Burnout

"Heart pounding action and bone jarring crashes that will keep you on the edge of your seat"

From its slick cars to its mind bending courses, this is the ultimate racing game. Burnout is a checkpoint based racing game. With its unique racing style, this game is far more complex than other racing games. Instead of your usual confined track, you race through crowded highways, car infested intersections, off-road, in the wrong lane, through red lights, through rush-hour-style traffic, and without a care in the world.

The magic of this game is weaving through traffic at over 100 mph. The game displays excellent crashes and collisions, complete with a function to save your crash replays. You can't go one race without saying whoa in amazement and astonishment. While racing, you can choose between an external camera position or an internal camera position.

With its challenging ''Burnout'' feature, the speed of your car increases greatly. By driving recklessly, your burn meter fills up, and a boost can be used. To get a burnout, you have to boost continually until your burn meter has run out. By using a boost, you can expect to catch up to cars in the lead and make the cars behind you eat your dust.

With its unique variety of cars from sportsters to trucks, everybody can find a car they feel comfortable with. The models are based on real-life cars, but do not include detailed models. For example, the dodge viper and the Toyota MR-2 would both be considered the Muscle car in. As the game progresses, more cars become available to use. The game gives you the option to use manual or automatic transmission.

The game provides enough game modes to keep you busy. They are championship, time attack, single race, head to head, and special.

The main mode of play is championship mode. Where you race against three computer drivers through traffic in circuits ranging from 1 to 3, races. Each race 3 laps long. Championship mode gets more difficult further into the game.

The graphics in this game are nothing but amazing. From the reflection in the shiny car paint to the glass shattering crashes, this game has almost life-like graphics.

The weakest part in Burnout is the game's soundtrack. The game features about 10 songs, most of which are techno style. Aside from a couple of catchy tunes, the music can become boring and repetitive quite quickly. The car's engine sounds are don't stand out as much as they should. A lot of the cars sound the same.

Unique gameplay, high-speed racing, crowded race courses, and tight graphics separate this ultimate racing game from any other. Burnout is one of the most intense racing games around.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/31/01, Updated 12/31/01