Burnout 3: Takedown Review (no fat)

Game Description

Racing games have taken a more serious look and feel to them in recent years. Some of these games either try to imitate real-life driving conditions and car details to their limit, or, put accent on car modifications and performance tuning like NFS Underground. However, only a few games have attempted to shatter this arcade-embargo over the modern racing games, some of the more important names being RollCage, Death Karz and 2001’s original Burnout.

The first of the three Burnout games offered an arcade-style racing system with some of the most spectacular crashes seen in an electronic game. It also offered what was arguably the best car damage system of that time. Later, Burnout 2 gave more importance on the crash system. However, Burnout 3 has expertly combined the crash system and a great fast-paced arcade racing experience, thus earning the standard of an instant knockout.

Burnout 3 – Gameplay

Burnout 3: Takedown is all about people that love to live dangerously (even if they do so in front of their PlayStation). The fast-paced circuits of the game are filled with death-defying obstacles, which you are about to challenge heads-on.

Since speed is a main focus in racing games, the essence of the game are boosts. The boost meter gives you a speed blowout which could mean the edge in a close confrontation, but the problem is that it quickly runs low. Similar to NFS Underground 2, you can increase your boost amount by doing all sorts of different crazy/dangerous/suicidal maneuvers. For example you will receive boost from speed drifts in turns, driving on the wrong lane for a set amount of time, closely dodging incoming traffic, catching air and so forth.

Burnout 3 – The Takedowns

The title boast of ‘Takedowns’ so rest assured you will see a lot of car takedown action during races. Actually, taking down your opponent by making him crash or get off the road for a while will earn you some important boost. Takedowns are extremely spectacular…unless you’re subject to one.

Burnout 3 – The AfterTouch

Speaking of crashes, Burnout 3 takes crashes one step forward and makes them a key element of the game. Not only will the cars smash so realistically you will remain speechless, but a new option slows the game down drastically when a crash occurs, letting you view it in its full glory.

In this slow motion mode, called Impact Time, you can perform what the game calls an “AfterTouch”. The AfterTouch means that you can slightly influence your cars movement through a grinding crash, making it possible to involve other cars (opponents) in the crash. Maneuvering your crash into causing mayhem with piling carnage will get you an “AfterTouch takedown bonus”. This bonus will dramatically increase and expand your boost. The slow motion option is extremely welcomed, as it creates a superb antithesis with the rest of the game which is lighting fast.

Burnout 3 CrashBreaker

If the AfterTouch doesn’t provide enough incentive to cause carnage in the streets of Burnout 3, the Crashbreaker option means that, once you have earned the option, you can cause your car to explode during a crash and pile up even more carcasses of passing cars. The more monetary damage you can manage, the more the bonus.

All the elements of crash and the realistic physics associated with it, actually manage to make crashing in Burnout 3 enjoyable. Of course, a combo of CrashBreaker and the AfterTouch can cause an even bigger carnage with more cars being ‘takendown’... the more the better.

Burnout 3 AI

Once you mess with a computer player, the AI is designed to react to your actions. So an enraged computer player is as much likely to go for your throat as a human player. In case you anger a computer player, his icon turns red, signaling his mood and the danger of retort. This makes single player games more enjoyable when you know you can’t get away with anything with dumb computer characters.

Burnout 3 – Game Modes

The game offers 17 different gaming modes, all of them equally enjoyable. You can either play a quick single race against 5 other opponents, involve in a career of crashing and speeding through traffic-soaked environments, playing a split-screen game with a friend or LAN around with your mates. Burnout 3: Takedown also plays quite well over the Internet, although the online mode is limited to only 6 cars on a track, which makes you feel a little sorry that there won’t be more cars to be wrecked.

Burnout 3 – Graphics

Most special effects are concentrated around making the speed of the car feel realistic, but you will notice a great particle system that lets pieces of car fly off on crashes, sparks sizzling through the air when you grind some metal and all sorts of small details that simply make the game superb.

Car details are nicely rendered and you actually get the feeling of driving. However, unlike most top racing brands around, all 67 cars are imaginary… no real cars to add to the game’s appeal. Also, all 40 tracks produce daytime races and there are no weather variations either.

Burnout 3 – Audio

Although sounds are generally nicely created, The sound effects create a realistic environment with echoes in tunnels and screeching and grinding sounds livening things up. However, the sound isn’t perfect, as developers seem to have overlooked some effects that could have added more value to the game’s sound.

The Sound track caters to a very limited audience. So, while some might enjoy the sound track, others would rather hear their wives snore. EA’s signature radio pitches in as well, but the DJ ‘Striker’ comes up with a very limited number of comments that start to get very annoying, very soon.

Burnout 3 – Conclusion

The game is a definite ‘original’; the games features of crash maneuvering, multiple modes of play, multiplayer action and high speed affairs all raise expectations and deliver. A must for adrenaline fans.

Burnout 3 – Conclusion

The game currently retails for $19.99.