Review: Burnout 3 Takedown (PS2 and Xbox)

I’m not a driving game fan. I enjoy Gran Turismo games because of their realism and depth, but beyond that, I generally steer clear. Burnout 3, however, has proven to be another exception to the rule.

The premise is simple: You drive down the road at blistering speed (amateur driver, open course) and try to cause as many accidents as possible. Steer, gas, brake, boost. It’s a simple concept that is amazingly fun and addictive.

There are several modes of play beyond the standard races and grand prix events you’d expect. Some of the most fun events are “Road Rage”, which has you trying to wreck as many of your opponents as you can before your own car gets totaled, and “crash” events in which your objective is to drive into a busy intersection and attempt to instigate the biggest pileup possible (after which the property damage is added up to determine your score). It’s like a controlled environment for conducting physics experiments that only a true idiot would ever attempt in real life.

While every part of this game oozes quality (an incredible sense of speed, massive detail with no slowdown, etc.), I think it’s the little touches that make it really shine. When you ram someone off the road or into an oncoming vehicle, time slows down and the camera pans to the car as it careens through the air. Then, moments later, it swings back to show you barreling down the road at an even faster rate of speed fueled by the nitro boost you received for the takedown.

When your own vehicle crashes, you can cause the game to switch into slow motion, as well. Using the control stick in slow-mo allows you to steer your car through the air in an attempt to position yourself for “aftertouch takedowns” – subsequent wrecks caused by your own flaming hulk. Points are tallied in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater style at the bottom of the screen as you crash (Into Bus + 2.3 Second Air + Barrel Roll x3 + 326 ft Sunroof Skid + Into Van + Explosion).

Another addictive quality is that you seem to earn some new race, crash, vehicle, “signature takedown” snapshot, trophy, or other award after just about every race, win or lose. One of my favorite perks is earning newspaper headlines featuring the catastrophe you caused when you do enough damage in a crash event.

Burnout 3 apparently has fun on-line play, too, but I really don’t mess with that stuff. It would be too much trouble to run the DSL to the front of the house.

I really dig this game, and I think pretty much anybody would. You don’t even have to be a good driver, since it rewards you for doing the thing that most racing game penalize you for: crashing.

Comments

[mwest]

I love this game! I've played every time I've been to Dave's in the last two months. The speed is brilliant. It may be one of my top ten platform games, which is a group becoming more and more elite every time a new Resident Evil game is released.

[Patrick]

Run DSL? Wireless, dude. X-box has a wireless adapter as well.

I want this game. I haven't played it, but your review doesn't help me. However, I'm still waiting until the 26th for GTA:San Andreas to get my "Steal the beggar's bowl" fix.

[SuperPope]

I dunno, Patrick. I'm just not a big enough on-line player to make that investment. Plus I'm lucky to get my connection to work well on just my PC.

I was thinking about your "STEAL HIS BOWL" desires this morning when I got that e-mail from you about a Quest for Glory remake. I guess GTA really does cater to that desire! You were way ahead of the curve. :)

[Patrick]

Yeah...now if they'd put in the Geo-Mod technology they used in Red Faction so you can blow up the walls, it'd be perfect.

[Wayne]

Quest for Glory Remake? Can I get a forward of that link? Sounds cool.

[SuperPope]

Actually, QFG2, the one I enjoyed playing at your house, because your 386 version of it blew away my Amiga version (speed-wise). They're not finished with it yet, but they are finished with a Kings Quest 1 and Kings Quest 2 remake. Here's the link: http://www.agdinteractive.com/