Saber Interactive is resurrecting the long-dormant Stuntman series with Stuntman: Hollywood, which is currently in development for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. What\u2019s more is that it\u2019s being injected with real movies and TV shows for the first time thanks to a partnership with Universal Pictures.<\/p>\n
Present in the trailer were segments based on Fast & Furious, Back to the Future, Knight Rider, Miami Vice, and 2008\u2019s Death Race. This first glimpse of Stuntman: Hollywood reveals it will feature a range of cars from these TV shows and films, from Brian O\u2019Conner\u2019s rides from The Fast and the Furious and 2 Fast 2 Furious, to the armoured Mustang driven by Jason Statham\u2019s character in Death Race. The massive tanker truck from the latter also makes an appearance; here\u2019s hoping we get to drive it. The enormous crash of The Dreadnought (which was filmed practically) is perhaps the most impressive and memorable shot in that film.<\/p>\n
Not all the cars appear to be licensed (for instance, the Miami Vice vehicle is an obvious lookalike based on its distinct lack of the iconic strakes of Sonny Crockett\u2019s white 1986 Ferrari Testarossa), but K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider and the Time Machine from Back to the Future are legitimate models and namechecked in the official announcement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe classic Stuntman game was so memorable for me, it\u2019s always been a dream to recreate such a legend of gaming history and evolve it into something new,\u201d said Saber Interactive Chief Creative Officer Tim Willits in a statement alongside the announcement. \u201cAt Saber, we love working with classic IPs, and we\u2019re excited to team up again with Universal to bring back a true adrenaline rush for fans.\u201d<\/p>\n
But what is Stuntman? Well, if you\u2019re under 30 you could probably be forgiven for not having much of an idea.<\/p>\n
The original Stuntman was released way back in 2002 on PlayStation 2, and was developed by Reflections Interactive (now Ubisoft Reflections) \u2013 a studio that, at this time, was still riding high on the success of Destruction Derby, Destruction Derby 2, Driver, and Driver 2. While Driver was never shy about its big-screen inspirations \u2013 and was always intended to make you feel like you\u2019d been thrust behind the wheel of a classic, Hollywood car chase \u2013 Stuntman made this its entire premise. That is, it took Driver\u2019s sublime handling model and injected it into a game that literally cast you as a professional stunt driver.<\/p>\n
While Stuntman became a cult favourite action-driving game, it\u2019s famously harder than a woodpecker\u2019s lips and attracted a degree of criticism for the level of perfection required to nail all of the required stunts in a single take.<\/p>\n
Stuntman did not feature any real films as part of its career mode, but it was very easy to interpret the movies it was paying homage to throughout. These included a Guy Ritchie-inspired London crime caper, a pair of off-brand Indiana Jones and James Bond films, and a clear riff on The Dukes of Hazzard called A Whoopin\u2019 and a Hollerin\u2019. <\/p>\n
Outside of the regimented film shoot levels, Stuntman featured a construction mode where you could build and perform your own wild, freestyle stunts. Experimenting with the advanced destruction system and physics was a huge amount of fun.<\/p>\n
A sequel would follow in 2007, but not from Reflections Interactive. The rights to the Stuntman brand had instead shifted to THQ, which enlisted the services of now-defunct Paradigm Entertainment to put it together. As a result, 2007\u2019s Stuntman: Ignition had a significantly different feel to the original. Paradigm\u2019s driving pedigree was not quite as robust as Reflections, although it did develop the 2001 SpyHunter reboot for PS2, as well N64 racers F-1 World Grand Prix and Beetle Adventure Racing (known as HSV Adventure Racing in Australia). <\/p>\n
Stuntman: Ignition 2007 \u2013 Xbox 360 Screenshots<\/p>\n
Stuntman: Ignition featured six more fake films to speed through, including shoots inspired by Dante\u2019s Peak, The A-Team, Batman, and Bullitt, plus another Bond parody, and the satisfying return of A Whoopin\u2019 and a Hollerin\u2019 II.<\/p>\n