Customer Reviews

Burnout 3 Takedown

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

An email I wrote in December 2003:

"Dear Criterion Games:

I hear that Burnout 3 is going to focus on wrecking opponents. This is a mistake. It's not going to work. Why turn your brilliant, traffic-weaving Burnout franchise into a demolition derby? Change is good, but this is too much - it's now a fighting game with cars instead of a racing game. Hopefully Burnout 4 will get it right.

Regards, A Fan"

Fast-forward to September 2004. Burnout 3 is now here, and I am now sending them my sincerest apologies. I now invite them to send me a very nasty "We told you so!" response, because they've managed to not only prove me to be completely and utterly foolish for doubting them, they've made what is hands-down the best arcade racing game we're likely to play.

Criterion has managed to tap into some kind of suicidal primal instinct all of us seem to have - the urge to fly through populated streets at near the speed of sound in a sleek automobile (or firetruck), careening headlong into anyone and anything in our path. Better yet, Burnout 3: Takedown now adds the lovely feature of a dream made virtual reality: smashing into pieces that no-good idiot who dared to try and tap you into the guardrail. We've all had those fantasies, right? Now you can live em in the comfort (and safety!) of your own living room.

For those of you who are skeptical, one thing should be made clear up front: Burnout 3 is very different from the first two games in the series. You'll still race through beautifully rendered courses at brain-searing speeds, missing traffic by millimeters. But even though B3 now focuses on making your race opponents wreck in the most ghastly ways possible, the intensity and rush is still here...no, it's actually been ratcheted up to a realm of insanity no racer has ever attained. It's different, but still more than worthy of attention.

One thing Burnout vets will appreciate is the single-player mode has been greatly expanded. There are a huge number of race events - close to two hundred, ranging from single races to burning laps to eliminations to crash junctions to....well, it doesn't get old. Add a ridiculous number of unlockables (including fake headlines, signature Takedowns, forty tracks, seventy cars, etc etc) and suffice to say you could finish the first two Burnout games twice each before seeing all B3 has to offer. You still progress by earning medals - only getting golds will unlock everything - but it's no longer just about finishing first. Peforming Takedowns is essential, and well-worth it, as the game lovingly displays the mechanical carnage you create, but it's not always easy. The AI is wicked this time round, and will even gain grudges for you......and go after you. If you do fall victim, you can always choose to enable the Aftertouch, a brilliant feature that allows you to control your wrecked car, and steer it into the path of your opponents. Revenge has never been so sweet.

Screaming down a Hong Kong-ish crowded street, golden Buddha statue looming overhead, desperately trying to keep your lead when two guys in F1-type racers are inches from your rear bumper.....yeah, it's exhilirating all right.

Crash Mode returns in all its destructive glory, but now it's deeper, and larger. Power-ups litter the course - yes power-ups, ranging from temporary boosts to points multipliers. Add the Crashbreaker - in which your car becomes a literal bomb that you can detonate at any time, and we're talking serious mayhem. And oh yes - this mode can be played co-operatively now. One more thing - there's 100 crash junctions now.

The multiplayer madness continues with Road Rage Mode (whoever takes down the most opponents wins), Elimination (whoever's in last place at the end of a lap is disqualified), Burning Lap (boost as fast as you can without crashing once), and normal Single Race, and there's a lot more meat here than before.

The bad? Well, the default soundtrack can leave a lot to be desired (and turn the announcer OFF, trust me), but this is easily fixed by lovely custom soundtrack support. HINT: Causing wrecks to bluegrass is poetry in motion. EA Games - who now owns Criterion - has plastered advertising signboards all over the courses, and they're kind of distracting in an annoying way. There are also many minor details (you race in car classes now rather than picking any you want, the scoring system is different, no nighttime races or weather changes, no licensed cars (like any respected auto manufacturer would let their lovingly crafted creations get dismantled like this!), Crash Mode repeats junctions) that one could complain about, but the core gameplay is so sublime, well-done, and addictive, it's silly to dock the score for any of them.

