Line #45 VideoGame/FlatOut


1	%%
2	%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread:
3	%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.
4	%%
5	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/120403_flatout_windows_front_cover.jpg]]
6	%%
7	''[=FlatOut=]'' is a franchise of {{Racing Game}}s originally created by Finnish developer Creator/BugbearEntertainment (who also made ''VideoGame/RallyTrophy''). The ''[=FlatOut=]'' series is notable for its [[WreakingHavok physics engine]], which it uses to simulate lots and lots of crashes, wrecks, [[RagdollPhysics personal injury]], crashes, [[DieChairDie complex object interactions]], vehicle damage, and crashes. There is a lot of crashing.
8
9	!!Games in the series include:
10	* ''[=FlatOut=]'' (2004) -- Platform/{{Xbox}}, Platform/PlayStation2, PC
11	* ''[=FlatOut=] 2'' (2006) -- Platform/{{Xbox}}, Platform/PlayStation2, PC
12	** ''[=FlatOut=]: Ultimate Carnage'' (2007) -- PC and Platform/{{Xbox 360}}; [[UpdatedRerelease remaster]] of ''2''
13	** ''[=FlatOut=]: Head On'' (2008) -- Platform/PlayStationPortable; semi-remaster of ''2''
14	** ''[=FlatOut=]: Ultimate Carnage Collector's Edition'' (2024) -- PC; [[UpdatedRerelease remaster]] of the original ''Ultimate Carnage''
15	* ''[[RecycledTitle FlatOut]]'' (2010) -- Platform/NintendoWii
16	* ''[=FlatOut=] 3: Chaos and Destruction'' (2011) -- PC
17	* ''[=FlatOut=] Stuntman'' (2013) -- [=iOS=]
18	* ''[=FlatOut=] 4: Total Insanity'' (2017) -- Platform/XboxOne, Platform/Playstation4, PC
19
20	See also Bugbear's SpiritualSuccessor, ''VideoGame/{{Wreckfest}}''. Not to be confused with ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}''.
21
22	----
23	!! ''[=FlatOut=]'' contains examples of:
24
25	* HundredPercentCompletion: The game helpfully displays your percent-completion rate.
26	* ArtificialStupidity: Exaggerated in some of ''[=FlatOut 3=]'''s game modes. In regular races, the AI rarely bothers to brake and ends up ricocheting off every wall in sight; in demolition derbies, the AI single-mindedly gangs up on you, invariably resulting in a massive burning dogpile in one corner of the map; and in one game mode, where the objective is to be the first to collect 40 barrels, the AI cars don't even ''try'' to compete with you and just sit there driving in circles.
27	* AscendedMeme: Frank Malcov became notorious within the ''[=FlatOut=]'' community for the crash happy behavior that his AI had. ''Ultimate Carnage Collector's Edition'' honored this with the achievement "Frank Malcov Award", obtainable by driving in such way that it "made Frank Malcov proud".
28	* BadassLongcoat: [[PunnyName Justin Case]] from the third game wears one. However, the game's broken physics causes it to stretch and warp in Stunt Man events.
29	* BalanceBuff: Nitro boost upgrades in ''2'' (and ''Head-On'', since it directly retains its engine) reduces a lot of the car's strength (the bigger tiers had the potential of reducing the strength by ''half''), making it a very unpopular upgrade option among the players. ''Ultimate Carnage'' buffed it by significantly reducing the strength penalty, making it a more viable choice for late-game.
30	* BrilliantButLazy: In ''2'' and its remasters, Ray Carter's bio in the loading screen has him being described as "skillful enough to win... if he feels like it". True to form, while Carter ''can'' finish on top of the pack, he finishes in the back more often than not.
31	* CaptainErsatz: Zario, a likable (according to the game) chubby Italian with a moustache. [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Sure sounds familiar]].
32	* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: In ''2'' and its remasters, every driver has a specific color applying to each driver's car & HUD arrow. The last four drivers only appeared in ''Ultimate Carnage'' and ''Collector's Edition''.
