Burnout 3: Takedown

"Arcade racing at its finest..."

Best Features: Superb graphics, easy learning curve, awesome crash dynamics, best control in the genre

Worst Features: Lackluster soundtrack, the Takedown cams can be a hindrance

I've played a lot of racing games over the years. From the Rush series (my personal favorites) to F-Zero GX. However, there is one series that has always surprised me as a breakout hit: the Burnout series. Its unique "risk-vs-rewards" gameplay to its incredibly precise control, its been a captivating group of racers. Now that 3 is out, my thinking of the view of the series has changed radically...

Graphics: 10
Up until now, the series has had pretty good graphics. However, 3 stands out as one of the best looking PS2 titles there is. If you have a chance to take a break during all the high-octane racing, stop and gander at the visual ambiance. Everything from the rolling mountain landscapes to the gritty storefronts, everything is rendered in high-res 3D. The game rolls along at a fluid 60 FPS and yet still manages to be one hell of a fast ride. The trippy speed effects when you kick in the boost still linger from the previous Burnouts but coupled with the redesigned graphics engine, it looks that much sweeter. The crash physics are always a sight to behold in these games and they look better than ever now. In previous editions, the crashes just were twisted metal and splintered windows. In the third installment, expect to see explosions and sparks the likes of which just haven't been seen in the Burnout games until now. Its a total rush.

Sound/Music: 7
The sound in this game I've got no criticism for. Its sharp and vivid with the full flavor of smash-em'-up racing. The announcer is surprisingly not annoying and sounds like a modern DJ. My main fault with this category is the rather bland set of music tracks they picked for this game. In the last 2 Burnout games, the music was unlicensed generic rock tracks. With the coming of 3, the music has finally gotten an injection of licensed real bands it needed. Unfortunately, the selections they picked are rather weak. They picked the right genre (heavy metal) but they really skimped on the songs. The soundtrack is populated with bands of which I have no familiarity with (you may find some recognition but I only found about 2 groups I actually have heard of before). For the next game, EA should try a more mixed soundtrack (both metal and rap) like that of Need for Speed Underground's.

Control: 10
If you've played any of the other Burnout games, you'll know what to expect immediately. My favorite part of the last two games is the amazing control. They got it right the first time and haven't messed with it since. In the heat of battle with your opponents, you are also charged with dodging traffic and other roadside obstacles. Luckily, that's all made possible by the snap-reaction controls that only the Burnout series can provide. However, the best part of the control is probably the simplest. Rarely do you get such a feeling of euphoria when completing the perfect drift around a turn with the skill and style only Hollywood stunt drivers could pull off. Sliding into the turn at 160 mph + and then pulling out with little or no loss of control, cleanly completing the curve without bumping into a wall just sends a chill up your spine like no other. The control in this game is just that good, offering the perfect balance of precision and style. The arcade racing genre should really take a hint from this game because the Burnout has truly redefined the meaning of "drift".

Gameplay: 9
Awesome, top-notch racing gameplay to be found here. The game is both challenging and still allows beginners to pick up and start drifting from moment one because of the oh-so-sweet control. The Burnout series hallmark (aside from its awesome looking crash dynamics) has been its unique "risk-vs-rewards" system. Play hardball by rushing into oncoming traffic, pulling off drifts, or other such hijinks and you'll be given boost power in your Burnout meter. Unlike previous versions, the Burnout meter works incrementally now instead of needing to be filled up before boost can be used (in other words, the meter doesn't need to be maxed to use boost). You can also grow your Burnout meter by taking advantage of the new aggression system. Cause your opponents to take a dive (hence the game's moniker "Takedown") and you can get Burnout multipliers which add more to your meter (likewise, avoiding their wrecks by the skin of your teeth also earns you Burnout multipliers). The Crash mode has been seriously overhauled with icons you can use to add or even multiply your monetary destruction (factor in the new "Crashbreaker" and "Impact Time" features, Impact Time allows you to steer your wreck in mid air and direct it toward that bus or 18-wheeler, the Crashbreaker is earned when enough vehicles have been wrecked and by pressing R2, you can detonate your car and cause damage that way as well as steering it in Impact Time more in the air to wreck more cars). The only real complaint I have about the newly redesigned Burnout is the Takedown cams. These occur whenever you dodge a wreck or do a Takedown. The camera flips to their car and you're told what kind of Takedown you did to them and it looks pretty cool. Only problem with these are they take away from your viewpoint (thus breaking your concentration). Say you're calculating when you're going to start a drift and then all of a sudden, someone sneaks between you and the guardrail. You nudge them and they wreck, the Takedown cam will take over and you'll see them flying. Unfortunately, now you just lost sight of the turn you were about to make and that can seriously distort your perception of the angle you need to hit it at. Thankfully, this is an optional feature and can be turned off in the options menu.

Replay Value: 9
The game's career mode has you globe-trotting a path of destruction across three regions (the US, Far East, and Europe). Events vary from Grand Prix circuits to Crash zones. That'll keep you busy for a good while as there are a multitude of cars to unlock by completing various tasks (such as causing a certain amount of total monetary damage in Crash mode or causing your opponents to wreck in just the right way). However, if the offline competitions just aren't tickling your fancy for speed, take the game online and wreck alongside players the world over. I haven't tried the online game but I'd imagine it'd be a great experience. Offline multiplayer games are just as good with your run-of-the mill race to competitions to score the most amount of Takedowns before the goal line. It'll keep you hooked for a long time, even if it is just the addicting Crash mode that's keeping you glued to the screen.

Overall: 9
I haven't seen a racing game this well-rounded for a long time now. Even though the Rush series is still my favorite, Burnout 3: Takedown is well on its way to stealing that title. Fast racing and solid control make a great mix and they don't come together any better than Burnout 3. This game will make a superb complement to this winter's Need for Speed Underground 2 (also from EA) and should take care of your racing urges for a good long time. I'm hoping for a sequel because I'm far from burned-out on this series.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/24/04, Updated 11/29/07

Game Release: Burnout 3: Takedown (US, 09/07/04)