Burnout 3 is the epitome of what arcade racing should be: easy to pick up, hard to master, appealing to everyone, unimaginably intense, and unbelievably fun. Mark my words, you're gonna see Burnout 3 on a lot of Best Games of 2004 lists -- it'll be on mine, without a doubt.

Thanks for proving me wrong, Criterion. But I need to ask - what's next? You can't possibly top Takedown....can you?

Buckle your seatbelts... and prepare to die! While the first Burnout game had you dodging traffic through crowded streets like the best scenes out of your favorite chase movies, and Burnout 2 had you purposefully crashing into intersections for maximmum damage points (like some kind of crazy car crash physics puzzle game), the Burnout series yet AGAIN moves into an entirely different direction with the third installment: Takedown!

Yes indeed, all the wishes of the people who played the first two games have been granted. Before, I had found myself wishing that the computer players would fight back more (instead of just trying to outrun me), the gas tankers would explode when you hit them (they do!!!!! In a flash of white and a fireball!), and that you could make the computer players crash in a way other than crashing right in front of them (now you can run them off the road, into walls, and manuever your crashing car right in front of them!). But ultimately this game is much more than just a remix, it's a revolution.

The graphics have been cranked up a notch yet again, with sparks, flames, glass shatters, crumpling metal, flying tires, big rigs losing their cargo, and cars doing the most amazing acrobatics you have ever seen. All this at incredible speed (looks like about 300 miles per hour to me!), silky-smooth framerate, and with perfect control. More than that, you the new Aftertouch effect allows you to put the car into bullet-time as soon as you crash (to make your car do wicked stunts, or hit other cars), as well as letting you precisely aim yourself in crash mode after hitting a ramp so that you hit right where you want to. And speaking of crash...

You didn't think they would just leave the crash mode alone, did you? Now there are crash icons you need to collect (or avoid) which can half your score, double it, quadrouple it, give you bonus cash, increase your speed, or make you explode instantly. And since when you rack up a certain amount of cars crashing you can make your car explode with the push of a button, and gas tankers explode on high-speed contact... it is indeed possible to make your car explode three times in a single crash!

I remember back when Need for Speed:Hot Pursuit 2 came out and everyone thought it was so great. It seems like garbage now compared to this game. That game had annoying bullet-time (too long, too often, poorly executed, and just plain irritating), this game has sweet bullet-time (unobtrusive, not too long, auto-steering when it happens, perfectly executed, and just plain cool). And while that game may have been fast and furious, this game is just...umm.... faster and furiouser.

With all the multi-player modes and single-player modes and unlockables and world tour ect., you'd think this was the perfect racing game. Sadly though, this is not the case.

The music soundtrack is quite frankly absolutely terrible. Ditto for the annoying annoucer. Thankfully, both can be turned off (and you can listen to whatever music you like). The interface for selecting music, however, is not as good as the previous Burnout. Also, the excellent cops and robbers aspect from Burnout 2 is gone as well. Just another reason to own all three Burnouts I'd say.

If you love racing games, and especially if you liked the previous Burnouts, this one is a definite purchase.

This game is pure speed, adrenaline, and white knuckle racing taken to the extreme. I bought Burnout 2 some time ago and didn't think it could get much better than that. I loved that game for its insane speed, graphics, and especially the crashes. Crash mode in Burnout 2 was so much fun it was unreal.

Burnout 3 makes 2 look primitive by comparison. There is such a sense of extreme speed in 3 that no other game I've seen has come even close to having. This game feels dangerous. The addition of takedowns was a genius move: its added a layer of aggressive strategy that I can't imagine playing without now. I'm not going to go into detail about every little bit of the game, you can go to official magazine or website reviews for that.

