Value publisher Empire, has got a real winner on its hands with the FlatOut franchise. Sure, it may not last forever, but for the minute, it offers unsurpassed destruction in a racer on any platform. The fact that it made the transition from 360 to PS2 well, then on to PSP even better, is testament to that. It would be something of a throwaway title if it weren’t for all the added extras you’re given access to alongside the main career mode. There’s buckets there for anyone interested in going a little crazy: timed checkpoint racers where your motor’s rigged to explode after a set time limit, demolition derbies, challenges, and a huge array of those ridiculous, but oh-so-fun, stunt affairs that see you launching a soonto- be corpse out of your windscreen towards some kind of obstacle or target for points.

Where FlatOut really prevails is that it’s got everything you want in a racer without many niggles. The tracks don’t feel corridored, your opponents are subject to the same rules as you, and the AI suffers from the occasional difficult corner in a believable way. Similarly, the number of cars, range of upgrades and varying feel and specialities of the vehicles makes this a particularly sturdy title.

Pretty much everyone will like FlatOut: Head On, and it works brilliantly on the PSP, making it well worth the budget price tag.

Tom Leclerc