Burnout 3: Takedown

"This Crashfest Comes Out with Very Few Dings..."

SSX meets Destruction Derby meets Project Gotham Racing... this was my immediate impression after sitting down with this game for the first half hour. Taking elements from some of these other great games, Electronic Arts has successfully put them together for an explosively fun game. The premise is simple enough: take the style and racing elements from PGR, throw in the takedowns, points system and unlockables of the SSX series and a hell of a lot of the carnage from Psygnosis' Destruction Derby, and you've got Burnout 3: Takedown.

Graphics: (9/10)

Starting out in one of the races on the World Tour mode, I was impressed with a lot of the detail put into the environments. It wasn't until I actually got to my first crash test that I really became impressed. Utilizing a feature known as "Aftertouch", you are able to enter a bullet-time type sequence where you can actually control where your car moves after engaging in any crash. The effect is pulled off nicely, and the return from slow motion to the full blown explosion in normal mode looks incredible. Crash dynamics are impressive, although a little overstated, and vehicle damage is shown nicely.

Sound: (8/10)

This is really where things were most impressive. The explosions resultant from each crash sound incredible, and the sirens and car alarms in the background are a nice touch as well. On a downside, the music selection is a disappointment, and the voice over a la SSX 3 can get a tad annoying.

Control: (9/10)

Nicely executed. Vehicles react without any problem... and handling is adjusted somewhat accordingly as damage mounts on your vehicle, giving some heightened sense of realism when driving. Handling of the aftertouch controls does take some getting used to though, especially with a few instances where the camera angle changes while you are trying to control the vehicle in slow-mo.

Gameplay:(10/10)

With multiple modes throughout the single player and multiplayer games, Burnout 3 should prove to be a game that one can keep picking up without getting old. Whether it be standard racing modes, or crash modes where you accumulate as much damage as possible, or the road rage and time trial options, each mode offers enough unlockables that you will continue coming back to each to see if you can improve that score by just a little bit more.

Overall: (9/10)

Throw in a minor complaint on loading times/screens (they seem to happen a little too frequently), and this game proves to be a blast to play. If you're a fan of any of the three games mentioned above, you should be impressed with this game. If you're a fan of all three, don't even think twice about picking this up.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/13/04