Burnout 2: Point of Impact

"I once hated Acclaim... No more."

Introduction: Having heard many great things from everyone that has played Burnout 2: Point of Impact, I decided to rent it to see what this game was all about. Boy, was I surprised. The only real racing game I've ever enjoyed fully was Midnight Club 2, and I had low expectations for Burnout 2. I was skeptical. Boy, was I wrong. Burnout 2 is possibly Acclaim's best made game, and it certainly plays like one of the top racing games of this generation of consoles. Burnout 2: Point of Impact, well, to sum it up in one word: Amazing.

Graphics-10: Acclaim does well in using the graphical power of the Xbox, with excellently done lighting effects, smooth looking vehicles and superbly done environments for you to race through. Playing the game, you'll notice how smooth the game plays. There's not much to say about the graphics of the game, except that they are excellent.

Sound-10: Oh yes, the audio aspect of the game. All racing games have to have an excellent soundtrack, it just adds to the gameplay experience. Burnout 2 achieves this greatly, offering some nice tracks to listen to while you hang on to the edge of your seat; trying to make that tight corner. Not only does the Burnout 2 soundtrack compliment the game very well, the game also let's us listen to the first Burnout's soundtrack. To top it off, we have custom soundtracks as well! So whatever you listen to, whether it be rap, rock, punk, pop- whatever, you can jam to your own tunes while beating out the competition. Add in if you have a home entertainment system with Dolby capabilities, and you have yourself an excellent experience.

Gameplay-10: As I said, coming into this I had low expectations. Simply put, the moment you put in Burnout 2 into your Xbox, you'll fall in love with this game. Starting us off, Acclaim adds in an excellent tutorial to start you off. This tutorial teaches you the many tricks and fun ways of building up your boost meter, which by the way, helps greatly. Once you go through the tutorial, you'll find yourself going through many different, diverse and unique tracks as you race your way to the top. The controls are extremely easy to get the hang of, and you'll have them mastered from the get-go. The game itself plays great, and is very exhilarating as you'll find out. If the single player campaign wasn't good enough for you, there is of course multiplayer. Probably the biggest and best feature of Burnout 2 is it's online capabilities with Xbox Live. The game, already being a must own is granted even greater value with online play.

Replayability-10: The single player game will keep you busy for a good while. Multiplayer with your friends will have you on your seat. Online? Pffft... Need I say more?

Overall-10: Overall, Burnout 2: Point of Impact gives me a new found respect for Acclaim, I developer I always chose to avoid ever since my days with a Nintendo 64. Acclaim has given racing fans an instant classic. A game that anyone who loves fun should buy! Burnout 2 goes up with the rest of them, Project Gotham Racing and Midnight Club 2. If you have Xbox Live, or if you have PS2 Online, this game is a definite own. In fact, it's an own even without it's online capabilities. In closing, I hope Acclaim gives us another sequel of Burnout, with even more. Thank you, Acclaim.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 10/28/03