Burnout
Platform: PlayStation 2, Gamecube, Xbox
Release: 2001
The first Burnout game debuted on the PlayStation 2 in November, 2001. The game was different from previous arcade titles because it implemented a risk/reward system. Driving on the wrong side of the road or scraping past a vehicle would earn the player boost, to come in first place in Burnout it was essential to take as many risks as possible. When a player is taking a lot of risks it is inevitable that accidents will happen, but in Burnout accidents weren't always a bad thing. If you crashed into a bus, car or piece of scenery then the game would show your accident and you could literally watch the car crumble around you.
The Gamecube and Xbox versions followed the PlayStation 2 edition six months later. The improvements were minimal, there were some basic visual enhancements and tighter controls. Unfortunately for Acclaim while Burnout was a huge success critically it was a commercial flop. Less than five months after launching the game the recommend retail price for the PlayStation 2 version was dropped to AU$29.95, and the Xbox and Gamecube versions also saw quick price drops. Even so, Acclaim greenlit the sequel, which came just ten months after the first game.
Burnout 2: Point of Impact
Platform: PlayStation 2, Gamecube, Xbox
Release: 2002 / 2003
Burnout 2: Point of Impact was once again exclusive to the PlayStation 2 for about six months. The game is most notable for introducing the crash mode to the franchise, where players are shown a car pileup scenario (such as 20 buses stuck in peak traffic) and the idea is to try and crash into as many cars and cause as much damage as possible. There was actually an easily exploited glitch in Point of Impact which caused a truck to go sailing in the air, which often resulted in a massive score.
The actual setting for the game was the United States. With long highways, airports and ski resorts all resulting in a wide variety of tracks. Burnout 2 also improved upon load times and graphics, all the while maintaining a silky frame rate which consolidated the arcade racer as the fastest one around. The Gamecube version of Point of Impact was released in early April 2003, with the Xbox version coming in late April. The Xbox version of the game was subtitled Director's Cut and is the definitive version of Burnout 2, featuring 21 new car skins as well as an Xbox Live online leaderboard and some bonus crash junctions.
Burnout 3: Takedown
Platform: PlayStation 2, Xbox
Release: 2004
If you ask any gamer what their favourite title is in any franchise, be it Mario, Sonic, Tony Hawk or even Castlevania you will be met with a wide range of responses. This isn't true for Burnout. If you ask any Burnout fan what their favourite game in the series is, 99% of the time the answer will be Burnout 3: Takedown.
Early in development Burnout fans were a little hesitant about the modifications, simply because the game was being published by EA. One of the biggest changes made to the franchise was the look, Burnout 3 was a lot more realistic than its predecessors. The gameplay was modified a little as well, the boost meter was once again filled by performing dangerous maneuvers but the key way to fill the boost meter was to perform a 'takedown'. By slamming a car into forthcoming traffic, a wall or any other traffic obstacle the player performed a takedown, which filled the boost meter completely. This meant that taking down your opponents became a key part of the gameplay and in later stages it became essential to take down as many vehicles as possible for that key speed boost.
The crash modes and arcade options returned and there were over 150 different events in single player and over fifty vehicles to unlock, including a city bus, garbage truck and a fire truck. The crash mode was modified, this time there were multipliers on the track to aim for and destroying a certain number of vehicles allowed the player to execute a crash breaker mode. Takedown introduced competitive online play for the first time as well as our favourite racing mode, the road rage mode, where players have to try and take down as many vehicles as possible within a certain time limit. The road rage mode actually made it into the online play, although players were split into teams, with one team trying to take down the other vehicles as quickly as possible, while the other team tried to stay on the road without crashing.
One of the most disappointing omissions from the game is the removal of the replay mode. With such incredible crashes and intricate takedowns the fact that you couldn't save your replay at all was a very disappointing omission. Nintendo owners also missed out on a release of Takedown, a Gamecube version was in development but was canceled early on when previous publisher (the now defunct Acclaim) dropped all support for Nintendo's cuboid console, and new publisher EA didn't re-start the project.
The changes made by Criterion elevated Burnout 3's popularity both critically and commercially and the game went on to become the best selling Burnout title at the time, a sequel was quickly rushed out a year later to capitalise on the demand.
