Last year, Criterion Games released \Burnout 3"" to the joy of road-ragers worldwide-finally a game actually encouraged players to feel their inner evil and let loose by causing carnage to other cars. This year's model, ""Burnout Revenge,"" offers slightly improved gameplay, but little else.
""Burnout Revenge's"" gameplay remains almost entirely unchanged from its predecessor. Players cruise through cities at unheard of speeds, dodging obstacles and traffic, while doing their best to send their rivals to the scrap heap.
The major difference between ""Burnout 3"" and ""Burnout Revenge"" is the traffic's effect on gameplay. In ""Burnout 3,"" hitting a non-participant car resulted in a crash, now in ""Burnout Revenge,"" traffic actually becomes a weapon. Players and computer racers alike can now smash into the backs and sides of traffic, sending them flying. This racks up bonus points and offers the possibility of knocking rivals off the track.
This brings down the difficulty level of ""Revenge"" slightly when compared to the previous incarnation, and this creates another element to consider during the insane 200 mph battles.
Crashing also provides the basis for an entirely new play mode-traffic attack. In this mode, the player races around a city circuit smashing into traffic as much as possible. A ticking timer counts down constantly and ends the game when it reaches zero, but the player refills this timer by smashing into other cars. So the player must continuously hit ca??rs-the longer the time, the higher the score. Simple, yet addicting.
Criterion also brings back ""Burnout 3's"" unique crash mode, which sees players crashing through a busy intersection, in an attempt to cause the most destruction possible. This provides an interesting strategic alternative to the simply insane racing modes, as each crash mode stage is a very intricately set up puzzle for the player to unravel.
Graphically, ""Revenge"" is a treat, but that is no surprise given ""Burnout 3's"" similarly gorgeous artwork. The only real differences between the two games are new levels, car models and a slightly better lighting system. More of the same is not necessarily a bad thing-all of the tracks and cars look amazing.
Most of the racing blazes by too quickly to appreciate the small graphical touches Criterion put in the game. However, the game highlights certain moments by putting in intentional slow motion for the intense crashes.
In a game as intense as ""Burnout Revenge,"" multiplayer modes feel mandatory. The multiplayer modes remain entirely unchanged from ""Burnout 3,"" giving players the choice between several racing and battle modes, as well as a multiplayer variant of the crash mode. Up to four players can go battle it out at home, and the Xbox and PS2 versions feature online play as well.
The only downside to multiplayer play comes in the crash mode with its surprisingly long load times. Also, players in this mode cannot play simultaneously-they must switch off turns-which detracts slightly from the action.
While ""Burnout Revenge"" offers little improvement over ""Burnout 3,"" the slight changes allow for a more complete gaming experience. Were this the first game in the series, Criterion might have a revolutionary game on their hands, but as it stands they will have to settle for a merely great game.
