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:: Burnout for GCN Review |
I rented a game the other day called Burnout. It’s a car racing game that takes place on freeways and city streets. Overall this game was enjoyable, but I don’t think I would buy it.
Burnout is a pretty generic racing game- race around for three laps and try and get ahead of the other three racers. The thing that saddened me about this game was the fact that you had very little freedom in what you do. There are no shortcuts, and the only time a street splits into two routes, they come back together in very little distance, making each lap similar. What makes Burnout an interesting game, though, is the fact that you get rewarded for driving like a mental patient, which is always fun. If you almost hit another vehicle, your bonus meter fills up a little, if you drive in oncoming traffic, your bonus meter fills. If you drift for a long time, your bonus meter fills, etc. It’s more exciting than actually driving, which is what you look for in a racing game. Another interesting thing about Burnout is that the non-racing cars, the traffic, tends to have a mind of their own. If you go into oncoming traffic, some cars will swerve to avoid you while others will just not care. They stop at stoplights, and signal before changing lanes on the freeway. It takes a good deal of work to get your bonus meter all the way up, and the game is pretty challenging, which is always nice.
The graphics are relatively realistic, and the physics system seems to be in good order. The frame rate is steady, despite the large amount of traffic, and the controls are easy to learn. The biggest downfall of this game besides the repetitive game-play is the sound. The sound effects are way to quiet and droned out by the music. Even after turning the music down, you still have to turn up the volume to hear some of the sound effects.
Overall, I give this game 3 out of 5 eggs - buy it if you really love racing games, rent it if you enjoy them, and leave it alone if you don’t like racing games. It's also a great rental if you want to see a game with realistic crashes.
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| Reviewed by Shoshi Eggshell ::
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