Crash 'N' Burn E3 2004 Preshow Impressions

Though UK development house Climax has recently been branching out into first-person shooters and RPGs--both online and off--it's best known for its work on racing games like MotoGP 2 and ATV Quad Power Racing. Climax will be getting back to its roots with the development of Crash 'N' Burn for Eidos, which will be appearing on both the Xbox and the PlayStation 2.

Not to be confused with Crystal Dynamics' similarly titled racing game Crash 'N Burn for the 3DO, this brand-new game sounds as though it will be taking a page from Criterion's Burnout series, as it will be a street racing game with a heavy focus on carnage. Winning the race against 15 other drivers will be your primary concern, though the game will reward you for running your opponents off the road and causing fantastic wrecks. There will also be a significant amount of car customization, which will include aesthetic elements like paint schemes, rims, spoilers, and trim kits, as well as performance enhancements like superchargers and nitro boost.

Outside of racing against AI-controlled opponents across environments modeled after the streets of Miami, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York, Crash 'N' Burn will let up to 16 players compete online in a bevy of gameplay modes, including last man standing and bomb tag. Whether you're interested in admiring a perfect run or a spectacular wreck, Crash 'N' Burn will have a multi-angle replay mode that will allow you to get an optimal view of the action after the fact.

We've seen some respectable racing games out of Climax in the past, and we'll be interested to see how its latest effort turns out. Stay tuned to GameSpot for further information on Crash 'N' Burn as it becomes available.