Burnout Revenge

"People with glasses need not apply"

A year after the eye watering speed rush that was Burnout 3 gamers are once again in for a blast with Burnout Revenge. Taking that old Burnout staple of insane speed and awesome takedowns and adding a bit of golf and bowling might sound weird but stick with me.

The golf aspect comes into play when trying out crash mode. You can launch your car using a Tiger Woods style power bar from conveniently placed ramps for massive air during which you can drift your car depending on its weight and your speed to ensure maximum carnage when you land in just the right spot. A new traffic attack mode requires you to use your car as an unstoppable bowling ball and crash your way through traffic to keep your score and remaining time high. The ability to use traffic travelling in the same direction as projectile weapons when you smash into them is a welcome addition as are the newly designed courses made specifically for getting takedowns. Finding a shortcut and then launching your car off a ramp to end with a vertical takedown gives an adrenaline rush that few games can match. New additions include the ability to use crashbreakers in certain races and eliminator races now kick out the last placed driver every 30 seconds instead of every lap making them all the more tense. As per usual with the Burnout games the controls are great in their simplicity and the games is easy to get into and enjoyable.

Criterion called in a car designer to help them with the design of the cars and it shows in some great designs, its just too bad that you end up smashing the stuffing out of them. The graphics once again push the boundaries of what the PS2 is capable of. Tracks are grittier and darker in appearance than the previous Burnout and vary from Detroit's back alleys to Miami, Hong Kong and Tokyo. The sense of speed is unparalleled and can leave your mouth dry after particularly hectic races. Compounding this is the great sound effects heard when you start boosting through narrow gaps and seemingly impossible spaces. The whoosh of nearby cars and objects spurs you on to even more impossible feats of boosting skill. The soundtrack is also improved over that of Burnout 3 with the addition of heavier tunes to complement the punk tracks. Most importantly the irritating DJ from takedown has been ditched.

The bulk of the single player game is the World Tour. Unlike Burnout 3 events are divided up into ranks through which you progress by insane driving and medals in earlier events. The more insane you drive the more ranking points you get and the more cars and events you unlock.

Overall criterion have surpassed themselves and delivered a boost of speed that is unrivalled on the PS2. No other game can come close. This is an excellent game that everyone with a PS2 should get.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 10/18/05