Burnout 3: Takedown
| Burnout 3: Takedown | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Criterion Games |
| Publisher(s) | Electronic Arts |
| Designer(s) | Alex Ward (creative director) |
| Series | Burnout |
| Engine | RenderWare |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2, Xbox |
| Release date(s) | AU 10 September 2004 (PS2) JP 14 October 2004 (PS2) |
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
| Distribution | DVD |
Burnout 3: Takedown is the third game in the Burnout series of video games. It was developed by Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts (the first Burnout game Electronic Arts published), the game drew critical acclaim and a large fanbase.
A GameCube version was planned but was scrapped during development. The game was delayed for release in 2003 because of its original publisher Acclaim Entertainment going bankrupt. The game was then picked up by Electronic Arts, and then further delayed as changes were made to the game. A 5 lapped race demo is still available in the Electronic Arts game Need For Speed: Underground 2. Electronic Arts shut down all network services on 15 April 2010.
Gameplay
There are five game modes, including two race modes and three crash modes. They are Race, Time Attack, Road Rage and Crash $.
Before gameplay 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, drifting around bends, getting air time, and by causing competitors' cars to crash (called a "Takedown"). In the Burnout World Tour mode, medals are awarded for achieving certain scores. These medals are used to unlock hidden trophies, awards, tracks and vehicles.
Burnout 3: Takedown features 173 different events in the offline mode, and 67 cars to unlock, including a City Bus, Truck Cab, Fire Truck, and a Trash Truck for use in the Crash mode. There was also an online mode where up to six players could compete in a race, and eight players could compete in a Crash event. In online races, aggression was lowered down when compared to Single Player. Racers must focus on good drifts and avoiding traffic, not just takedowns, in order to win. This gave 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. On 15 April 2010, Electronic Arts pulled the plug on the online servers, shutting them down for both the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions of the game. Xbox Live for the original Xbox was completely shut down on the same day.
Race Mode
This mode is about fighting through oncoming traffic and taking down the opponents behind and in front of the player's vehicle in order to win. Achieve as many "race" Takedown Trophies (mentioned later) as possible to aim for a car in the Special Series, as well as signature takedowns that also unlocks a car from the Special Series as well.
Time Attack Mode
This mode has no opponents and no takedown opportunities whatsoever; it's just the player versus the elapsed time clock of the selected stage. The object is to weave through the oncoming traffic, avoiding crashes and dominating the track by beating and nailing its lap time record.
Road Rage Mode
On the selected track, dominate the track takedown record by wiping out rivals with several takedown tricks while avoiding damaging the players vehicle.
Crash $
Apart from Burnout racing, players can also take part in the Burnout Crash $ junctions championships. The players drives through the junction collecting Bonuses and Multipliers by slamming into as much oncoming traffic as possible.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack for Burnout 3: Takedown features 44 songs, which includes "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" by My Chemical Romance, "Paper Wings" by Rise Against, "Breathing" by Yellowcard, "This Fire" by Franz Ferdinand, "Saccharine Smile" by Donots, "Always You" by Amber Pacific and "Memory" by Sugarcult. "Lazy Generation" by The F-Ups is the game's opening song. Songs are played through "Crash FM", the game's radio station with commentary from DJ Stryker from alternative radio station KROQ-FM in Los Angeles. Alternatively, Burnout 3 supports user created soundtracks on the Xbox with the usage of the Xbox hard drive.
Reception
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Burnout 3: Takedown received critical acclaim upon release. Aggregating review websites GameRankings and Metacritic gave the PlayStation 2 version 93.32% and 93/100[1][4] and the Xbox version 93.06% and 94/100.[2][3]
1UP.com cited "The Takedown system is what makes the already pretty good Burnout series amazing... Burnout 3 delivers the purest hit of awesome so far this year."[5]
Edge noted "It still possesses the series’ trademark ability to deliver Tempest-like ‘in the zone’ moments of remarkable intensity unlike any of its contemporaries, but now comes with a confidently revised dynamic, marking this as Criterion Games’ finest hour."[6]
Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot stated "Even if driving games aren't normally your thing, Burnout 3 is still right for you. It's that good. It ranks among the best racing games ever made...An amazing achievement that anyone with a pulse will probably love."[7]
GameSpy called the game "The new king of arcade racers. Think about everything that was brilliant about its predecessors -- the whimsical take on the laws of physics, the gorgeous graphics, and the completely insane emphasis on crashing -- and multiply it by ten thousand."[8]
IGN editor Fran Mirabella commented that the game "Offers up insane speed, unequaled crash sequences, and a truly new style of gameplay. It has reinvented the wheel, so to speak...Burnout 3 is astonishing. It's one of the best arcade racers I've ever touched."[9]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Burnout 3: Takedown for PlayStation 2". GameRankings. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Burnout 3: Takedown for Xbox". GameRankings. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Burnout 3: Takedown for Xbox reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Burnout 3: Takedown for PlayStation 2 reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Burnout 3: Takedown Review". 1UP.com. 8 September 2004. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Burnout 3: Takedown Review". Edge. 2 September 2004. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Gerstmann, Jeff (7 September 2004). "Burnout 3: Takedown Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Burnout 3: Takedown Review". GameSpy. 7 September 2004. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Mirabella III, Fran (2 September 2004). "Burnout 3: Takedown Review". IGN. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
- ↑ Nordozzi, Dale (8 September 2004). "Burnout 3: Takedown Review". TeamXbox. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
External links
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