User Rating: 9.6 | Burnout 2: Point of Impact PS2
"Let's get one thing out of the way right now: Burnout 2 is no driving sim. It has about as much in common with real-world driving as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater has to do with real-world skateboarding. Anyone looking for the next Gran Turismo should simply stand aside now. Anyone looking for the fastest-moving street racing game in the world, however, should step right up. Like its predecessor, Burnout 2 cuts right to the chase. There's no fancy storyline to be found here. The game simply breaks it down into a couple of different modes. At the outset, you'll have to complete a brief training session that successfully fills you in on how to steer, powerslide, and drive recklessly enough to keep your turbo meter full at all times. This tutorial will take around five minutes to complete, and it does a nice job of explaining the rules of the road. From here, the standard single race and championship modes are open. Championship racing is the key to unlocking new tracks and cars, which can then, of course, be used in the game's other modes. The meat of the championship objectives are multiple-track tournaments, and while getting a first-place finish every time is the only way to unlock everything, you can struggle along with second and third place finishes here and there and still see most of what the game has to offer. You'll also unlock one-on-one races against other cars. Winning these will unlock your opponent's vehicle for use. The pursuit courses work a lot like Taito's classic arcade driving game Chase H.Q. You're put in a police car, and you must ram a fleeing vehicle into submission before it gets away by crossing the course's finish line. The variety in championship mode makes it a joy to play, as you'll always be unlocking something new and exciting." -J eff
