Burnout
- April 29, 2002 13:41 PM PST
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If you?ve got a need for speed, a GameCube, and a death wish, click here.
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Road Rage
Burnout doesn?t just let you drive recklessly?it downright encourages it. The game rewards your near misses, power drifts, and dangerous swerves in the form of a boost meter: The more you cheat death, the more speed boost you?re allotted. When the gauge is full, hit the turbo button and fly forward even faster. Of course, that just means you?re more likely to crash?but without risk, there is no victory. If you can survive the Championship mode, you?ll unlock several hidden cars and a total of 14 tracks.
For an arcade racer, there?s an awful lot of reality in Burnout. The advanced physics model means cars lose grip when you?d expect them to and crash spectacularly. The graphics offer their own subtle realism?you won?t see really complex objects, but you won?t find distracting elements here either. Slightly shiny cars, nice textures, and basic geometry all keep the focus on the gameplay. The one indulgence is replays?they look fairly fancy.
Go Play in Traffic
The game?s most important aspect, control, is as sharp as your reflexes?you?ll be darting in and out of traffic in no time, and the faster cars with looser handling will put you to the test. Only the music?a lackluster combination of generic dance beats and tire squeals?seems lacking.
Burnout is a low-profile, working-man?s arcade racer?low on flash, high on crash. It delivers the goods?seek it out.
