There is a long history of video games allowing players to step into one role or another of movie making. Leaving any AO-rated games off the list, one of the most exciting was Stuntman released on the PS2 back in 2002. Unfortunately, not only was it one of the most exciting, but also one of the most frustrating. A punishing level of difficulty that required lengthy sessions of trial and error rewarded only the most persistent of thrill-seekers. But like a true Hollywood sequel is the succeeding effort even more flawed, or does it exceed the reach of the first?

As the name implies, like its predecessor, Stuntman: Ignition places you in the role of a stuntman attempting to land bigger and bigger roles in blockbuster films. All the stunts are performed in various automobiles that look perfectly appropriate for the movies that are being lovingly mocked. A good selection of sets and themes represent the gamut of just about every action film or TV series you'd expect to see from Batman and 007s, to the Dukes of Hazard and Starsky & Hutch. In fact, the farcical movies such as Never Kill Me Again and Night Avenger, and their over-the-top scenes and sequences provide much of the fun of the game. Trying to please the Director and heed the nerve-wracking shouts of your Stunt Coordinator, you drive through the walls of burning buildings and magma-filled mountain passes that really draw you into the feeling they are trying to create. Unfortunately, all the action and eye candy can easily distract you from the precise timing, marks, and ramps you are trying to hit. Add to that the incredible length of each sequence (level) and the fact that you have no idea of their winding layout beforehand, and you have an exciting game that bears much of the same frustration of its predecessor.

Each level is unlocked by your point and star score earned on the previous scene which means some of them have to be repeated over and over again to get the rating you need to move on. Further, higher levels can't be passed by hitting the basic stunts alone, but have to be unlocked by scores bumped up by "Stunt Stringing". Stunt Stringing is similar to the boost system in recent Burnout games and forces you to perform risky maneuvers within seconds of each other to keep jumping up your score multiplier. It increases the life of the game by moving the gameplay beyond simply hitting the prescribed stunts, but can also add to the frustration too. Forced to drive more dangerously, you are at more risk of earning strikes from the Director, five of which require a reshoot. Thankfully, unlike in the Burnouts where a level failure meant minutes of waiting and numerous button pushes, the reload times Ignition needs to reset its levels is nearly non-existent.

The sound in all three versions of the game is good, with scores that match the movies and fire and explosions that can instill real panic. The voice acting of the Directors is great and gives you a good idea of the personality being mocked, but the bombastic Stunt Coordinator is over-used.

The graphics are gorgeous in respect to each platforms capabilities. Of course the PS2 has the lowest visual quality overall and the PS3 version suffers the jagged aliasing found in almost all of its titles, but the showers of volcano rock or wood splinters is always convincing.

None of the gameplay modes on the PS2 version stray into the multiplayer realm, but the PS3 and 360 versions take on the difficult challenge pretty well. Online support on the two next-gen systems enable up to 8 players to compete in two different modes. Backlot Race gives nitro boosts to daring drivers that get them to the finish line faster while Backlot Battle focuses on the number of stunts performed within a set number of laps. As fun as these can be, they won't have much of a life if more tracks aren't released soon.

Not many players may care however, due to the game's best mode - the Course Constructor . During your play through the game you unlock elements that you can place within your own scenes and sets which you can race through and even upload online. The good variety of objects, camera options and the slightly exaggerated physics can suck you in for hours of choreographed mayhem that you can then share online.

In the end Stuntman: Ignition feels like opening night at one of the many big-budget blockbuster movies it spoofs - an expensive ticket and a long wait can get you the perfect seats for some very rewarding action.