Review: Burnout Revenge
Version - PS2
Lets do some comparisons here.
Take the original Burnout, for gamecube. There were 3 game modes. Race, self explanatory, where you gained boost for jumps, slides, overtaking nearby, and driving on the wrong side of the road. If you filled up your boost bar, you got a super boost. Pursuit, like race, but you aimed to ram a car into oblivion before it got to the end of the track. And Crash, where you drove your car into other cars, and the amount of cash was simply the amount of destruction.
In Burnout Revenge, there are races, roadrages, (destroy enough of the unlimited opposition before timer or car dies), traffic attack (destroy enough cars before timer dies), crash, burning laps (time trial), preview laps (time trials in ridiculously good cars), and gran prix, just to give you an idea. I haven't even mentioned the crashbreaker modes of all of those.
If Burnout Revenge sets out to confuse, then it certainly gets 10/10. However, it's more than a confusing game. It's also immensly fun.
The graphics are unparalleled. Better than GT4, for certain. Every texture, every ray of light, seems right. All the maps just seem like they could happen, all the cars are exquisitely modelled, they aren't real, but you wish they were, because they're so cool. Also, the new shortcuts and jumps are ridiculously cool. Especially well made are the shortcuts, as none of them offer particularly big advantages, just a jump to give you boost or a smoother corner.
The sound is equally amazing. Bloc Party, Maximo Park, Nine Black Alps, The Bravery, and various other wonderfully wonderful wonder bands fill your ears, while your smashes and engine revs sound really real.
The handling of the cars is just right too, and there are enough challenges and various races to keep you going for a while.
Downsides? Well, the new ability to smash cars out of your way (but not buses or big lorries, and not coming towards you) is really nice, and makes for some fun times knocking cars into friends, but they feel a bit too light. I know Burnout Revenge is an arcade game, but nevertheless, if the civilian cars had a little more solid feel to them, would be nice. Also, the tracks get a bit repetitive. But none of these really detract from the experience too much. And the load times. GAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. Horrible load times.
Graphics - 10/10
Sound - 10/10
Gameplay - 9/10
Lifespan - 9/10
Overall - 9.5/10 - AMAZING