Game Review: Burnout 3: Takedown

Got a stack of new games for Christmas, and thought I'd post brief thoughts on some of them as I play through them. First up, the game I've ended up playing the most so far, Burnout 3: Takedown.

According to the in-game tally, I've played less than 10% of the game, but that doesn't stop me from making this bold statement: Burnout 3: Takedown is the best racing game I've ever played.

If you're a big fan of technical racing (the Gran Turismo series) then you should know that B3:T is a pick-up-and-play arcade racer through and through. This game isn't about driving the perfect line in your authentic Supra that you just tricked out with a port and polish. Instead, B3:T is about driving into oncoming traffic at 120 mph to fill up your boost (you get rewards for risky driving), drifting around corners, and, when you crash (and you will most definitely crash), being awarded for causing the most damage possible.

That might sound like it could get old, but one of the great things about B3:T is the various modes available. These include:
Race: Your most basic mode where you try to come in first
GP: Win a series of three races
Time Attack: Race as fast as you can
Rival: There's one other car on the track. Beat that car and you unlock it in your garage.
Crash: Drive your car into traffic and do as much damage as possible.
Takedown: Take out as many cars as you can in one lap

When you crash to the point where your car is toast, the game grinds down to a slomo "Crash Time" mode that allows you to try for maximum damage. The advantage is that if you can pull off a bunch of moves (crashing into other cars, long slides, big air time, etc.) you'll get some extra juice in your boost meter to help make up for the time you lost in the crash.

The gameplay is fantastic, but the graphics don't slouch, either. Cars look good and do a nice job of taking damage, but where the game flat-out excels is the sense of speed. It's something you have to see (or even better, play) to really appreciate, but the developers really nailed this.

The one chink in B3:T's armor is a small one: the soundtrack sucks. With a couple possible exceptions, most of the 40+ tracks are alternajunk. If you've got an Xbox, though, there's nothing stopping you from ripping a few tracks to your hard drive and using your own custom soundtrack for the game. I highly recommend this - "Vertigo" by U2 fits this game like a glove.

Even if you aren't normally into racing games, you'll find a lot to love about B3:T. It's one of those rare games that everyone should play (Proof: even Jaime likes Crash Mode). Easily one of the best games of 2004.