Stuntman Hollywood Brings Stunt Driving Back After 19 Years

Nineteen years after the last entry in the series, a new Stuntman game is officially on the way. During PlayStation's summer showcase, Stuntman Hollywood was revealed as a revival of the cult-classic racing franchise, promising to blend nostalgic stunt-driving gameplay with a massive catalog of licensed film sets.

The project, handled by Saber Interactive, came together through a remarkably straightforward process. According to Tim Willits, Chief Creative Officer at Saber, the team was reviewing intellectual properties accessible to them under the Embracer group banner when they rediscovered the Stuntman name. After partnering with Universal, the developers were given access to a library of roughly 1,000 films to build their game around.

Gameplay and Film Integration

At its core, Stuntman Hollywood remains faithful to the original series' premise. Players take on the role of a movie stunt driver, performing high-stakes maneuvers on film sets under the direction of a film crew. The gameplay involves hitting specific marks—such as drifting between police cruisers or pulling off high jumps—with precision being the key to success.

What sets this entry apart from its predecessors is the sheer variety of its IP-infused locations. Rather than being tied to a single franchise, the game features a wide range of sets, including:

• Fast & Furious
• Back to the Future
• Miami Vice
• Earthquake

The developers emphasized that the game is designed to be accessible to casual fans while offering enough depth for those seeking a challenge. While completing a level with a modest score is achievable, mastering every stunt to earn a full star rating is intended to be a significant test of skill for dedicated players.

Balancing Difficulty for Modern Players

A major focus during development has been the difficulty curve. The original Stuntman games were notorious for their intense, punishing difficulty. Saber Interactive has spent considerable time balancing Stuntman Hollywood to ensure it doesn't discourage new players while still providing that signature challenge.

"We don't want to discourage people from having fun," said Todd Hollenshead, Saber’s Head of Publishing. "We have the different difficulty settings, but then you can go kind of hardcore."

To support this, the game includes both directed scenes and free-form stunt opportunities, allowing players to choose their level of challenge. The reliance on high-score chasing and perfecting runs serves as the primary driver for replayability, ensuring that players have a reason to return to the sets long after their initial playthrough.

For those interested in the latest gaming newsStuntman Hollywood represents a unique return to a style of arcade-focused, mission-based driving that has been largely absent from the PC gaming landscape for nearly two decades.