Split Second is awesome. We know, it's not often that a preview begins with those words, but Split Second sinks its teeth into you the moment the race begins and doesn't let go until you cross the finish line...that is, until you find yourself frantically clicking "retry" at the race end to try again.

Split Second, at first glance, looks very similar to Burnout, both aesthetically and from a gameplay perspective. And like Burnout, driving dangerous is strongly encouraged, if not required--that is, drifting, jumping, and drafting each contributes points to your "Power Play" meter. Once you fill your meter a certain amount, you'll be able to unleash a Power Play (you can earn up to three at a time). Fill it up all the way, and you'll gain access to a more powerful version. And this is what separates Split Second from other racers.

Power Plays are essentially context sensitive power-ups. As long as you've earned one Power Play by filling your meter, you'll spot icons that periodically appear above the cars of your opponents as they race around the city. These icons indicate they're about to pass by something dangerous--usually extremely dangerous. Then with a simple tap of the "A" button, you can attempt to reign doom and destruction upon them. Some of the more notable events include a dump truck that unloaded a shipment of explosives all over the track, an out-of-control crane whipping a shipping container around taking out anything and everything in its path, and even a helicopter that unleashed explosive death from above. And that's just a small sample--there were at least a dozen unique opportunities in the one track on display.

Now Power Plays aren't insurmountable, so merely activating one the moment the option becomes available isn't usually the best way to play. Instead, you'll want to unleash these at the proper time--such as a bridge that collapses as an opponent passes by underneath--in order to minimize the amount of time your opponent has to evade the attack. And I must say, as one who had to dodge my fair share of Power Plays, it's almost more exciting narrowly dodging a fiery fate than it was forcing my opponents to do the same (and that's saying something!).

Perhaps the one thing that stands out most, but easily overlooked, is just how easy it is to get into the game. There are basically four controls: Gas, brake/drift, then two for Power Plays. Unlike the upcoming Blur, the controls were amazingly responsive and drifting was an absolute breeze. The complete lack of learning curve allows you to jump right into the action, which is precisely what you want in an arcade-style racer.

Visually, the game's pretty stunning, if not entirely distinct from other racers--again, it looks very similar to Burnout. With that said, the presentation is fantastic, and the frame-rate appeared rock-solid, except during one particularly nasty explosion that wiped out at least three opponents, and likely half the city. Although it's often difficult to hear the game out on the show floor, the sound effects definitely stood out--even now, I'm reminded of the fantastic screeching down as I drifted around the city.