  'Burnout Revenge' is as spectacular as a 79-car pileup. |
After Burnout 3: Takedown roared onto the consoles a year ago, I didn't think we'd see another Burnout title until the next generation of game machines arrived.
Burnout 3 was so good and sold so well, it seemed doing another current-generation sequel would be a waste of time at best, or a shameless cash grab at worst.
You can thank the galaxy-spanning and richer-than-Odin corporate megalith that is EA Games for having the resources to "waste" on another Burnout game, then, because Burnout Revenge represents the pinnacle of the series.
EA-owned Developer Criterion Games have gone back to the drawing board to coax new life out of the familiar battle racing experience, and the results are as spectacular as a 79-car pileup. That happens in front of a fully loaded gas tanker. Which has no brakes. And is driven by SUICIDAL NINJAS!
That which was not broken has not been fixed, and Revenge still alternates between world tour and crash events. The former are familiarly divided into a range of racing experiences, from one-on-one challenges to road rage events, where the goal is to wreck as many opponents as possible within the allotted time, generally by crashing into them at 200 km/h and sending them hurling into buildings, oncoming traffic and other unforgiving objects.
Several significant tweaks have been made to the gameplay, though, like being able to smash into smaller vehicles and send them flying, shortcuts scattered throughout the tracks and new ways to pump up your boost meter.
Each has its own strategic impact on the way the game is played while never making it feel weird or un-Burnout.
Being able to plow through traffic -- politely called "checking" -- works as both a way of increasing your boost meter and taking out rivals, perhaps with a well-timed shunting of a truck into a racer just ahead of you. Hitting opposing traffic head-on or plowing into a semi will still blow you up real good, though, so it's not a free pass to ignore traffic altogether.
Of course, Burnout is all about the crashes. And like that girl's breasts in that one Seinfeld episode, they are spectacular. Though not, strictly speaking, real. It is just a video game.
I freakin' LOVE the way Burnout Revenge's crash mode has been refined. Gone are the multipliers, medals and powerups that made Burnout 3's crash mode a sometimes tedious exercise.
Now, your boost meter fills as more and more vehicles get caught in the pileup, with every topping of the meter giving you a massive "crashbreaker" explosion to trigger. And your run into the mayhem now starts via Burnout's version of a golf game swing meter, with your initial speed determined by how well you time a couple of button presses. The only downside is the crash replay reel seems to be gone. Poop.
Online multiplayer is equally solid, though it's hard to pry yourself away from the single-player game's addictive progression through each new environment, compulsively trying to rack up five-star ratings in every event.
Better visuals, better gameplay, pretty much better everything. When Burnout 4 eventually comes out (and this time it will indeed be on the next-generation systems), it's going to have a lot to live up to. But at least with Revenge in our hearts, we won't be waiting too anxiously.
BOTTOM LINE
Contrary to popular belief, Revenge is a dish best served hot. It's the best Burnout game ever.
