Another year, another system and another EA game, Burnout Legends marks the first time it has graced the Sony handheld. In my eyes Criterion is quickly becoming another Lucasarts. To be more specific I think that the two companies just keep pumping out games yearly and deliver diminishing results with most of them. Except that as a gamer you can't help but pay them some occasional attention because they have offered up gold nuggets on occasion.
Gameplay 8/10 (A blend of previous Burnout game features but still satisfying)
For those gamers who haven't played a Burnout game to date I will give you a crash course (bad pun intended, you can also call me Mr. Bond) on what Burnout is all about. Simply put Burnout Legends and all its' console brethren focus on destroying your opponents by forcing them into over the top crashes that are often seen in Hollywood movies. The more reckless you drive, the more aggressive you are and the faster you go will determine who crosses the finish line first.
As for those gamers that have played a Burnout game essentially Legends is a blend of (all?) the console versions. The tracks, the crashes, the cars and even the music will be familiar to those who have played a few versions of Burnout. Legends still delivers that feeling of driving fast and dangerously yet you will get that "been there, done that" feeling after a few hours. To close this section I'll be frank by saying that Legends can still be fun to gamers who have played several console versions before however seeing as how it is a handheld game I encourage you to play the game infrequently. This is the only way I feel you will appreciate the game by knowing that when you are killing time on the subway or wherever you could always takedown some cars and that my gaming friend never gets old.
Audio 7/10 (Everything is fine except the cry-baby rock)
Due to my distaste for the EA tracks I will be brief about this section. The sound effects are spot on and Criterion finally added the scrapping sounds when you're flush against a wall or guardrail. EA has slapped on 21 tracks which fall into the cry-baby rock genre. In total I didn't mind (not like, just accepted) two tracks as for the rest you'll have to make a judgment call on them.
Video 6/10 (Jaggies, odd texture behavior, blocky models)
Perhaps I'm spoiled when it comes to looks for a Burnout game. Having played two versions of the series on an Xbox makes me realize that Burnout Legends sure isn't a pretty looking thing. At first I was mildly impressed with the graphical capabilities of the PSP and couldn't get over the idea that I was playing a game that had near PS2 quality on a handheld. After spending some time with the game I started noticing some old familiar problems such as jaggies, blocky models and odd texture behavior in Crash mode. The odd behavior came in the form of a section of the road that would shake and flicker throughout the Crash event.
Regardless of all this the graphics do have their upside. The tracks seemed large and some even sported airplanes flying through the air or decent looking environments in the background. Even the frame rate stayed stable despite having lots of traffic on screen for every track.
Replay 8/10 (Lots of modes, trophies and fun to be had)
Seeing as how this is a racing game there isn't much to mention when it comes to replay value unless I spell out all the events you can engage in and the rewards you stand to gain. In a nutshell Burnout: Legends offers the following game modes:
World Tour -> Compact, Muscle, Coupe, Sport and Super
Single Event -> Race, Time Attack, Road Rage, Pursuit and Crash
Multiplayer -> Game Sharing or Wi-Fi
With 175 events, 89 cars, 4 trophies and a variety of other rewards to earn you can easily find a reason to come back to this game. As for me I like to comeback for the World Tour, Time Attack and Road Rage Single Events.
Rent or Buy?
If you are new to the Burnout series I would recommend a purchase at a lowered price. Everyone else may want to rent this game first and decide whether or not they need a Burnout fix even on the go.
Comments
Here is where Wish really gets to b*tch about a few things. Firstly, I don't like the idea that Criterion just lifted most (if not all) of their material for this game from previous console versions. In the past I have bought games that do this but they were from more classic series and a lot more entertaining so I could justify the purchase. Secondly, this is the first version of a Burnout game were I was forced to listen to the crappy music EA had selected. I don't understand why my PSP which has my own MP3's on it just like an Xbox or PC can't be made to play them while in the game.
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