Burnout 2 : Point of Impact (Xbox)

Crashes in the game are spectacular... hit another car and your windows will smash, bodywork will buckle and fall away, and wheels will fly off. The cars around you all become involved, busses will skid, lorries jacknife and add to the carnage.

This game looks great, plays brilliantly, and is amazingly fast. There are a number of different ways to play: the championship mode lets you take part in a number of races around busy streets, and also offers point to point racing against 3 other cars through a number of checkpoints. There are 'head to head' challenges against another special cars which you need to win in order to unlock that vehicle... Then there is my favourite, pursuit, where you control a police car and have to ram the target vehicle off the road before it escapes like in the classic 'chase HQ'. It's a lot of fun.

The crash mode is a real hoot. The object of the game is simple... you have 30 seconds and unlimited boost, use it to get to the junction and cause as much damage as possible. It's great fun to watch the chain reaction as all the vehicles skid and smash into each other. As a bonus, there are 15 extra levels in this mode on the Xbox version.

Overall, this game is an exhillarating action packed racer with the emphasis on speed and fun over realism. Buy it.

Burnout 2 is pure arcade racing heaven. The handling of the cars remind me instantly of arcade classics such as Daytona USA, which is definatly a good thing. Now, while this is in arcade based game, dont go thinking its all simple sailing as unlike Daytona, you're racing through busy streets packed full of oncoming traffic.

Speed is the main focus of Burnout 2. This game is fast, VERY fast .This could sound like a bit too much: weaving through oncoming traffic, doing powerslides around bust corners AND keeping up an insane speed. But that's the glory of Burnout 2. The handling of vehicles is so tight, that dodging oncoming cars isn't too much of a task. Powerslides also are easy to do with just needing a simple clip of the brake button.

Dodging oncoming traffic is obviously a large feature in Burnout, but there are rewards for such dangerous driving. At the bottom right corner of the screen there is a boost meter. There are a variety of way you can fill this meter - driving on the wrong side of the road obviously being one of them. You can also fill this up by driving very close to other vehicles, through powerslides or by simply by leaving the ground! And since the courses are designed for this, with practice its possible to keep your boost going all the time. You've just gotta find where the boost can be got and you're halfway there to sucess.

The boostometer isn't just a cheesy gimmick, in many of the games' modes it's the key to success. Chase mode is a Police Car chase, and only proper use of the boost will bring rewards. Crash mode is a brilliant addition. The aim is basically just to crash into an area of traffic and cause as much damage as possible. .

Graphics

Top notch stuff here. Each course is brilliantly designed each with a certain look to it. The backgrounds are well detailed and interesting to look at. The cars are very well made and feel very solid. And also, a mention must be made of the tremendous physics engine which really does make every single crash a joy to watch. A 16:9 mode is included and its all running at 60fps!

Sound

The sound in Burnout 2 has an original idea to it. While racing normally it plays as usual filling in the background noise. But as soon as you hit that Boost, the volume turns up a notch and gets the blood pumping. Its such a simple, yet brilliant idea. The music itself is pretty good, though there is a custom soundtrack option there if need be (which works fully with the boost meter) Its all in 5.1 which is the icing on the cake.

Lifespan

Possibly the only real disappointing thing about Burnout 2 is in the length of the game. The extra modes and rewards waiting to be unlocked are still masking the fact that the game is quite short. The game boasts of new stages to drive, but all can be unlocked in a single night's play, and they're mainly variations on each other. Thankfully the Xbox version has a few more options over the other versions which help to extent the lifespan a little, and the online scoreboard is a great way to keep you coming back. But i just feel that without an Online play or at the least, a 4 player option, once everything is done its not going to return to your machine that often.

Overall Summary

Burnout 2 is the best Arcade racer out there. The chances are if you wanted this you'd have it got it already, or on PS2 at Xmas. But is it worth the uprgade over the PS2 version? I would have to say, at full price, no. If it drops under £20 and you were a big fan of the PS2 game, then id definatly say the extra levels, options, etc would be worth it, but as its not online and the graphics are near identical, its not. Anyone out there who hasnt got this, go and get it now! Even if its the cheaper PS2 version, its worth a place in everyone's collection.

Gameplay = 8
Graphics = 8
Sound = 8
Lifespan = 7

Socko's Overall Score: 8

The concept is simple and well executed. Drive dangerously in order to win burnout points in order to drive dangerously at a greater speed... simple!

The action moves over a number of tracks, from high mountain passes to beach front freeways. Drive on the wrong side of the road, knock down road signs, plough into stationary cars... if only rush hour was this much fun!

OK, so you are wondering why only 4 stars? Why oh why do we only have a two player mode? This would be so much fun as a 4 player game. That is the only fault I really level at this game. Go buy it now... and don't drive your own car for at least an hour after playing it!