Burnout 3: Takedown is the best arcade racing title on the market and a surefire candidate for game of the year.
Where most racing games reward precise navigation and flawless driving, Burnout 3 welcomes players to embrace their inner road rage. Races are won by tailgating, cutting rivals off and slamming them into walls. In Burnout, running your opponent off the road is as viable a tactic as drifting.
Far and away, the best modes are the crash events. Players are given a single vehicle to wreck into oncoming traffic, the goal being to cause as much property damage possible in the ensuing pile-up. It's like playing billiards with cars instead of balls, and you are the cue. And yes, it's every bit as fun as it sounds.
Takedown has the rock-solid control you'll need to navigate several lanes of oncoming traffic at blistering speeds. The simple controls ensure that anyone can pick up and start causing damage. You'll find none of Gran Turismo's technical handling here – this is arcade racing at its finest.
Visually, Burnout 3 is an absolute stunner. The sense of speed given by the steady framerate is awe-inspiring, while the cars and tracks have been rendered with excruciating detail. I'm prepared to call it the most gorgeous racer since Gran Turismo 3.
This is the first Burnout title under the wing of EA Games, and unfortunately, this means that Burnout 3 suffers from a soundtrack that can only be described as a mediocre lineup of pseudo-punk crybaby rock. Some people may dig this stuff, but even with personal preferences put aside, it simply doesn't fit the game at all.
Equally atrocious is the game's DJ, who constantly will cut into the music mid-race to deliver a witless quip or an "important" announcement, like "visit EA.com for more Burnout action," just in case you had forgotten which game you were playing. Thankfully, the crystal-clear crash effects and engine noises are more than enough to compensate.
Burnout 3 has an extensive online component as well, and while there have been a few problems with EA's netcode, it remains pure bliss to slam other human players into guardrail oblivion. Long story short, the online options could very well extend Burnout's replay value for months.
Minor flaws aside – overly angsty soundtrack, typical in-game EA product promotion, slightly longer than usual load times – Burnout 3 is a must have game for anyone with any interest in racing titles whatsoever. A near-flawless gem of a game.
-George
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