33	** Jack Benton: Yellow
34	** Sofia Martinez: Silver
35	** Jason Walker: Black car color with flame decals, Pale Black HUD color
36	** Sally Taylor: White car color, Light Pink HUD color[[note]]This is done to avoid confusion with the player's HUD color (white)[[/note]]
37	** Katie Jackson: Red
38	** Frank Malcov: Blue
39	** Ray Carter: Cyan
40	** Jill Richards: Pink car color, Purple HUD color
41	** Lei Bing: Maroon/Dark Red
42	** Lewis Duran: Brown
43	** Curtis Wolfe: Black & White car color, Black HUD color
44	* TheComputerIsACheatingBastard:
45	** In the later races of ''[=FlatOut=] 2'', some of the drivers are noticeably faster than the cars that they are using have any right to be. Even if the player is using the same exact car and have it fully upgraded, they will still be outrun quite easily and quite substantially at that. Sofia Martinez and Jack Benton are perhaps the most glaring of these.
46	** ''Ultimate Carnage'' features a catch up boost system that makes certain the AI is always right on your tail, to increase the challenge for pro racers. This is made readily apparent in some tracks where the pack will actually teleport ALL the cars up behind you if you're performing too well, too fast. This is rare, however, and there are even times where you can lap some of the slower characters. But you can still imagine the horror when you suddenly see eleven cars appear from nowhere on the minimap behind you, and uncluster as they come after you.
47	** The Night Shift mode of ''[=FlatOut 3=]'' takes place on a rainy, foggy night, limiting the player's visibility and grip. Your AI opponent, however, has no such difficulties, and can take turns significantly faster than you can.
48	** Subverted in ''[=FlatOut 3=]'''s demolition derby modes. The AI will continuously gang up on the player, who more often than not will get dogpiled into a corner, unable to move. However, because you earn points for collisions even if you're not the one that initiated them, and the game ends when you're wrecked, you can easily win or come close to winning [[WinsByDoingAbsolutelyNothing with very little effort]].
49	* DieChairDie: You can interact with a wide variety of objects on the courses, but there's nothing to do with them except smash into them.
50	* DifficultButAwesome: The Flatmobile of ''[=FlatOut=] 2'' is so comically fast that any typical player simply cannot control it. However, said acceleration is equally reciprocated in its brakes, and at sane speeds it can out-handle any vehicle in the game. In the hands of a truly skilled gamer, no other vehicle can possibly compete, even in the infamous destruction derbies.
51	* DrivesLikeCrazy: Considering there is a lot of crashing, of course '''''everyone''''' would be this.
52	** Special mention goes to Malcov in ''[=FlatOut 2=]'' races. He is incredibly fast on pure pace despite having a habit of choosing the slowest and biggest cars of the first tier cars of each class; however, his driving style is so erratic that he will finish dead last most of the time because he crashed onto pretty much ''everything on the track''.
53	* {{Eagleland}}: Frank Malcov's car has a [[http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/267221016515712741/B6776F5E4E966F60B608B057C9BC23C7B0A94F7F/?interpolation=lanczos-none&output-format=jpeg&output-quality=95&fit=inside%7C637:358&composite-to%3D%2C%7C637%3A358&background-color=black USA flag's]] [[http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/267221016515711947/33FA494AE098996458100E1C3FAA21C23D812142/?interpolation=lanczos-none&output-format=jpeg&output-quality=95&fit=inside%7C637:358&composite-to%3D%2C%7C637%3A358&background-color=black stripes]] painted on the front.
54	* {{Fauxrrari}}: All of the cars are given fictitious names. Some of them are readily identifiable as to their real-life counterparts, while others combine elements from multiple real-life models.
55	* InVehicleInvulnerability: The [[RagdollPhysics ragdoll]] driver can survive any crash unless he is thrown from the vehicle.