Burnout: Revenge
Platform: PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360
Release: 2005
Burnout: Revenge was released just a year later and while it wasn't a revolution as the previous game was, it added a few new elements to the series, some average, some terrible. One of the most notable additions to the game was the traffic checking option. In previous games if you slammed into vehicles going the same way as you it would result in a crash, this time you could shunt vehicles out of the way, into other vehicles or into opponents. It didn't fundamentally change the franchise, but certainly made things a little bit less challenging. The World Tour mode also featured some traffic checking challenges which proved to be a lesson in tediousness. This poor addition really did make Revenge feel like more of a yearly update and it seemed Criterion Games was adding things just for the sake of change.
One of the best additions to Revenge were the new multi-layered environments. This means there were even more routes and plenty of shortcuts to take. The crash mode was also tweaked, this time to get a vehicle started you needed to line up a bar, similar to the power and accuracy bars found in golf games. This just came off as a gimmicky inclusion, but the removal of all the multipliers certainly made the crash mode a little more enjoyable overall.
Burnout Revenge made it to the Xbox 360 a while later and was a launch title in PAL regions. The Xbox 360 version contained a bonus Xbox skinned vehicle, as well as achievements and some bonus crash junctions. The crash mode was tweaked again, so rather than have to line up a bar to get a good start players could just press A to get their vehicle moving.
Overall Revenge felt like a cash-in sequel, and it was. The gameplay was still top notch but the additions hampered the experience, rather than adding to it. Next the series took a break on consoles and moved to the handhelds.
Burnout Legends
Platform: PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS
Release: 2005
The Burnout franchise made its handheld debut with Burnout Legends, which wasn't a direct continuation of Burnout Revenge but rather a 'best of' title. The pursuit mode which had been missing from the franchise since Burnout 2 was reinstated and the World Tour mode from the past two Burnout games returned.
The game made its debut on the PSP first and featured wireless multiplayer support. In fact, EA put a large emphasis on the multiplayer options, with each copy of the game shipping with five unlocked cars out of a possible twenty five, which could only be unlocked by playing wireless multiplayer. The game share feature was also utilised, although it took far too long to download to another PSP.
A Nintendo DS version of Burnout Legends was also released a few months later. The game wasn't developed by Criterion Games but by relative unknown Visual Impact. Typical of early third party efforts on the DS, it was pretty terrible. The poor sense of speed and terrible handling mechanics solidifies the Nintendo DS version of Burnout Legends as the worst version of Burnout yet.
After Legends was released it would be another eighteen months before after Burnout game was released and it wasn't the 'next generation' Burnout game everyone was expecting.
Burnout: Dominator
Platform: PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable
Release: 2007
When EA announced Burnout Dominator in December 2006 we were a little shocked. Criterion Games weren't working on the title, and the game would be quite a bit different from previous Burnouts.
The crash mode was removed entirely, as was the option to check traffic, and there was no online multiplayer at all. The World Tour mode was back, with several new courses and there were even some new modes thrown in, such as maniac mode and Drift Challenge. In maniac mode the challenge was to drive as dangerously as possible to get a high score, drift challenge required the player to drift for as long as they could.
There was nothing particularly wrong with the game, but it just felt like a step backward after Burnout 3: Takedown, and by the time Dominator arrived most players were eagerly anticipating the 'real' next Burnout.
Burnout Paradise
Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Release: 2008
Burnout Paradise represents a radical change for the Burnout franchise and is the biggest risk Criterion has taken with the franchise since Burnout 3. Gone are the menus and quick select options and in their place is an open-plan city. Challenges in the game are executed by simply driving up to a red light and accepting the challenge of another driver.
Challenges still can not be replayed on the fly, but Burnout Paradise looks like it will please the majority of Burnout fans. The game is full of content, there are billboards and gates to smash in Paradise City, as well as bundles of events and on-the-fly online multiplayer. The crash mode has been removed and in its place is the showtime mode, where crashes can be executed in real time, meaning any street, junction or jump could be a crash challenge. And thankfully, there are no multipliers.
Burnout Paradise is the evolution of the franchise. It looks like it's going to be very different from its predecessors, which will, as usual, please some fans and frustrate others.
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Well that wraps it up for our Burnout franchise mode, keep your eyes on PALGN for more franchise modes over the coming months.
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