This enhanced iteration of an already spectacular racer takes gaming to a whole new level of speed, intensity and destru
Oh, hell yes!
When Burnout Revenge was released on the PS2 and Xbox gamers were immediately mesmerized by how much destruction the game offered and hailed it as a sequel easily worthy of the Burnout name. The PS2 and Xbox versions of the game already tethered on next-gen gaming with outstanding graphics and unbelievable destruction. Now, the destructive racing has been reignited with the re-release of Burnout Revenge, this time on the Xbox 360 with enhanced graphics and audio. This is not only the best version of Burnout Revenge and arguably the best Burnout to date but it’s also one of the best racers ever released. While most of the improvements to the 360 version are only subtle tweaks compared to the current-gen versions this remains an amazing and breathtaking game nonetheless.
Gameplay-wise, not much has changed with this version of Burnout Revenge, which isn’t a bad thing in this case. Burnout Revenge on the 360 is easily the most intense Burnout to have come out, and the destruction, thrills and intensity of the game are what help the game soar to incredible heights. Not only are the thrills from the races and crashes mind-blowing, offering an insane sense of speed and lots of chaos on-screen, but the destruction makes the game incredibly addicting and this is one of those rare games that you can have fun even win you lose. Also, this iteration of Burnout Revenge allows gamers to view replays of each event they’ve taken part in and record a thirty-second clip that they can save and view anytime they want. In addition to that, if you have Xbox Live you can show off these clips to impress some people over Xbox Live or show off your skills, whether it’s a race or crash event. And speaking of Xbox Live, if you’re lucky enough to have it then you’ll be dealing with the Live Revenge Rivals system online. What this means is if you’re taken down by another racer online then they’ll be marked as a Revenge Rival. If you have a Revenge Rival then that racer will be marked for you to get revenge on by taking them out online. When you do get revenge on a rival then that basically settles the score between you and him/her, so it’s a good way to gain and lose rivals constantly. Other than that, Burnout Revenge is basically the same game as the PS2 and Xbox versions as far as gameplay is concerned. With that in mind, don’t expect for it to be a whole new game if you’ve already played the current-gen versions.
As this is an enhanced version of Burnout Revenge for the 360, you’ll probably be expecting the game to deliver improved graphics. Well, if that’s what you want out of Burnout Revenge on the 360 then that’s what you’ll get. First off, the car models in Burnout Revenge are nicely detailed and look even shinier than those on the Xbox and PS2 versions, which were already quite shiny themselves. The cars also take damage from ramming traffic, getting hit by other racers, running into walls and crashing. Gradually, you’ll see the cars start to receive dents and scrapes to where the entire car almost looks like it came out of a giant pencil sharpener. Another nice touch to the cars is that they come apart in much more dramatic ways. While Burnout has been destructive before, this one takes it to the limit; you’ll see cars, buses, and trucks exploding and falling apart into literally millions of pieces, making for some very satisfying crashes. The environments also look better and sharper, but the changes to them aren’t as drastic as the cars. Also, Burnout Revenge on the 360 makes good use of the smooth, sixty frames-per-second framerate that the Burnout games have known for. However, the problem with the 360 version’s graphics is that it still looks much like its current-gen cousins, despite the tweaks to the visuals. The game looks amazing, no doubt, but considering how fantastic it already looked on PS2 and Xbox it’s not like you’re looking at Duck Hunt next to Oblivion at the same time.
While the graphical enhancements are certainly nice, it’s the audio tweaks that really shine in Burnout Revenge for the 360. First off, the soundtrack has been customized a bit, featuring most of the same bands as the other versions but with different songs. The soundtrack has a mostly pop/punk collection of songs; some of them fit the game, while others don’t. While the soundtrack certainly isn’t perfect and not for all tastes, the game does alter how much you’ll hear the song depending on how intense the event you’re in is getting. For instance, if you’re racing and you hit the boost meter, you’ll notice the song playing drown out and as a result it’ll be pretty hard to hear the song. This is actually a nice touch as you won’t have to hear certain songs for an entire race or crash event, or you could just play one of your custom soundtrack/play-lists if you prefer. But the real deal with the sound in Burnout Revenge is the sound effects. The exhaust notes from the cars have been tuned to add more of an oomph to their engine roar. However, it’s when you activate your boost that you’ll be slammed into your chair gasping for air. When you do use boost you’ll get a nice, tuned roar from your car that makes it sound like you’re next to a high-speed jet. What’s even more impressive is the sound of the explosions, especially in the Crash mode. When you activate a Crashbreaker in Burnout Revenge, you’ll be rewarded with a loud, mind-blowing eagle roar-like explosion noise. These explosions noises are so rewarding, they’ll have you going back to Crash mode over and over just to hear another explosion. Sound is getting more important in gaming, and it’s safe to say that the Burnout games are already ahead of most of the competition.
Technically, there’s really nothing wrong with Burnout Revenge on the 360. The game is incredibly fun and addicting, the graphics are sharp and the sense of speed in unbelievable and the sound effects, well, you really can’t find any game that sounds better. But the problem with this iteration of Burnout Revenge is that it’s more of the same as the current-gen Burnout Revenge. If you’ve stuck with the series from the beginning like me and have already experienced this game on the PS2 and Xbox, you really won’t find much new here. However, if you’re new to the Burnout series then this is the installment to start with; it’s the most intense, thrilling and arguably the best Burnout yet.