The Burnout franchise has had a change of publisher as the hit arcade racer is now under the caring wing of Electronic Arts which now means the latest game in the series supports on-line LIVE multiplayer action; but can the series keep up with a popular xbox genre packed with such a wide variety of racers?

Burnout 3: Takedown picks up right where its predecessor left off and as we would expect comes jam packed with what seems like a ton of new and exciting features, including new singles player championships, race championships and crash championships. Both Burnout 1 and 2 delivered an intense feeling of speed whilst still rewarding players for taking risks and driving dangerously. Burnout 3 Takedown does not fail to deliver on the originals but adds to the package by being nearly four times bigger whilst encouraging players to indulge in maximum vehicular carnage. Burnout 3 is by far the fastest, most aggressive, adrenaline-fuelled, arcade-racing game currently on the market.

Gameplay:

Burnout 3: Takedown features some of the most eye wateringly fast adrenaline fueled hi-octane racing seen to date, “this baby roars” so fasten your safety belts and take this arcade racer for a ride. Developers Criterion Games have taken the proven formula of the previous Burnout racers and along with new publisher Electronic Arts have pushed the boundaries, added some chassis bending warp speed and harnessed snapping crashes along with the all new addition of “Impact Time”.

The game consists of ether world tour, single player or multiplayer events including Online LIVE play. In Single events players are able to select from; Race, Time Attack Road Rage or Crash modes. In all of the available modes, players are able to compete in events using any of the cars, regions or tracks which have been unlocked. Race mode is a flat out straight race to the finish, all your skills need to be as highly tuned as the cars in which you compete if you want to achieve ultimate success.

In race mode it’s not just a simple race, you will need to take the necessary risks such as driving in the wrong lane perilously close to and through heavy oncoming traffic, drifting around corners and not forgetting taking down your opponents in order to win. The bigger the risk, the bigger the reward in the form of your boost bar which increases allowing you to sprint to the finish ahead of the trailing pack. Time Attack sees player’s battle against the clock to reach an objective in under a specified time, as with all modes taking risks here will increase your boost bar which is all so vital for overall success.

In Road Rage mode players are required to take out their opponents at every opportunity in order to beat each of the tracks unlocked takedown records. Takedowns also come in a variety of forms split in to 4 levels Easy, Advanced, Expert and Champion. Finally Crash mode requires players to create and cause as much carnage as possible, the more carnage and damage caused the more points awarded, utilizing the all new crash after effect “Impact Time” which allows players to have limited control of their vehicle in slow motion after a collision and is a vital skill to achieve the multiplier bonuses available in order to reach the ultimate accolade of a gold medal reward.

The main game mode featured, which incorporates all the skills of the single player modes “world tour” is broken down in to three continents – Asia, America and Europe. The game itself is now less about flat out pure racing, where previous Burnout titles allowed players to take risks with dangerous driving players are now encouraged and will need to combine the skills of crashing and racing in order to achieve the ultimate success. Rubbings racing and players will need to take full advantage by taking out their opponents and causing the maximum carnage possible at every opportunity. Not only will players be awarded a boost bonus but will also be rewarded points which ultimately open up further events, tracks and challenges.

Graphics:

Technically, Burnout 3: Takedown is not as realistic or advanced graphically as an xbox specific title such as PGR2, but this is an arcade racer with arcade racing visuals. The xbox version bares very little difference visually to the PS2 version but in all honesty, it works and does not detract from the overall gameplay experience. The cars that you drive away from your garage can be raced in either the traditional internal or external views, each bringing a different feeling of speed. These cars are quite detailed unlike some of the traffic vehicles you encounter, which seem to be of a lesser quality but again at the speeds you are driving at, you won’t have time to notice. None of the vehicles featured are officially licensed but they do have an uncanny resemblance to certain production vehicles which you might encounter on a daily basis.

Each of the three continents consists of fictional city locations but as with the cars some do actually bare a striking similarity to real life locations. The background scenery for each environment portrays the relevant ambience that one would associate with that continent. Most of the scenery is pre-rendered and static with the occasional obstacle which allows you to smash you way through.

Sound:

You can expect the usual array of sounds from a racing game in the form of straining engines, screeching tires and the explosions from crashing your vehicle. The gearbox is just a heavy clunk that does not sound like anything you would find in a commercial vehicle but oddly fits nicely into this game.

The game is lead by “Striker” the Crash FM DJ who provides a narrative to guide you through each of the challenges whilst providing a suitable Rock pop music to race to, the Xbox version does support custom sound tracks option although unlike other games supporting this feature you cant simply select multiple songs off different play lists so you may find yourself having to create a specific play list just for use in this game. You may also find that after a short time the Burnout 3 resident DJ interrupting your music whilst delivering unnecessary updates a little annoying, luckily you are able to turn him off in the options.

Longevity:

With over 170 tracks, 60 cars to unlock and the addition of On-line LIVE multiplayer options Burnout 3 has more than enough to keep even the wildest of drivers busy. The game has an excellent learning curve but soon becomes more and more difficult to gain a medal let alone the ultimate success of a gold medal. For those without LIVE there is a comprehensive two player split screen mode which allows players to go head to head with their buddies and rival AI in a number of racing modes.

Overall:

Burnout 3 is super fast nitro fueled arcade action at warp speed, Criterion have done a great job taking the Burnout franchise to yet another level of Nitro fueled heart pounding action, it improves over its predecessors in most areas other than maybe the graphics department. There’s tons of fun to be had for racing fans and gamers alike with either a quick pick up and play blast or a sustained gaming session. Whether you like racing games or not you might just love Burnout 3: Takedown!