Burnout
Reviewed by JPeeples
Burnout was released in May of 2002 for the Nintendo
GameCube. Burnout was developed by Criterion and
published by Acclaim. This fast-paced, action-packed
bad-boy is a checkpoint-based racing with a few
refreshing gameplay twists. You may have seen this
game on the PS2 and Xbox, but rest-assured, you have
never seen it quite like this.
One of the gameplay twists is the insane amount of
traffic in each track, whereas most checkpoint-based
racing games just have you going against your
opponents, this game has you contending with traffic,
as well as your opponents. You'll have to stay
focused if you want to succeed in this game. Another
twist is the game's crashing system. You see, you
have to crash into stuff to get money, but crashing
costs you time, which can cost you reaching a
checkpoint, not reaching a checkpoint ends your run,
so you have to balance out crashing, with getting to
the checkpoint. The game features a Burn meter that
fills up as you do insane and risky things, such as
drive on the wrong side of the road, or the shoulder,
or narrowly avoiding collisions. Once your Burn meter
has reached its peak, you'll be able to unleash a
speed boost, called the Burnout, that sends you
speeding through traffic at lighting speeds, but if
you don't control it correctly, you'll crash, and
lose time, so you have to use it wisely
Each aspect of the game compliments another aspect of
it. The crashing aspect compliments the checkpoint
aspect because they go hand-in-hand, you can't have
one without risking the other. If you want to crash a
lot, and go for money, then you'll have to recognize
that this could cause you to miss the checkpoint,
conversely, if you want to reach your checkpoints
with time to spare, you'll need to realize that you
won't be able to crash a lot, or you'll risk not
accomplishing your goal. These strategies apply even
moreso when you activate your Burnout (done by
pressing X and RI simultaneously), you'll need to be
in total control of your vehicle when you use your
Burnout, or else you'll crash and burn. Your control
over the car diminishes when you activate it, so
you'll need to choose the best method of control
given your vehicle, and the conditions around the
track. If the track is littered with traffic, you
might want to use the left Dual Shock stick for more
precise control, if your vehicle will benefit, or, if
the track isn't full of cars, you might just want to
use the D-pad. Again, you have to think your way
through controlling the game. The entire game is full
of give-and-take relationships that you will
recognize as you play through the game. The game's
constant give-and-take relationships add a lot of
strategy to this genre, it makes you to think your
way through a race if you want to race a certain way.
Burnout strikes the perfect middle ground with this
because it allows you, the player, to control the
amount of thinking. It doesn't force you into
thinking a lot, but you'll be rewarded if you do.
Burnout gives you numerous modes,(such as singe race
and circuit) and about 20 tracks to give these game
mechanics a whirl, so give it your best shot. Burnout
gives you six vehicles at your disposal, each of them
with their own unique control method. Some of them
are easy to control, while others are hard to
control. You'll have to try them all out to see which
kind of vehicle suits you the best, and you'll have a
blast doing it.
Burnout's control is very unique. It allows you to
mix up the directional control scheme of your
vehicle. This adds an interesting parallel because
some vehicles, such as the sports cars, benefit from
using the D-pad because you have more control over
the car's movement, while other cars, like the
mini-van, benefit from the stick because they don't
require as much control. The controls are as fluid
and intuitive as you, the player, make them. This is
one of the few games that truly gives you full
control over how you play the game. I've got to give
a lot of credit to Criterion for allowing the player
this much freedom in control, they have raised the
bar for racing game control.
Burnout's graphics are among the best you will see
for a GameCube racing game. The game makes liberal
use of several visual effects that really add to the
excitement of the game. For example, when you crash,
you'll be treated to motion-blur enhanced replays
that help to emphasize the damage done; likewise,
when you use your Burnout, you'll see a motion-blur
trail around the car that helps to emphasize the
insane speed you're traveling at. This is one of the
few games that really uses this technique in an
intelligent manner, rather than just using it to use
it. The game also makes use of particle effects to
enhance the feel of the game. For example, when
driving over dust, it will go behind your car,
obstructing the view of other drivers, this can also
be done by cars ahead of you, meaning you could be
the one eating dust, so stay alert. These effects do
a great job of complimenting the rich textures used
throughout the game. Everything in the game, from the
buildings next to the track, to the vehicles
themselves is covered in rich textures. The buildings
in the game have defined looks to them, they're so
defined, you'll be able to make out the bricks on a
building, or the style of window-pane used on it. The
vehicles have rich paint jobs that look just like the
real thing. The sun glistens off of the vehicles, and
realistic reflections, such as light, or the front of
the car behind you, litter the back of the vehicles.
The graphics have received nice, yet minor tune-up in
their transition to the GC from the PS 2 and Xbox.
The textures are at their cleanest in this version
and more pronounced, with richer colors accenting
everything.
Burnout's sound is as well-done as any other aspect
in the game. The music throughout the game has a
quick tempo to it that does a great job of
complimenting, and enhancing the effects, of the
high-octane racing action on-screen. The game makes
great use of each sound effect it uses. For example,
the crashing effects sound as powerful as the crashes
themselves; if you crash into a large vehicle, you'll
hear a loud crashing noise, whereas crashing into a
smaller vehicle will elicit a less-boisterous sound
effect. The amazing use of sound effects doesn't stop
there. When you activate your Burnout, the music will
fade, and the sound of heart beating will slowly
replace it, the heart beats faster as you speed up,
and it beats slower as your Burnout fades. This
single effect does so much to emphasize the speed,
that it must be experienced to truly appreciate.
Burnout is packed to the gills with replay value.
You'll spend many an hour trying to beat all of the
circuits and unlocking all of the secrets that the
game has stowed away, and you'll have a blast doing
it. I would recommend that you space out your play
sessions of the game as to not burn yourself out (no
pun intended) on the gameplay, which, while fun in
short bursts, can become shallow if you play it for
too long. Keep this in mind when you play the game,
and you'll have a blast. Don't try and get everything
done in a day, because you won't be able to
experience everything this game has to offer. This is
the kind of game that must be savored for as long as
possible, in case there is never a game like it again.
All in all, Burnout is the finest racing game the
GameCube has to offer. It combines everything that
makes the GC such a great system. It has great
gameplay, amazing graphics, and mind-blowing sound.
Pick this game up as soon as possible. At the very
least, rent the game, give it a shot, and, if you
really like the game, buy it as soon as you can.
Those of you looking for an arcade-style break from
Project Gotham will definitely want to look into
picking this game up
Overall: 8 out of 10