Burnout Legends Hands-On

With each release in the Burnout series, the franchise evolves both in presentation and approach. The first two Burnout games were well-received efforts known more for particular features (usually revolving around the spectacular crashes that both games offered) than as well-rounded racing games. It wasn't until the third game (the outstanding Burnout 3: Takedown) that the series came into its own as a true force to be reckoned with in the racing genre. With the release of the PSP game Burnout Legends, the first appearance of the series on a handheld, developer Criterion Games is taking a look back at the history of the Burnout series and featuring modes from all three prior games.

In our most recent hands-on session with the game, it was hard not to be bowled over by just how good Burnout Legends is looking on the PSP. Sure, the Sony handheld is capable of some mean graphical feats, but the sense of speed, the quality of the car models in the game, and the solid frame rate in the game was very impressive to behold. Crashes still have that notable flair to them, with sparks flying and metal twisting in an impressive display that's very true to the series' roots.

It helps too that the game will be giving you plenty to do with those great-looking car models and ripsnorting speed. We wrote about pursuit mode (an import from Burnout 2) in our last preview but it bears repeating just how much fun it is to hop into a cop car and chase down the bad guys, Michael Bay-style, slamming them into walls and highway embankments at top speed in the hopes of dwindling their health meter down to zero before the timer runs out. At the higher difficulty levels, your pursuit mode target cars will be aided by bodyguard vehicles, which you'll need to take out first before moving on to your primary target.

Crash mode (which first appeared in Burnout 2) is here, and the main difference in the Legends' crash mode is that there will be no multipliers--the only junction boosts you'll see are those that give you cash or offer you speed boosts. The reasoning for this omission is simple: Modifiers tend to offer a single path to achieving a high score in a course, so by removing them, the developers wanted to give the player multiple options for attacking each crash mode course.

Fans of Burnout 3 will be pleased to note the inclusion of road rage mode in Legends. The object here is simple: You drive at a breakneck pace through a number of classic Burnout tracks in an attempt to take down as many opponents as possible in the allotted time. The more cars you obliterate, the better chance you have at earning a coveted medal, be it bronze, silver, or gold. Other Burnout 3 touches in the game will be in the inclusion of a variety of both wall takedowns and aftertouch takedowns, aggressive driving bonuses, and of course, the need to avoid oncoming traffic.

Burnout Legends is looking to be the perfect introduction to a series that, if you haven't played by now, you need to drop everything you're doing right now and kick yourself. By combining a host of modes that cover the entire arcade racing series, and tossing in ad hoc and game sharing support for multiplayer, Legends is shaping up to be an ideal handheld solution for exercising your road rage.