Burnout Revenge

"I got a chao-...oh wait, I already used that one..."

BEST FEATURES: Shiny graphics, great sound effects, unmatched control, beating on your opponents is fun, top-notch racing engine, Crash mode not as simplistic as Burnout 3's, fun online with rival tracking for long-run duels

WORST FEATURES: Messes with the staple Burnout gameplay too much, soundtrack not for everyone, no standard single player mode

Burnout Revenge...hm...didn't I already review this game once? Yeah, I did...for the PS2. Way back in 2005, I played the PS2 version of this game and gave it a perfect 10/10. Unfortunately, I must admit I was blinded by the hype of playing another Burnout game. A bit over three years later, I want to revisit my review and maybe..."restate" some of my previous opinions. So let's get started.

Graphics: 8
As a first generation Xbox 360 game, this game shows off the power of the 360 console's jump into the seventh generation of game systems. Sparks fly and metal twists as you blaze your way around the world through seven regions. The game is animated at a crisp, smooth 60FPS and has some dynamic lighting to really show off your car. The animation really shines when you slam into some traffic at 185 MPH and watch as your car breaks to pieces while it slides down the road. It's the same graphics engine used on the PS2 version but touched up and smoothed out here and there. It's a little mellow for a new console like the Xbox 360 but it still gets the job done.

Sound/Music: 8
The game's soundtrack is a melange of music that range from pop artists like Fall Out Boy to a techno-remix of "Break on Through" by The Doors to metalcore madness from Bullet for My Valentine (which does fit the mood of the game). While I'm not as resistant to it as I was when I first picked up Burnout Revenge, it's still not THAT great (I frequently find myself skipping through a lot of the tracks to get to the ones I like). However, away from that, the sound effects are top-notch. As I said in my original Burnout Revenge review, the sound effects in this game are so much better than Burnout 3's. Tires squealing, the roar of the boost kicking in, the grinding of metal-on-metal as you battle for that next Takedown...it's all so sublime. Criterion really did their legwork to bring out the emotion of the race from Burnout 3.

Control: 10
Burnout is and always has been about the arcade experience. To that end, this game has the best control out there. Quick-reaction blitzing through traffic couldn't be easier. If you slam into a bus, you certainly won't be able to blame the game's handling for it. But the real beauty is when you bend the turns with grace and style with the game's masterful drifting. Sliding your machine around a curve at 190 MPH without hitting the wall and avoiding all the traffic on the road is just so sweet. Burnout simply has the best handling model around.

Gameplay: 7.5-8
Alright, this is where I've had my change of heart. At it's core, Burnout is about crazy driving. Drifting your car, driving through oncoming traffic, barely missing other vehicles on the road; that sort of thing. And starting in Burnout 3, trying to make your opponents crash through the "Aggression" system by encouraging the slamming, grinding, and attacking your fellow racers (and thanks to the introduction of big jumps and shortcuts, you can land on opponents for a Vertical Takedown now as well). All these efforts earn you boost; the nitrous-like injection to push your car to it's limit. Burnout Revenge doesn't miss the boat on any of these features. You can still dodge traffic and charge into oncoming lanes as well as kicking your opponents around to earn boost (or make them crash and add segments to your Burnout meter). However...what has changed is not only can you avoid traffic, you can hit it too. See, in Burnout Revenge, Criterion introduced a concept called "traffic checking". This mechanic allows you to smack into same-way traffic (provided it isn't large like a semi truck or a bus) and then it'll skitter around and bump other cars out of the way. You can aim vehicles to clear out oncoming lanes or use checked cars to attack other racers for Traffic Check Takedowns. On paper, should be nothing wrong with this...but that's just it: by even including it, it's defying everything Burnout was always about. Hitting traffic has always been BAD; doing so cost you precious seconds and maybe your lead. Now it's more or less beneficial, which takes out some of the soul from the game. Don't get me wrong, the game is still fun, just un-Burnout-like. Getting away from my woes about traffic checking, the other new features are all improvements on the formula. Alternate routes cover the track and make for much more diverse races. The Crash mode revisions (no more Crash pickups from Takedown and the ability to check traffic to cause accidents without having to crash yourself) make for much more complex pileups (though, they got rid of the acceleration meter from the PS2 and Xbox versions of the game) as you can cause damage all along the Crash Zones, leaving behind a swath of destruction before you actually make your big smash (plus Criterion added 10 new Crash Zones to this port over the PS2/Xbox versions). The online game is smooth and the new Revenge Rival tracking system let's you know who's out to get you and who you need to pay back. So in all, the game is still Burnout...just not as much as I'd like.

Replay Value: 8
Burnout Revenge is still pure, adrenaline-charged fun even with it's changes to the main formula. Speeding around trying to smash your opponents into the wall never really gets old and a great way to shed frustration after a hard day. Take the battle online and you'll find a supply of players who are looking to turn you into the next delivery to the junkyard. One weird issue is there's no single-player mode in the traditional sense (the only single-player mode is the World Tour main game; you can't run individual races or events on your own time). It's not a big deal but once you complete the game, you can't set up your own events to keep the fun going. However, in the very least, it'll take you a good while to complete the main game. If you want a good race, Burnout Revenge will keep it coming as long as you can handle it.

Overall: 8
So why did I rate this game lower than it's PS2 counterpart? While the game remains good and fun, looking back I much more prefer the way the other Burnout titles have addressed the issue of traffic (no matter what, it should be viewed as lethal). This game can still be challenging even if you can hit traffic now but that doesn't change the fact that it's too weird and too unrealistic for a game that prides itself on it's amazing crash physics. The real thrill comes from dodging traffic at top speed and knowing that you're just a second away from a crushed car. Burnout Revenge might lack that same mentality but in the end, I still say you look this game up if you haven't played it on a previous generation's console. I might have moved onto Burnout Paradise myself but if you have a chance to play this, I'm not here to dissuade you from doing so. And, to reiterate a pertinent quote, Revenge is a dish best served cold...

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/06/09

Game Release: Burnout Revenge (US, 03/07/06)