For anyone who likes their racing twisted with surreal damage and collisions, Burnout 3 is a game impossible to miss.
(-) the game really needs licensed cars / the DJ will get on your nerves in a matter of hours
If your fantasy was always to drive a car into the city area and cause as much destruction as possible, then you're in luck when you take a look at Burnout 3. It's not just another racing game on a console known for having ample alternatives to choose from. Burnout 3 Takedown is more of a destruction derby first, and a racing game second. Whether you come for the intense driving competition or you'd rather watch it all burn into silvers, there's plenty of both here to keep you satisfied. In fact, as long as you're up for a challenge, you don't even have to be a fan of either racing games or demolition to have fun with this superb title. Just make sure you buckle up for the ride.
As you begin your game, you'll be street racing through a series of racers that span across three different territories, USA, Europe, and Far East. You start off in the USA and you're supposed to unlock the events in the other locations as you progress, but you don't necessarily unlock them in that respective order. Even when you advance locations, special events will appear at the previous map, which'll make you realize the game was bigger and lengthier than you thought.
These events vary from regular racers, head-to-head competition, gran prix, and for the destruction loving crowd, there's the road rage events where you're supposed to total other cars driving away, and the real icing on the cake is the demolition events which are unlike anything seen in a racing game. There's cross traffic, and your job is to wreck into it and cause as much damage as possible, while keeping an eye-full for pick ups that'll do things from giving you nitrous, a point multiplier, and avoiding a pick up that'll cut your final score in half. And if you chain just enough crashes together, you can detonate your car for maximum impact and try to home for any nearby pick ups. What makes these events so exciting is the spectacle of watching all the chaos take place. Cars often bounce out of lanes, go air born, and the camera moves so you don't miss any of it.
Burnout 3 starts out easy enough but the challenge racks up in due time. Soon enough, you'll be at the edge of your seat pushed to your limit, just trying to survive, wishing at each hair pin turn that the finish line was around the bin. Even in the race events, you still have a lot to worry about in keeping your car in one piece. One takeout from a pass-byer can instantly make you lose two or more places. But rest assured you're more than capable of giving them retribution, it can be comical rummaging up against a competitor and watching them get stroke by a telephone pole and sent off into the air. However once again the camera doesn't want you to miss the event, which can occasionally be a problem when you're racing, but it doesn't happen for too long and you're usually not too far off from where you were when it occurred. But even if you can't quite nail each event, the game still has plenty of awards in store for you if you're only getting the bronze medals. New playable events, some new cars to take for a spin, snap-shots, and even headlines in the paper if you manage to ace an event, which means there's always a reward in stock for your accomplishments. This makes the career mode addictive and fun, difficult to put down, even if some of the events give you a hard time.
The game offers plenty of cool looking cars, with nice paint jobs, riff, and other cosmetic features that also deliver beyond their attractive appearances. Unfortunately, none of them are licensed, so they all have a sameness feel to them. Each one you drive feels cutting edge, performs well and offers breath taking speeds, and thanks to good turning sensitivity and break responsiveness you're always comfortable behind the wheel. However, that doesn't mean you won't be aggravated by a crash from random cross traffic or unseen traffic just when you're about to hit a slope. The AI is also often more interested in ruining you than trying to make it to the finish line, though they've got half a mind to drive right through traffic without even flinching. That's not to say they don't make mistakes though, just not often. They'll sometimes take a turn too sharp when you're at the edge of a 90 degree turn then fall flat into the pavement. But don't expect any mercy in the head-to-head challenges or gran prix events, the drivers are at their greatest ability there and will push you to the breaking point. However, with a little will power and perseverance you can do just fine after a few retries.
Burnout 3 Takedown's top-of-the-line production values help seal the deal on why you should be playing. The cars, the realistic locations with well known landmarks, and blazing speeds all look incredible, showing impressive shadow and lighting effects. It's a beautiful game, and the frame rate never drops even once. The sound effects meet up to this high standard admirably. The car crashes boom just like they should, and the soundtrack isn't that bad neither as long as you're okay with teen-directed punk and pop rock. The commentator is fine for awhile, but eventually you'll grow tired of him drinking so many cans of Nos. He calls himself "Striker", and uses the word "crash" way more than is healthy, and is un-apologetically excitable and off-the-wall about, well, everything. You'll want to shut him up immediately.
Burnout 3 Takedown is a game that should especially not go un-noticed by anyone looking for a good racing game, but it contains just enough action that it can win new fans who maybe aren't crazy about racing or destroying things. The most intriguing thing about it all is how it integrates the two elements so closely that it results to something more than the sum of its parts. If you're willing to get busted around a few times, then Burnout 3 Takedown will likely be the only game you'll need for a long time coming.