Burnout

"Burnout must describe the man who designed the game."

I do so enjoy my job... Not reviewing here at GameFaqs, but working at Blockbuster video. Since I work behind the counter, I get first pick of any video games that just happen to walk thru the door on any particular day. As long as I rent that game on the first day we have it, I can rent it for free. One of those little job perks... Unless you rent something like this. Its very rare that I actually curse my self out for renting a game. This is one of those times.

Burnout was based on a concept used before in Crazy Taxi. That is, it encourages you to pull off all kind of suicidal stuns, such as weaving thru traffic or going over 100kph in the wrong lane in order to score points. Not a bad idea, but the execution is so flawed, it makes me think that the designers needed a great deal of help. The tag line on the box proclaims this to be an 'Arcade Racer.' If this is the best our arcades can produce, then I'm not surprised arcades are closing down all over the place. Let us break it down, shall we?

The Good

I actually own that car.

Yes, there is some good here, but very little. Controls are spot on, and the handling for each car feels different. So that Chevy Sprint/Geo Metro rip off handles far different from that Corvette rip-off. They also have different turn rations and top speeds. So its almost like playing a new game each time you play a different car.... Almost.

Damage models are very nice. Windows shatter, windshields crack, and metal bends. While you cant see inside the car, its fun to wreck something, just to see how much damage you cause.

I'd like to visit that place some day.

Each location is well designed, and although the tracks are linear, the settings are varied enough so that each race feels unique.

And that is all the good I can find.

The Bad

Unforgiving

Unique among arcade racers that I know of, one hit sends you careening out of control, totally destroyed. Forgive me, but in a game such as this, shouldn't you have the ability to withstand even a little damage? Nope. Hit a car with your pick-up truck over 30 mph, and its a 5 second wait before you get back on the road.

Uninspired

They took a good idea, and made it dull. The general gist of the game is to pull off near misses on various cars by cutting them off... Or to go very fast in the opposing traffic lane. Each time you do this, you fill up a small bar on the screen called 'Burnout.' When this meter is full, you have access to a huge amount of turbo boost to drive even faster. Not a bad idea right?

They forgot to mention it takes forever and a day to fill that bar. You can spend upwards of five minutes in the opposing lane and still not fill it up. The near misses they describe that build your bar, have to be REALLY near misses. Were not talking about a foot between cars, were talking about 'you had better have butter on the bumpers of your car' kind of near misses. One accident halves your bar. So if its just a tiny bit until you max it out, you have another 3-4 minutes of work to get it back to that point.

The locations are dull. No people walk on the side walks, you stir up no leaves as you pass thru wooded ares, no dirt over dirt roads, ect. Heck, there isn't even any rain or snow! That's right folks, track design is the only real variance in this game.

So what could they have done?

Well, if your stealing ideas from another game, try the combo ideas from Crazy Taxi, or the cool jumps from Grand Theft Auto 3. Don't make the game an exercise in frustration. Make it fun.

The Ugly

In this rare category, I describe that which pains me to remember. In this game, it is the music. I don't know who wrote it, but he should be shot for being offensive to the ears. Within 20 seconds of playing the game, I shut off the music in the options menu, its just THAT awful. Its sounds like 80's guitar music, on a synthesizer, if you put wax paper over the speakers, and a monkey on the keyboard. The music is detestable, and a prime example of what should NOT be done in a game. If by some chance you rent this, and I pray you don't, SHUT OFF THE MUSIC BEFORE YOU PLAY THE GAME. Your ears will thank you.

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Graphics - 4.
+ Varied.
- Dull.
- No detail.
- No weather or other track variations.

Sound - 1.
- HORRIBLE music.
- Cars sound pretty much the same.

Controls - 7.
+ Responsive.
- Illogical design.
- Un-intuitive placement of certain functions.

Camera - 4.
- Two views. Thats it.
- Inside the car camera has no dashboard.

Gameplay - 3.
- Ripped off from a game that did the same thing better.

Replayability - 2.
? Why would you want to play this a second time around?

Overall - 4.

Should I buy this game?
No.

Should I rent this game?
No.

Amakusa will stick to Crazy Taxi.

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 11/11/01, Updated 11/11/01