Burnout 3: Takedown takes the popular racing series even further as it introduces a unique ‘crash and burn’ racing concept and a one-of-a-kind special effects engine that delivers spectacular visuals. The intensity heats up as players race, and often crash, their way through oncoming traffic in an attempt to claim the top spot. Boasting multiple single-player, multiplayer and online crash and race modes, Burnout 3 offers players the opportunity to race through busy city streets and be rewarded for taking risks that result in heart-pounding action and electrifying crashes.
System: PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360 (via Xbox Originals download)
Genre: Racing
Release dates: September 7th 2004 (USA), September 10th 2004 (EURO)
Players: single player, 2-player multiplayer, 2-8 player online multiplayer (Network Adaptor for PS2 required)
Save: 81KB minimum
Developer: Criterion Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Origin: England
Rating: T for Teen with Mild Language, Mild Violence
Grab the wheel and hold on as you takedown the competition with the most spectacular smashes this side of Hollywood. Use your car as a weapon and battle to the front of the pack. Live dangerously and indulge your thirst for twisted metal with a dedicated crash mode that rewards you for creating massive pile-ups. With over 100 events spanning 40 tracks, addictive multiplayer gameplay, and the most dramatic crashes ever seen in a videogame, Burnout 3: Takedown is a breakneck, adrenaline-fuelled, awe-inspiring racing experience. Aggressive racing required, seatbelts not included.
Watch the Burnout 3 launch trailer.
Burnout 3: Takedown has five main modes of play. These including two racing modes and three crashing modes. Before playing them starts, players choose their vehicle based on its speed and weight. In the race modes, the player gains “boost” by driving in the oncoming traffic lanes, narrowly avoiding traffic, and by causing competitors’ cars to crash (called by its signature name: Takedown.
* The racing modes consist out of: Race mode, the object is to win the race around the track like a standard racing game. While in Road Rage mode, the player must takedown a set number of computer-controlled opponents.
* The crash modes consist out of the player not racing opponents on a track. Instead, in each crash attempt, the player races at high speeds towards an intersection and tries to do as much monetary damage to the vehicles there as possible, while collecting cash and multiplier bonuses. The three crash modes are very similar. In some, you drive alone, in others you crash as a team with a combined score, etc., but the goal of doing the most damage remains the same.
In any mode, medals are awarded for achieving certain scores. These medals are used to unlock hidden tracks and vehicles. Burnout 3 features 173 different events in the offline mode, and 67 cars to unlock, including a City Bus, Lorry Cab, Fire Truck, and a Garbage Truck for use in the Crash mode. There is also online play where up to six players can compete in a race, and eight players can compete in a Crash event. In online races, there is less aggression than in single player. Racers must focus on good drifts and avoiding traffic, not just takedowns, in order to win. This gives the online mode a different feel from single player. There is a racing variant known as Road Rage where players are divided into two teams. The blue team receives a three second head start and must drive a certain number of miles without being eliminated by being taken down. The red team attempts to takedown the blue team before they reach the finish line.
So what are Burnout 3’s main features?
— Risk & Reward: Take risks and battle your foes as you navigate oncoming traffic and near-misses, catch air, tail-gate, and drift to earn boost. Slam cars into walls and traffic or pile them into the back of an 18-wheel semi for Burnout Points.
— Crash Mode: Cause wanton destruction in a game mode dedicated to demolition. Smash into (and through) busy intersections, creating maximum damage to unlock new rewards and more features.
— 9 Race Modes: Single Race, Tournament, Lap Eliminator, Burning Lap, Road Rage, and more.
— Multiplayer Modes: Including Quick Line, Battle Race, Road Rage, and Party Crash, where 2-16 players participate in a pass-the-controller match-up.
— 7 Online Modes*: Race online with up to 8 players on the PlayStation 2 (or Xbox). Battle through full oncoming traffic in online variations of Crash Mode, Single Race, Road Rage, and more.
— 70+ Vehicles: 12 different classes including European exotics, American muscle cars, mid-size sedans, sports cars, compacts, buses, semi trucks, and more.
— 40+ Tracks: Driving locations span 3 continents. Take on and takedown opponents across a broad range of conditions and environments, and experience dozens of unique crash junctions.
— Crash Technology: Sophisticated crash technology recreates high-speed crashes with extreme detail and allows you to use your wheels as a weapon and takedown rivals, controlling the car even after impact.
*PlayStation 2 online play requires Internet Connection, Network Adaptor and Memory Card for the PlayStation 2. (Xbox owners will require a subscription to Xbox Live.)
Watch a crash course video from Burnout 3.
As a conclusion let’s rate this game on its fun-basis.
FUN FACTOR – 9.5
Burnout 3’s Takedown system is what makes this racing game so amazing. This aint a driving sim, as modes like Road Rage all you’ll be doing is takedowns, and it’s a rush to get unlimited “boost power” (little F-Zero reference there) and just go crazy taking down as many cars as you can before your own vehicle is totaled or time runs out. If during the racing modes you stick with the game, your skill will keep improving and you’ll find yourself crashing less. Not that crashing a bad experience, the modes revolving around the concept are actually really fun thanks to the slow-motion crash sequences that give you “aftertouch” control of your car in midair after a crash, so you can glide into other vehicles for even bigger wrecks. I’ve seen first-hand how universally cool crashing cars and causing as much damage as possible on the screen for the highest score is with friends from both England and Japan hanging out at my place on their holiday and getting totally hooked on the game in mere minutes. The responsive controls, well designed tracks, and insane sense of speed in Burnout 3 come together in a way that delivers not-too-hard but always addictive gameplay. Comes highly recommended!
Graphics – 9.0
The sheer sense of speed is amazing thanks to the 60FPS framerate, it’s coupled with widescreen and progressive scan enabled Couple this with impressive sharp graphics, insanely cool slow-motion crashes, hefty car damage, great motion blur special effects and you’ve got yourself a real looker. The environments your race past are varied and range from tracks in America and Europe, all the way to the Far East.
Audio – 8.0
The soundtrack for Burnout 3 features nearly 40 songs, including “(We Are The) Lazy Generation” by The F-Ups and “Just Tonight…” by Jimmy Eat World, and comes complete with commentary from DJ Stryker from alternative radio station KROQ-FM in Los Angeles, which might take some getting used to listening to as you drive the tracks. The driving sound effects are incredible, the engine roars, tire screeching and boosting really give off a great sense of speed. It all sounds especially great with Dolby Pro Logic II surround sound.
Ingenuity – 8.5
The instantly clicking of the gameplay makes this arcade racer almost instantly addictive as you race across 40 different tracks. I suppose you could say the A.I. racers babysit you, but having them around you constantly — to me anyway — enhances the arcade-like feeling of always trying to catch up or being chased after. The cars control incredibly well in all of the varied racing and crashing modes.
Replay Value – 9.5
Single player will have you coming back for more over and over, since there are over 40 tracks and 70 cars to unlock. It’ll give you many many of hours, weeks, month of fun once you’re hooked on the rewarding gameplay mechanics. Multiplayer racing has lots of statistics and scoreboards to get the competition going, and online play modes for 2-8 players extends the replay value further.