Split/Second is a racing game with an accent on the destructible environment and the game within a game mechanics.

Gameplay

The title features usual for the genre lap and sprint races, but the unique feature lies in the destructible environment. Unlike previous installments, utilizing such mechanics, in Split/Second the player must fill the "power play" bar and unleash its power on the nearby construction — for example, crush the water boiler when there are opponents underneath it.
The strength of the effect depends on how full the power bar is — there are two levels of damage available. The first-level collisions are mostly minor and lie in the field of damaging some constructions and crushing the billboards, while the second-level ones activate during the full bar completion are lead to the structural damage of the map facilities frequently leading to route changes and landscape altering.

Plot

Power Play mechanics is powered by the narrative underlining it as it tells the story of a TV Show, the participators of which are all the racers including our protagonist. The meter, in this case, represents the reviews watchers give to the show members. The computer-controlled opponents can also turn on the ability and crush something on the player's vehicle — so the audience votes not only for the protagonist.