launching your driver don't have their own appeal. In fact, they're a major factor with the mini-games included here. Not only can you partake in Olympic-style events such as the Man-High Jump and the Man-Long Jump, but you can also take part in more traditional games, like Man-Darts, where you launch your driver at a gigantic dart board in hopes of landing a bullseye, or Man-Bowling, where you jettison yourself towards bowling pins. These games are delightfully fun, and, better yet, they can be played online via PS2 or Xbox Live, depending on what version you pick up. Involving players in these activities surely ups the appeal, even if it slightly takes the focus off the flawed driving.

However, if driving online is your thing, the game happily provides it with a few different modes and the ability to whip your online opponents into shape, trashing their vehicles along your way to first place. I found online racing to be less frustrating, only because the opposition is in the same mess with the controls as you are. Take the ruthless AI out of the equation and you'll be surprised with what you come up with.

The graphics do look nice, I'll give credit to BugBear on that. The tracks themselves reek of unpredictable objects to take on and all sorts of twists and turns to navigate, not to mention some spiffy environments. I would've liked to see more unpredictable weather conditions and such, but as is, the game runs along speedily enough and the animation is surprisingly rich, especially on the debris and the drivers you launch. Lighting effects also come well into play and add to the game's visual draw.

If only the same could be said for the audio presentation. FlatOut suffers from a lackluster song selection that seems to have that hint of EA Trax written all over it, with alternative bands providing a litter of tracks that just don't appeal to me. Furthermore, the car engine effects and other ambient noises don't offer enough variety, and also suffer as a result. You're better off just hitting the volume switch and cranking your own selections to race to.

FlatOut is a worthy rental, if only to have a few hours to perfect your Man-Darts techniques and take on some opponents online. However, I'd hold off on a purchase until you're absolutely certain that you can handle the game's untightened controls and ridiculous AI settings. It has its moments of ingenuity, but too often they're drowned out by the "flat out" flaws.