Xbox Review: Burnout Revenge

One tweak is all it took to radically changed the Burnout series. The latest addition in Burnout Revenge, same direction traffic checking, is the wildest transition into new territory for the series since the Crash mode was created in Burnout 2. It's something that may not sit well for those accustomed to dodging every piece of extra traffic, but it becomes a new experience, a completely new game.

The graphics engine is the obvious change before the new gameplay feature set kicks in, and this is probably the closest we'll come to next-generation graphics on this current set of consoles. Immense detail is packed into the most insignificant building, and it makes the sense of speed, already considered flawless in Burnout 3, even more intense. It wouldn't be surprising to hear stories of people complaining about motion sickness. Burnout Revenge is that incredible to watch, let alone play.

Well known, the various race types the series has made a name for itself are all here, now with the Traffic Attack as well. Don't expect much of anything to change on the surface level. The new course design and gameplay mechanics are what makes this fresh, and the sheer number of changes almost makes this feel like a game from a different developer.

It's the same company though, so Criterion with their detailed physics and crash modeling, have come back with some unique features to render the game almost unrecognizable. On the tracks, the new traffic checking is a controversial switch for fans, seen briefly in the otherwise awful Batman Begins earlier this year. Instead of crashing into traffic headed into the same direction, you now slam into it, pushing it away. You'll learn to use this quickly in Traffic Attack, a wild, sometimes overblown mode dedicated solely to taking out as many vehicles as possible using this new gameplay change.

Now those non-racing vehicles become deadly projectiles. It's odd to imagine a racing game, arcade style or not, on the same level as a classic space shooter, yet that's close to what this series has become with Burnout Revenge. You'll still need to move out of the way of larger vehicles and opposite traffic flow, but now the ability to wipe out multiple opponents without touching them by bashing a car in their direction opens the game to all new strategies. They become deadly projectiles and an offensive weapon.

Article Author: Matt Paprocki

Matt Paprocki is a 12-year movie and game critic. He currently freelances for Blu-ray review site DoBlu.com and video game site MultiPlayerGames.com.

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