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Burnout Revenge Mini Review

Chris Leyton

10/03/2006

Revenge: To inflict punishment in return for injury or insult...

The appearance of yet another "upgraded" Xbox title on the 360 typically meets with a chorus of groans and disdain at the TVG office, however allow us to be hypocritical for one moment; this is Burnout we're talking about here, a series that has rightfully become a fond favourite amongst gaming circles, for its intense, satisfying and enjoyable gameplay, which manages to successfully rekindle the same level of fun to be found with arcade racers from days long since passed.

Released six months ago on the Playstation2 and Xbox, Burnout Revenge maintained Criterion's heritage of intensifying the experience with each new instalment. A number of new features were brought to the drawing board, such as the ability to Traffic Check into the back of same-way vehicles in order to use them as makeshift weapons; new Crashbreaker race types, which allow you to activate the crashbreaker actually in the game and finally changing around the rules of the Party Crash modes with somewhat mixed results. If for some reason the Burnout series has passed you by, it's all about driving fast and crashing big; but you should already know about that.

With the exception of a new Xbox 360 themed motor, a handful of new tracks and 10 new crash junctions, Burnout Revenge remains largely identical to the current-gen consoles in terms of modes and challenges on offer, although the extra time has provided Criterion with enough scope to continue developing the online mode. Taking the element of revenge and rivalries online, Burnout Revenge on the Xbox 360 is worthy for the "Live Revenge" feature alone. Essentially this takes the concept from the World Tour mode onto online games, keeping track of running vendettas and providing the scope for rivalries to develop online as they should. The game keeps tabs on these in a persistent structure and alerts you before a race when a rival is about, with rewards on offer for revenging a takedown, settling the score with an arch-nemesis and many more. As you'd expect from Criterion, this feature has been brilliantly implemented and adds a substantial element to the Burnout experience; this is what Burnout is all about and virtually makes it all worthwhile, even if you shelled out for Burnout Revenge the first time around - for the true fanatic at least.

Somewhat less substantial, but nonetheless appreciated, is the ability to save sections from a race, which in turn can be shared via Xbox Live. The Burnout series is all about memorable moments such as setting a new crash junction record or an unbelievably obscene near-miss, so such a feature serves the game well and is handy for intensifying the rivalries you'll develop online.

Although we didn't exactly enjoy the many changes Criterion applied to the Crash modes the first time around, they've seen fit to remove the golf styled power meters that start the race guaranteeing a perfect start every time; it's probably to remove what amounted to a worthless gameplay challenge, however the roar of laughter that surrounded a blown engine is sadly missed.

The game still feels as fresh and enjoyable as it did six months ago, which is helped in no small part by the quasi next-gen makeover that Criterion have been busily bustling away on. Burnout's trademark sense of speed has been intensified thanks to the 60 FPS maintained throughout the game, whilst the addition of sumptuous HDR lighting stamps that next-gen feel over the game. Played on a HD-TV, Burnout Revenge continues to impress with startling definition that distinguishes such details as the individual treads of tires, shards of glass on a broken windscreen and an exquisite shower of sparks that greets any collision. Comparing car models to the likes of Project Gotham Racing 3 may be a little on the harsh side, however Criterion have implemented a new scratch visual technique that lends a suitably dirty feel to them by the end of a race and compounds the sense of treatment the cars are put through. There's a much greater sense of impact and ferocity to Burnout Revenge on the 360, which is exemplified during the crashbreaker moments, which literally explodes on the screen and through the speakers with one of the most convincing effects ever seen.

Although Burnout Revenge makes a reasonable stab at next-gen visuals, it's surprisingly in the sound department where the game most impresses. The whistling rush of the nitros kicking in sounds as though you've nicked an engine from the nearest jet fighter, whilst screeching brakes and skids, honking horns and the wincing thud of the crashes sound better then ever.

Taking our Burnout fanboy hats off for one second, it could be argued that Burnout Revenge doesn't offer too much of a leap from the current-gen offerings, particularly if you picked this up to begin with on the Xbox or Playstation2. Admittedly it's not the most impressive next-gen title you're ever likely to see, falling short of the likes of Fight Night Round 3 and Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (but substantially more impressive then the likes of Ridge Racer 6, Gun and Tony Hawk's American Wasteland); but perhaps the best testimony I can give to Burnout Revenge is that a proper retail copy is on my shopping list, having previously forked out for the Xbox version last year.

Burnout is a title of exceptional calibre to have on the Xbox 360. The few introductions along with presentation improvements make this an essential purchase if you missed out on Burnout Revenge the first time around, whilst those who consider themselves fanatics should also check it out for Live Revenge and Burnout on the next-gen...