Burnout 2: Point of Impact

"Best Racer on the Cube is here, at least till F-Zero"

Ever since I got into the racing genre I’ve always been skeptical of racing games, especially on the GameCube. I’m not saying that there aren’t any bad racing games out, but I’m a dirty racer. I love to race but if there is anything I love more ,it’s to crash. I rented Burnout and loved the game, but there were a lot of features that were missing and the game was just not worth my money to buy. Once I rented this game, I went out and bought this game for $40 as fast as I could. This game has so many features it will keep racing fans busy till F-Zero and other big name racers hit the cube. Before I get into the juicy details you must realize that this game is no Gran Turisimo. If you’re looking for a racing simulator this is not the game for you.

Gameplay
In Burnout 2: Point of Impact there are tons of things to accomplish and unlock so let me start with the beginning. When you first start up the game you have a training mode titled “Offensive Driving 101” in this mode you learn how to raise your boost bar and other helpful techniques that will help you throughout the rest of the game. You can score gold, silver, and bronze medals or fail the mission. Don’t worry though, you just need at least bronze in order to pass the tests, you can go back later though and get all golds for some unlockables. Once you pass the 6 stages of the training you unlock “Championship Mode”, “Single Race” and “Crash Mode” along with Multiplayer Modes.

In “Championship Mode” you do one of four activities; Cup, Pursuit, Face Off, and Single Race. In the Cup you race among four computers and complete a series of racetracks in order to win. By advancing here, you unlock more Cups and racetracks for you to race in. In Pursuit Mode you take control of a police car and complete incredible car chases were you have to total the other car, similar to the classic arcade game, Chase HQ. Playing Pursuit Mode you can unlock other cars to race with. In Face Off mode you race against one other car in order to unlock that car. These cars range from NASCAR cars, to 50’s classic cars. And finally in Single Race mode you race against four other racers to unlock that racetrack for your own purposes.

In “Single Race Mode” you can race against your bud and race against one of the tracks that you unlocked. The mode is only for two players which is the only bum.

In “Crash Mode” or better known as “Crash For Cash Mode” you basically see who can do the biggest damage in one crash, but trust me you can cause huge 15 car pileups which are so intense you might wet yourself. This mode features 1-4 players so you can see who causes the most damage. You start out with only three Crash sites but you can unlock over twenty other crash tracks.

Multiplayer is fun mostly because of the fun and hilarious “Crash for Cash Mode” which features up to four players. Racing against one friend is fun but you wish that you could race against two more of your friends.


Graphics
Burnout 2: Point of Impact is definitely one of the better-looking racers on the GameCube. All of the tracks and cars are so detailed it’s incredible. The cars and tracks are sweet but the thing that puts the icing on the cake is definitely the crashes. Weather your laughing or crying at the crashes without question you’ll want to crash again just to see if you can improve on it. The crashes look so real it’s incredible, when your going speeds of 150 and you hit a parked car you bet your shorts you’re going to fly in the air, and will not survive either. The graphics and gameplay are what make Burnout 2: Point of Impact so amazing.

Sound
The sound is great. It makes you feel as if your there. The developers of Burnout spent tons of time, you can tell with the special effects that were thrown into the game. Nothing seems too repetitive. One of the coolest features I found that wasn’t in the original Burnout was the echo you hear when your car enters a tunnel. The audio tracks that were in this game The audio tracks could have been better chosen but you can’t really complain because each track has its own song so the tracks aren’t repetitive.

Replay Value
This game features huge replay value. From the multiplayer madness of Crash for Cash or single racing the multiplayer replay value is almost unlimited. For single player you can always try to get better medals or beat your old score. The game is really missing a 1-4 player-racing mode however. The game is also missing a replay save which was featured in the first Burnout where you could watch your crashes over and over. These two problems aren’t a huge negative but would have made the replay value in this game better.

Closing Comments
Burnout 2 is set at the price $10- $20 lower than the average GameCube game. That alone is reason enough to buy the game. But if your into racing games and aren’t just caught up in Gran Turisimo racing style games you should definitely give this game a rent, this game just may be the best “real racing” game the GameCube might ever have. To make this game even more fun, try out the Logitech Speed Force feedback steering wheel.

Overall:

Gameplay:
Many different modes for you to play with including unlockable modes you cant go wrong with this game.
9.0

Graphics
The crash scenes and police chases are incredible.
9.5

Sound
Where this may the only place where the game is lacking it still sets the mood for the game.
8.0

Replay Value
Tons of unlockables to keep you busy, only a few negatives.
8.5

Overall Score: 9

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/10/03, Updated 06/10/03