After playing āBurnout Revenge,ā I have to simply sit back and ask myself something: Why has no one thought of this before? The concept seems simple. Whatās more fun than getting into a car you could never afford and racing it around cities that seem made for racing? The answer, according to āBurnout,ā is crashing those cars into each other, causing massive explosions, pileups and general disorder. I have to say that I agree. If you canāt see the logic in that, watch kids play with toy trucks or Hotwheels. What does it remind you of: āGran Turismo 4,ā with its slow precise driving, or āBurnout Revenge,ā filled with crashes and mayhem?
āBurnout Revengeā isnāt very deep. Itās only realistic in looks. Thereās not much variation in the gameplay; and any sort of story is absent, but itās truly fun.
The gameplay is straightforward. Choosing from a large selection of hi-tech vehicles, the player attempts to smash, race and tear his way through to the winnerās circle. In this game, crashing into other cars isnāt just allowedāitās required. There is no end to the ways you can perform a ātakedown.ā From simply ramming someone into a wall, to coming off a ramp and landing on them, to cornering them so they smash into oncoming traffic, youāll never see the same takedown twice. There are various modes of play: races, traffic checking, crash mode.
The goal is to do damage or win a race before the others. āBurnout Revengeā doesnāt joke around with speeds.
Tired of going 65 mph for the first three hours you play the game? The first car goes from 0 to 120 in three seconds. The biggest problem here is that the game might be too fast-paced for some people. Not only can you destroy cars in racing, but after you crash, you can slow down time and use āaftertouchā to cause even more carnage. Later on, your car is equipped with a bomb you can set off. Bet Jack Thompson will be delighted to hear about that.
The graphics and design are another strong point of the game. Each level is crafted intricately, with huge roads, cluttered crossways and well-placed jumps. The cars are beautiful, with lots of hi-tech and futuristic designs. The crashes are where the game really shines. Vehicles shatter and crumble as pieces fall off and engines explode. When the player takes out a racer, a slow motion video of the destruction, complemented by the cinematic camera angles, is shown. Despite the abruptness of the changes, races generally continue smoothly, meaning the carnage never stops.
Like many Electronic Arts games, various mainstream rock bands, few of which I like, provide the sound. But hey, A for effort. Besides, the explosions will drown out the crappy music.
In some cases, replay can make or break a game. It may be the difference between a fun experience and a classic game. āBurnout Revengeā succeeds in having the variety needed to be a classic, and itās one of the few racing games I suggest you buy.
