Burnout 3: The realization of body english...

[Padrino]

Burnout 3: The realization of "body English"

body English - a motion of the body by a player as if to make an object already propelled go in the desired direction.
Aftertouch - the ability to make an object already propelled go in the desired direction.

It easy for me to review this game because I am going to use Burnout 2 as a frame of reference. Burnout 2 was certainly a solid and fun arcade racer and Burnout 3 improves on the old game quite a bit.


What's still there? Well the blazing sense of speed and pure arcade rush that you won't get from any Project Gothem or Rally Sport Challenge game. Burnout 2 was the best arcade racer for Xbox when was released and Burnout 3 holds on to that title easily.

If there were no improvements, it would not seem fit to give this game a higher score than its ancestor but there are plenty. The crash mode has been improved with the use of powerups and ramps. This adds a bit to the challenge but it also makes it just a bit easier than B2's crash mode. In B2 you kind of had to figure out where exactly to hit cars while in B3 your path is a little more clear (for getting gold) because your easiest route is through the powerups that are easy to spot but not always easy to reach. It makes it a little less puzzle-like and a bit more skills based but more fun with less frustration as well.

That alone represents a large improvement but wait, theres more. Aftertouch..... Yes aftertouch. This new feature allows you to steer your card after a wreck just a bit. The effect is subtle but its just what you want. Its lets you feel like your giving the car "body English" and willing it in a certain direction. The great thing about aftertouch is that its at its best not in crash mode but in the race modes.

The race mode has been greatly improved gameplay wise by the addition of aftertouch and the entire takedown mechanism. In B2 taking out your opponents was certainly possible but it was not that much fun and it hurt your place in the race too much for it to be worth it. So you tend to want to avoid crashes all together in race mode. Not any more. With takedowns you are given such an extreme pleasure both through the bonuses you can get and with the great camera. When you successfully takedown an opponent, the camera briefly moves out of your frame of reference and onto the car that you took out. It slow motion you get to witness the carnage you caused. And if you are taken out (it aint over till its over) you get to use aftertouch to try and steer your car into other opponents and receive bonuses that offset the penalty of getting into the wreck in the first place. It all looks and fells incredible and its a blast.

So basically, they improved the crash mode a good bit, added about 70 more crash intersections, bumped up the graphics a notch, and completely overhauled the racing mechanics. The racing is now just as fun as the crash mode which is saying quit a bit.

For those that missed Burnout 2, expect to be blown away by Burnout 3. For those familiar with Burnout 2, its likely that you will be very happy with the improvements all around and addicted again.

[BreakmanX]

Very nice Review