Burnout Revenge Preview

In the beginning there were motor vehicles. This new invention took us further than any before it. It also brought many consequences, primarily in the form of car accidents. Bad driving, carelessness, and good old-fashioned rudeness turned everyday commutes into road rage. Vehicles got faster, the drivers got deadlier, and in less than one century, Criterion made the world smile by turning all of these wonderful elements into a spectacular racing franchise. (Minus the use of gun violence and middle finger waving, of course.)

Burnout Revenge will do a number of things when it’s released next month, most notably it will get its revenge on every gamer who chooses to buy it. See, the game believes it’s better than us. And you know what? It is. The intense, on-the-edge-of-your-seat, hold-on-tight-or-die-trying experience has not been and may never be matched in any other game. EA’s own hugely popular Need for Speed franchise can’t compare to it! That’s how good the Burnout series has become.

You’ve seen the screens by now – everyone has. You’re probably thinking, “Tight visuals, but they don’t look much better than the last game.” You’re right, they don’t. Not even motion. But check out the speed! From the looks of things it appears that Burnout Revenge moves even faster than Burnout 3: Takedown. In other words, if you thought you’d lose your lunch playing the last game, you’ll need an air sickness bag while playing this one.

The classic and highly innovative slow-mo effects are back, as are the Aftertouch Takedown and the hugely popular Crash Breaker. Would any Burnout game be complete without them? Not since the development team invented them, which is why they’re also slated to appear in the PSP-exclusive racer Burnout Legends.

Burnout Revenge includes a number of new locations that’ll have gamers literally flying all around the screen. Ramps are everywhere and may be constructed out of any real-world material you can think of. Dirt hills, curved roads, scrap pieces of wood, etc. The game moves so fast that half the time you won’t be able to decipher what the ramp is made out of until you’ve played through the track a couple of times. Honestly I wouldn’t have it any other way. The day I can make out each and every tiny detail that Criterion has implemented is the day when a Burnout game moves too slowly. They’re getting faster with each edition. Here’s hoping for an eye-piercing Burnout 5 on PlayStation 3!

Burnout Revenge also comes equipped with the same car-crash technology you’ve grown to love. As Tony the Tiger would say, “They’re grrrrrrrrrrreat!” Fantastic, spectacular, mind-blowing – all that and a bag of kettle-cooked potato chips (de-lish!). In addition to the takedown guidance features, the self-destruct explosions and the many other ways you can make your opponents suffer, you now get extra points for taking down the opponent who took you down last. They’re marked by a red icon, though I was too busy to pay attention to that most of the time. My goal was to crush as many cars as I could. If I succeeded there’d be no question as to whether or not I’d cross the finish line first. If I failed, however, it could be disastrous – a photo finish I’d wish I hadn’t bothered snapping.

One of the most amazing things about this game is how well it controls. Burnout 3 had an amazing control scheme, but when the speed increased, reality stepped in and caused a lot of frustrating accidents. Although I’m sure I’ll crash a million times in Revenge, thus far it appears to be much easier to maneuver your vehicle in and out of tricky situations. The vehicles also seem sturdier. They’re less susceptible to takedowns, and won’t wither away after a fender bender (at 70mph) with an average driver. Expect the final version to be more challenging, though hopefully not more difficult to control. (Criterion is a genius when it comes to controls, so I honestly doubt they’d do anything but improve that part of the experience.)

Due for release this September, Burnout Revenge is easily the most anticipated racer of the year. No one who saw it at E3 walked away unimpressed – not even lost souls like myself who had to walk past the kiosk multiple times without ever being able to touch the controller. (I’ll get over my pain…someday.) September isn’t that far away, but the game’s release could not possibly come soon enough.