56	* JokeCharacter: The Chili from ''2'' and its remasters is intended to be one. It has good handling... and that's about it. The car's slow to accelerate, has a low top speed, poor nitro, weak strength, not heavy, and as a Tier 1 car in the Derby class, it has very little upgrade options. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it's the cheapest car in the game and is also the car used in two really hard challenges: The final derby in Carnage Mode and the achievement "Real Habanero" in ''Collector's Edition'', which requires you to win all Derby cups in a stock Chili.
57	* NitroBoost: You have a Nitro meter that fills up as you crash into stuff and can be used for a speed boost.
58	* RagdollPhysics: {{Exaggerated}}. Every time you crash, you're treated to [[MundaneMadeAwesome a slow-mo cutscene of your driver getting thrown from the car]]. And on top of that, there are a whole selection of minigames that involve ''intentionally'' ejecting the driver to see how far or how accurately you can toss him.
59	* RecycledTitle: ''[=FlatOut=]'' for the Wii.
60	* RewardingVandalism: You get Nitro for crashing into stuff. Also, see YouBreakItYouProfit.
61	* ShoutOut: The names of the some of the racers in ''[=Flatout=] 3'' are references to other video game characters and real-life people such as [[Creator/EvaMendes Eva Mentoz]], [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Zario the Mechanic]], [[Creator/KateBeckinsale Katy Boxingsale]], [[Music/FiftyCent ThirtyFour Rupias]], [[Creator/JenniferAniston Jennifer Ellistor]], [[Creator/UweBoll Ufer Bull]] etc.
62	* SlippySlideyIceWorld: The snow tracks in the first game, with their reduced traction, fit the standard racing game variant of the trope.
63	* {{Thememobile}}: Cars used by Jill Richards will have "[[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/flatoutgame/images/2/24/Jill_Richards_Mad_Rash.png/revision/latest?cb=20200724213008&format=original JILL]]" written on the side of the car.
64	* UpdatedRerelease:
65	** ''[=FlatOut=]: Ultimate Carnage'' is a complete remaster of ''[=FlatOut=] 2'' that adds a new gamemode in Carnage Mode, extra cars, new characters, and a different soundtrack. It also changes the behavior of some of the cars.
66	** ''[=FlatOut=]: Head On'' is a semi-remaster of ''2''. It retains the engine from ''2'' and didn't feature the four extra opponents from ''Ultimate Carnage'' due to the PSP's limitations, but Carnage Mode was added and ''2'''s soundtrack was swapped with UC's.
67	** ''[=FlatOut=]: Ultimate Carnage Collector's Edition'' is the PC-only remaster of the original ''Ultimate Carnage''. It removes the original's Games for Windows LIVE [[MediaNotes/DigitalRightsManagement DRM]] requirement and fixed several bugs and crashes. It also adds an achievement system, compatibility with Steam Deck and support for Czech, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, French, German, Italian and Spanish languages.
68	* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: The minigames, which center around intentionally tossing the ragdoll driver out of the vehicle.
69	* WinsByDoingAbsolutelyNothing: The AI in ''[=FlatOut=] 3'''s demolition derby modes relentlessly gangs up on the player, usually resulting in them being pinned against a wall by a mass of cars, but the scoring system doesn't take into account who initiates a collision, and the winner is the driver with the most points rather than the last driver standing. It's entirely possible to just sit there, let the AI pummel you into submission, and still win.
70	* WreakingHavok: The game makes extensive use of its physics engine to render realistic vehicle damage and crashes and so on. See also RagdollPhysics.
71	* YouAreNumberSix: In ''2'' and its remasters, every driver have a specific car number that is unique for their car only (i.e. any of the player's car don't have that number available for them). Note that the last four drivers only appeared in ''Ultimate Carnage'' and ''Collector's Edition''.
72	** Jack Benton: 70
73	** Sofia Martinez: 19
74	** Jason Walker: 32
75	** Sally Taylor: 56
76	** Katie Jackson: 61
77	** Frank Malcov: 50
78	** Ray Carter: 88
79	** Jill Richards: 44
80	** Lei Bing: 28 (only in Race class)
81	** Lewis Duran: 28
82	** Curtis Wolfe: 33

Context VideoGame / FlatOut