When Saber Interactive announced they were bringing back Stuntman, I had two immediate reactions. The first was excitement because the original games occupied a very specific place in gaming history that nobody has really attempted to replicate since. The second was curiosity because I wasn’t entirely sure how a modern version of Stuntman would work in 2026.
After spending some hands-on time with four levels from the upcoming reboot, Stuntman: Hollywood, I came away feeling surprisingly optimistic. There are still questions about how the overall experience will hold together across an entire game, but the core act of being a stunt driver remains every bit as entertaining as I remember.
The demo was four stages, with the first two serving as tutorial-like levels, easing me into the rhythm of the game and teaching the fundamentals of following stunt cues while navigating increasingly chaotic environments. They weren’t particularly difficult, but they did a great job establishing the flow that Stuntman: Hollywood is aiming for. Rather than simply driving from point A to point B, every level feels like a carefully choreographed sequence where timing, positioning, and reacting to your director’s instructions matter just as much as speed.
Throughout each level, the director will be talking into your headset, calling out upcoming stunts, when to perform the stunts, and giving instructions on what needs to happen next. Whether it’s a jump, a drift, threading a narrow gap, or preparing for an environmental set piece, those reminders helped keep my focus on the action unfolding around me instead of trying to guess what would be next. Without them, it would be easy to become overwhelmed, especially once the levels begin escalating, because there is often so much happening on screen that having someone in your ear effectively acting as a guide prevents the experience from descending into complete chaos.
The third stage was where things really clicked for me.
Set within a clear homage to Back to the Future, the level puts players behind the wheel of a DeLorean and asks them to pull off increasingly elaborate stunts while building toward the moment everyone knows is coming. Even before reaching the finale, there was something undeniably satisfying about sliding the car around corners and weaving through obstacles. The DeLorean has an immediately recognizable presence, and Saber seems to understand exactly why people are excited to get behind the wheel of one.
Then comes the payoff.
As the speedometer climbs toward 88 miles per hour and the music begins swelling, the entire sequence suddenly comes together. The nostalgia works, but it isn’t nostalgia doing all the heavy lifting. The level succeeds because the driving itself is fun. The build-up creates anticipation, and when everything finally aligns, it delivers the kind of smile-inducing moment that reminds you why licensed movie references continue to resonate when handled properly. It was easily the standout stage of the demo and the one I found myself thinking about long after my session ended.
The final level offered a completely different type of spectacle.
An earthquake tears through the environment, turning what would otherwise be a straightforward driving sequence into a desperate race through destruction. Buildings collapse, debris rains onto the roadway, and entire sections of the environment seem determined to fall apart before you can escape. It felt like the sort of over-the-top disaster sequence that would have been right at home in a summer blockbuster from the late 1990s or early 2000s, and I mean that as a compliment.
What was honestly impressive during my time with Stuntman: Hollywood was how perfectly crafted each stage felt. Instead of simply placing obstacles along a track, the environment constantly changed around me, but in a way that felt like I was never in danger of falling completely out of the loop, but rather being able to make time gates, jumps and specific jumps just in time. Roads become unsafe, structures crumble, and new hazards emerge with very little warning. Combined with the director’s instructions, it creates a frantic energy that keeps you engaged from start to finish.
“What was honestly impressive during my time with Stuntman: Hollywood was how perfectly crafted each stage felt.”
At the same time, this level also highlighted the biggest concern I currently have with the game, and that is that every stage I played felt extremely short, with the four I played lasting somewhere between two and four minutes, and while that works on a purely mechanical level, it occasionally made the experience feel abrupt. Stuntman: Hollywood drops players into the middle of action sequences, which absolutely makes sense given the fantasy it’s trying to deliver.
You’re a stunt driver filming the exciting parts of a movie, not the downtime between them. Even so, there were moments where I experienced a bit of narrative whiplash. One moment, I was participating in a time-travel-inspired chase sequence, and just a few minutes later, I was suddenly escaping a city-wide earthquake.
The pacing makes sense if we look at it as a collection of stunt performances, but I found myself wanting more connection between the stages and characters. While the action itself is undeniably tense and entertaining, I am really curious about how Saber plans to tie these moments together into a campaign. Right now, we have no idea if there is a campaign or if it’s just a handful of stunt stages. Same with whether it plans on following a singular driver with their career attached to these stunts. Those questions remained unanswered during my demo, and they are probably the biggest things I want to learn more about before launch.
Because underneath the explosions, jumps, drifting, and collapsing buildings, there is a genuinely entertaining foundation here. The driving feels responsive, the stunt design encourages experimentation, and the director mechanic does an excellent job guiding players through what could otherwise become overwhelming sequences. More importantly, the game consistently understands what makes stunt work exciting in the first place. It isn’t simply about driving fast. It’s about executing a carefully planned piece of cinematic chaos and making it look effortless.
What I walked away with, mostly, was curiosity. The handful of levels I played were enjoyable, and that Back to the Future-inspired sequence in particular showed just how effective Stuntman: Hollywood can be when every element comes together. I just hope the final game finds ways to give players a little more room to breathe between those moments. The spectacle is already there. The driving is already there. If Saber can build a stronger sense of progression and create reasons for players to become invested in the worlds surrounding these stunts, they may have something special on their hands.
For now, Stuntman: Hollywood feels like a thrilling highlight reel. The next challenge will be turning those highlights into a feature-length production worth remembering.
