Burnout 3: Takedown Review

Burnout 3 is the best arcade racer out there. Gran Turismo may be the greatest simulation racer but the latest edition to the burnout series stands in an empty arena. And here, all the reasons why shall be divulged for all those who haven’t already bought it.

Burnout 3 is lightning fast. You have no time to plan a turn. Just trust your instincts and drive. And there’s nothing to tear you away from glorious speed apart from head on collisions with walls or hitting traffic. Completely unlike Gran Turismo where turns are taken with extreme braking and at such a low velocity grandma's old electronic wheelchair could beat it. Not a joyful experience.

The best addition to Burnout 3: Takedown is in the name. Takedown. Takedowns involve bashing opponent cars at high speed to fling them in the air or send them rolling along the road in a slo-mo flurry of tires and destroyed metal. And it's as good as it sounds as the camera jumps away to watch the graceful destruction of your opponent in slow motion action. They never get old.

Even you may be taken out and sent into a special something called aftertouch where you hold r1 to control your wreck and smash other opponents.

Back again are the crash junctions, time attacks and an all-new race mode, road rage. Where the objective is to take down as many other cars as you can.

Whilst racing, the race position of your opponents are displayed above them in a certain colour. Yellow means they aren’t angry, orange and their pretty annoyed. When it's red they want your blood.

For each race you win a medal is obtained, which unlock races and cars. As does money and crash headlines. With seven sets of cars and all unique sets the races may differ depending on the type of car.

The multiplayer is as fun as the world tour mode. With team modes and also an online mode to rival the new game, TimeSplitters: Future Perfect.

Rated fantastically in most magazines. I bought it. You should too.

This review was added on 5th August 2005 by Thomas jack jenkins.