by:	September 14, 2004

Every once in a long while a game comes around that is such an achievement it can be recommended to everyone whether they’re fans of the genre or not. Simply put, that is Burnout 3: Takedown. The first two games in the series provided an unparalleled excitement in street racing videogames, not to mention the best-looking crashes you’d see anywhere. For their latest entry, developer Criterion Games decided to leave Acclaim in the dust and partner with Electronic Arts on the project, and it looks like they made the right decision. Burnout 3: Takedown improves upon the previous games in the franchise in every way, offering the fastest and most exciting racing title to come along in quite awhile. In a genre that’s quickly becoming flooded with street racing titles, it’s nice to see one that satisfies with the thrill of racing alone rather than with neon lights and scantily-clad women.

As in any racing game, the object in Burnout 3: Takedown is usually to reach the finish line faster than your opponents. In this game, however, you’ll have to take suitable risks to ensure a 1st place finish. Not only do you have to contend with a realistic amount of traffic to reach the finish line, but you’ll be battling against five other racers every step of the way. Obviously, the faster you drive, the more likely you are to win the race, and the easiest way to drive as fast as possible is to use your boost. A meter at the bottom of the screen tells you just how much boost you have to use, and it fills up as you perform risky driving maneuvers. Driving into oncoming traffic, drifting around corners, near-misses and getting air will all fill your meter, but the best way to earn boost is to take out your opponents any way you can. These titular “takedowns” will fill your meter in a hurry, as well as increase the overall size of your boost meter, so battling with your opponents and trying to force them to crash plays a huge role in the gameplay of Burnout 3. Another new addition to the gameplay is the “Aftertouch” feature, which allows you to send the game into slow-motion after crashing, where you can slightly adjust your car’s trajectory to steer your wrecked ride into the path of oncoming racers, taking them down in the process. The crashes in Burnout 3 look more impressive than ever before, and being able to slow them down not only looks great, but gives you a chance to bring someone down with you.

There are several modes of play to choose from in Burnout 3: Takedown. In addition to your standard six car race to the finish line, you’re able to participate in time trials and a very cool Road Rage mode, as well as the triumphant return of Burnout 2’s outstanding Crash mode. Road Rage mode has you trying to take out as many targets as possible during the allotted time while paying close attention to your own car’s damage levels, since it’s the only mode in the game where your car remains busted up after a wreck. The Crash mode lines you up a short ways away from a busy intersection and scores you based on the amount of monetary damage you caused after picking up speed and smashing yourself into traffic. New to the mode are cash power-ups and multipliers that are strewn about the track, as well as the “Crashbreaker,” which turns your car into a remote-controlled explosive after you’ve wrecked a certain number of cars, which can then be used to cause even more destruction. The game’s A.I. is pretty good, with computer-controlled cars battling hard to come out on top, though they are a bit easier to take down than human opponents. There’s a slight rubber band issue where the computer seems to catch up quickly even if you’re way out front or lets you rejoin the pack after you’ve fallen behind, but it’s rarely noticeable and actually hidden pretty well. One could assume the developers chose to do this to keep everybody fighting, and it does get the job done.