Kentzz reviews | Nostalgic - Burnout | [ENG]

If you want to drive quickly and live dangerously, Acclaim's arcade racer may be exactly what you've been waiting for. "Burnout" is a driving game with a twist, as players are allowed to have close calls, drive in oncoming traffic, and drift their vehicles as fast as possible. As if that's not enough, all the races take place on public sidewalks, from the busy European cities to the open highways of the U.S. So get in the vehicle of your choosing, fasten your seatbelt, and let's rip it! There are no limitations to this racer.

Definitely, the most impressive feature of this game is realistic collisions that may occur while racing. When you're involved in a crash, the impact is very precise, and the cars look exactly as you'd imagine. Along with the smashed glass, broken fenders, and more. Although crashing can look pretty awesome, it's not a good idea to crash too much if you're planning to win a race, as doing so will slow you down considerably. But if so, you're going to get one of the worst drivers in the record books, so crash a mate of mine!

Burnout does not show the names of the cars found in the game, although there is some clear similarity to the real models in production. A vehicle is classified as quick, mild, or hard based on how good it performs and how fast it is. For example, one of the muscle cars looks pretty much like a new viper (even though it's only 135mph), but there's no mention of the brand. The choice of a car is very small, however, and new cars are not opened as the game is over, which could be a letdown for others.

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It doesn't seem like many games use credits anymore, but Burnout is an arcade game, so it's no joke that you begin with three championship credits. This style of play places you up against the other three drivers and allows you to finish in a certain starting spot. If you do this, you can open up additional stages that you can use in all available game modes: single-race, time attack, head-to-head, and two special modes, face-off, and survival. These special modes are not possible until they are opened by playing in championship mode and require more advanced driving abilities by introducing a more practical twist to the game. Multiplayer head-to-head gameplay is really exciting when it comes to racing. This is mostly so you can make your buddies get embroiled in those serious breakups, something that's always good for a joke.

To tie in and out of traffic with the greatest accuracy, players can either use analog or digital buttons on the DualShock2 gamepad or get a more practical feel using the steering wheel. Both control options allow the cars to be managed quickly and precisely, which is important for a fast-paced racing game like Burnout. As a consequence, drifts can be kept under control even at the fastest speeds.

Many of the controls are fairly simple with the exception of the "burn" button. When running, there is a "burn meter" that is made up by such maneuvers, such as drift time, oncoming traffic distance (how long you remain in the wrong lanes), and the number of nearby misses that you have (ex: cutting people off). If you have topped this meter, you have the option to use the "burn" button, which allows you a speed increase of 10mph or so. That's why Burnout allows you to drive impudently without ever running into collisions, as the meter declines as you do. Without a doubt, the sound is Burnout's greatest weakness. The music is totally terrible and needs to be turned off at the first possible moment. While sound effects, such as engine and tire noise, aren't as bad as songs, they're not very impressive, to say the least. Burnout is a game that is much more fun when the music is totally switched off and your favorite CD is played instead.

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Graphically, Burnout isn't completely up to date with a number of other racing games published for PS2, but it also has its own. There are a few clipping faults on the pavement from time to time, but the frame rate is incredibly smooth, even with several cars on the computer at the same time. Environmental impacts are well achieved, as vehicles reliably reflect light and produce shadows on the ground. Crash symptoms, such as smoke and glass fragments, are currently unprecedented. Also, the overall scenery is of higher quality than that seen in other titles, but when it comes to the overall look Burnout just seems a little unfulfilling.

I can't deny that Burnout gives players the chance to get interested in some of the most accurate crashes ever offered in a game, but is that enough to make a valuable purchase? It might only be for those looking for a new arcade racer, but for those who are used to simulation type play, the game is a bit of a decline. It's interesting to do some chaos on the streets for a bit, but my suggestion is that you rent it first and get a feel for it and determine whether or not it's what you're looking for. Oh yes, one more thing... make sure to look out for the light poles; they still appear to leap out in front of the vehicle!