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Preview:

13th August 2004:
Burnout 3: Takedown
With the release of this eagerly-awaited racer drawing ever closer, we take a look at the third instalament in the Burnout franchise.
Posted by John Grothier - Xbox,PlayStation 2 - UK and Europe

Burnout 2 is one of our all-time favourite racers here at Silicon Fusion. Everything had been improved upon from the original; better handling of the cars, even more dangerous driving encouraged - and the crashes were simply awesome. The premise was to win - at any cost, but the only way to maintain your 'boost' was to drive as recklessly as possible. Now Criterions hit driving franchise is in the hands of Electronic Arts, and thankfully Burnout 3: Takedown is nearly upon us.

Burnout 3: Takedown plays significantly faster that the previous two titles - and as the title of the game suggests, in Burnout 3 the AI opponents are a little bit tougher. This time boost is awarded to the player if you slam into your rivals, and if you manage to smash them into an oncoming car or other obstacle (like a wall) - then you will be awarded 'Takedown'. This is accompanied by a stunning effect where time slows down and the in-game camera sweeps around to give the player a truly satisfying view of your opponents vehicle being smashed into smithereens, before returning you back into the blistering action.

This time around, the tracks in Burnout 3 are from all over the world - all filled with detail and full of many different types of vehicles to try to avoid - if you want to. The level of detail is such that even at break-neck speeds the scenery still looks absolutely stunning. The game boasts over fifty cars to race and ultimately Crash. Even the best racer will crash once and a while, and the crashes in Takedown are even more stunning and spectacular that the ones witnessed in Burnout 2. Details like lorries spilling their loads over the road as they crash, glass shattering and sparks flying make it an absolute joy to behold. The developers have also included a point system - the more spectacular the accident, the more points are awarded to the player.

Some are suggesting that Burnout 3: Takedown is simply going to be the best racer of all time, and with Electronic Arts and Microsoft coming to an agreement over Xbox Live, we think that Criterion could well have another racing gem on their hands - we will all know soon enough.

John Grothier

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Burnout 3:Takedown
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