Burnout 2: Point of Impact

"A step backwards from Burnout 1"

Everyone else will tell you about the good things, so I'll just discuss the bad things. Burnout 1 is one of my favorite games, and Burnout 2 doesn't match it.

Burnout 1's main failing was that there weren't enough tracks, and the traffic got to be predictable. I don't think Burnout 2 improved either of these areas. Doing some addition, based on the track info provided by the game, I'd guess that Burnout 2 has 30-35 miles of unique track. Burnout 2's traffic is so predictable at times that you'll see the same cars crossing an intersection on each lap.

I don't actually like the crashes in Burnout 2 that much. Most crashes send you airborne and tear your hood off, which is less believable than the (less remarkable) crashes of Burnout 1, and the fact that all your crashes look the same becomes distracting, even.

They tweaked the gameplay quite a bit, and it feels like a different game. Your top speed is now usually around 160 instead of 140, and it's easier to get burn. To keep you from crashing non-stop as a result, they reduced the amount of traffic, reduced the amount of time that a crash takes you out of the game, and simplified the tracks (there are hardly any nasty intersection turns). I dislike all of these changes. I often felt like I was playing Quantum Redshift without weapons.

Collision detection is spotty, and is inclined to ''let that one pass'' if you don't hit head-on. I think this is partly deliberate (to make it easier) and partly a bug (I've fallen through the map before), but in any case it's awfully hard to impress onlookers with your skill when they see you smack into a car but slip by like a wet bar of soap. Also, the ''forgiving'' crash detection can actually cause you to screw up in Crash mode when you have a particular car in mind that you want to hit. You'll hit them but it won't count.

To my horror, I often beat the #1 default best time the very first time I raced a track. It is also easy to do perfect laps and even perfect races without trying... So much so that they didn't even put Survival mode into this game (to the best of my knowledge). This really hurts the longevity of the game, whereas in Burnout 1 you needed incredible skill to run a perfect race, and that kept you coming back. In Burnout 2, it'll be hard for you to tell that you're improving.

The AI cars are better drivers than in Burnout 1, and seem to cheat a bit less, but I can't regard this as an improvement. In Burnout 1, having AI drivers in front of you was a real hazard, because they could crash in the most idiotic places. That hurt you more than it hurt them. Also, if you're a good driver and get ahead of the Burnout 2 AI drivers, you may never see them again. You would think that improved AI and less cheating would be good, but it actually reduces the fun and the challenge.

They destroyed the vehicle balance. Vehicle selection isn't even an interesting aspect anymore. Most of the cars, initially available as well as unlockable ones, are worse than what you'll already have. (In the second half of the game, I don't believe you unlock a single car worth driving.) In Burnout 1, which car you drove could be a matter of taste, but in Burnout 2, there's no reason not to pick the ''Supercar'' once you unlock it (unless you need a handicap against somebody, or can't handle a fast car). Also, Burnout 2 doesn't have anything comparable to the Bus or Tow Truck... Every car is nothing more than its three stats.

I don't understand why everyone (including my own sister) likes Crash mode so much. Each of the 30 Crash scenarios has a trick to learn to get gold-medal-earning damage. When you know the trick, there is little skill required, and no replay value. In Crash mode (and ONLY in Crash mode), pile-ups result as though no one is watching the road or has working brakes. It's not that fun to watch, either, because the incident is played in slow motion so you can keep track of what all is happening.

Pursuit mode adds some fun, but I think it could've been done better. In single player, you are the cop, and you have to bump into the target car a certain number of times within the allotted distance. (In multiplayer, one player chases the other.) Crashing, though, doesn't cause either player to automatically win. I would think that if the target crashes, he should lose. That would make it a fun role to play in single player, and it would make up for the absence of Survival mode.

I think multiplayer is better in Burnout 2, partly because the game is easier for novices than Burnout 1. Also, checkpoints function differently: Both players get time when either hits a checkpoint, eliminating the dismal Burnout 1 situation of one player getting a ''Game Over'' prematurely.

Once you get good enough, the turns, the traffic, and the AI racers are no challenge at all. You'll be able to play this game half-asleep. When you do occasionally crash, you'll chalk it up to bad luck, because you'll normally only crash a couple of times anyway. In Burnout 1, in contrast, it feels like there's no limit to how good you can get, because there is more traffic, crashes are more likely to be considered crashes, and you have better control (you're not going as fast).

To conclude... This is not a bad game. It looks good and it never gets tedious. The controls are excellent and easy to learn, compared to most racing games. You can play custom soundtracks. It impresses onlookers. I just seriously doubt that a Burnout 1 fan will get a lot out of it.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 05/19/03, Updated 05/19/03