Acclaim
multi-player
easy
Burnout was one of those games that turned up unexpectedly. It was only announced to be in development 4 months before release. Because it is Citerion�s first ever Gamecube title, it might sound as thought the game has been rushed, but this is far from the truth. It is possibly the best racer available at the moment. The games development began on December 2001, and it only took 1 month to get the PS2 version up and running on the Cube, so the addition 4 months were put to use improving the title, particularly the graphics. And boy does it show.
The graphics are hard to put to words sometimes, absolutely brilliant. The car models are perfectly rendered, and the cities look absolutely stunning. Tonnes of vehicles on screen at once, from Tow trucks to buses to police cars, with no slow down at all. Hugely detailed cities with streets going of into the distance. In particular the cities with rivers passing through them are absolutely outstanding. Not as sharp on spit screen, but still very good. The game manages to keep at 60 FPS, even with the screen full of traffic. The crash engine is spectacular, with your roof caving in, bonnet getting crumpled, wind screens getting smashed, lights exploding, it really is amazing. No matter how much you bash the car up, you get a brand new one after the crash replay. 9.5/10
Nothing spectacular in the sound department, but nice engine and horn effects, and good music. Stands out when you take that corner at 120 mph, to here the honking of horns and the skidding tyres. Very satisfying when you block your opponent�s vision, and just here the smash of fresh metal as you speed away. The music has an arcade like feel, although it can be a little cheesy at times. 8/10
This is where the fun starts. There are 6 modes of play in this game, Single player modes include Championship, Single race, Time attack, Head to head and survival. Multiplayer mode is the usual split screen affair. Instead of being a run of the mill racer, the people at Citerion decided to do something a little original, thus we have the masterful crash system. At first the time limit can be a little annoying, as the gorgeous levels are just begging to be explored, but it soon becomes second nature, and adds some edge to the game. The crash system is brilliant, and although a little excessive at times, again it adds a new edge to the game, with not just fast times, but high insurance claims being sought after. Very satisfying to see a bus being tipped by a lorry you hit at 100mph. The championship mode consists of GP�s, each with 2 or 3 courses, and you must consistently achieve a minimum rank to progress. The face off mode adds a little extra spice, but you aren�t going to go back after you activate the desired car. The sheer speed that the game gets to when boosting is amazing, but with no slow down in animation, it really is a treat. 9/10
Although the levels are huge, taking up to 7 minutes for some races, there are only 14 courses, and only around 8 cars, which is nowhere near enough. The game doesn�t ware thin, but it is over far too quickly. Really ruined the game, which could have been top notch. 6.5/10
With the lack of levels and cars, and also lack of 4 player support, it is a bit of a disappointment. However, the 2 player mode is incredibly fun while it lasts, and the crash replay engine adds some strategy to the game. �Should I take the corner long to block my opponent?� Does a good job, but again just not big enough. 7.5/10
A brilliant game, but like Luigi�s mansion, just not big enough. The lack of cars and levels is the main let down, and what would have been a great multi-player is somewhat limited. However, the 1 payer mode has plenty of diversity, adding to the standard racer formula with the face-off mode and the crash replays. Could have been a classic, but just didn�t make the grade. 8/10