There are a number of play modes to choose from, all of which are fun. The world tour mode (which is where everything is unlocked) is excellent, combining every aspect of the game into a system of increasing difficulty, but also variety. Some have complained that the crash mode levels are not all unique, with some being extentions or other minor changes, but I have to disagree. With all the additions made to crash mode, changing anything on a level changes it completely. With the ability to steer your wreck after a crash you are able to destroy more vehicles or obtain more power ups, and in fact this is often required in order to meet the requirements for the lowest of medals.

This is not a game to read about. Like intimate encounters, its all about the experience. Secondhand information is good, but its all about the experience.

This game is great. The only reason I bought it was because I was craving a new toy and saw that Gamespot rated this game a 9.5/10. I think Gamespot/Gamespy/IGN/etc are a little easy on games these days, but a 9.5? I figured there must be something in this game worth trying.

They were right.

I don't particularly care for racing games. They just don't hold my attention. But Burnout 3:Takedown is just downright addictive. The controls are simple (even talked my wife into playing it with me!), but the gameplay mechanics are a perfect balance between art and science. I won't go into the game's details, since other reviewers have already done that. But rest assured, this game offers hours of adrenaline-pumping replayability.

Battling other cars (and players online!) for position by trying to nudge them into the path of an oncoming Mack Truck, over the guardrail, or into the deep blue sea, is just as fun the 1,000th time as it was the 1st time.

My only complaint is the soundtrack (just like everyone else). It's pretty bland (and the announcer is a little irritating). Both of these issues, though, are easily overcome. Queue your own tunes up in the playlist and disable the 'Im too cool for this gig' announcer, and you're ready to rumble.

If you don't feel like plunking down $50 for the game, at least do yourself a favor with a rental.

Worst case scenario: You're out $5.

Likely scenario: You'll go out and buy your own copy after renting it.

The racing genre is perhaps the hardest for developers to produce good games for. After all, it even seems hard to continuosly innovate a genre that is all about running laps around a track. Thankfully, EA's Burnout 3: Takedown has so much innovation it keeps itself alive play after play.

Graphics- 10/10
From textures to particle effects, (Which, by the way, are the best I've ever seen in a game) they aced everything.

Sound- 10/10
The music fits the game perfectly, as well as the sound effects do.

Control- 9/10
This game has great control, but just not much better than most games. (That is, unless you have a wireless steering wheel)

Story- N/A
While this game doesn't have a story, it just doesn't need one!

Gameplay- 9/10
My only problem with gameplay is that road rage mode is so fun, you won't play the other modes!

Overall- 10/10
This game is just different enough to make it a winner!

Addictive as crack.
Once you get started, you can't put it down.
I got so used to Burnout 2, that when I heard they were releasing Burnout 3, I was a little bit interested. Knowing how much I liked "2", I purchased "3". What a huge difference. Unlike Need for Speed, kick up that boost, and you can truly feel the speed. Hard to explain, but you almost want to lean in your chair to avoid crashes, or go around turns.
The addition to "Rage" matches, where you are pitted against cars of your own class, you get points for take downs, and special take downs, earn points, and $$ that unlock better and more wicked cars (or trucks in the crash mode.
Man, I need to try this "Live" for X-Box....but for now, pitting against friends is awesome, and a great way to get rid of road rage without getting pulled over by cops.

Do yourself a favor, and even if you aren't in to racing games...try this one man...it is way wicked.

The racing style of Burnout 3 is new to me. The Need for Speed series was extremely popular, yet it was just another racing game that offered only a little in terms of overall versatility.The race is only confined to just out-speeding your opponent to win rewards. But the concept of Burnout 3 is different and surprising, to say the least. This isn't a game where you out - gun your opponent by stepping on the gas pedal and sveltly moving your car. Here, you are rewarded by actually taking your opponent down !. You gain points by crashing into your opponent and send him flying out of the circuit. By doing so, you gain special energy in the form of 'Boost" which when activated, simply propels your car to breathtaking speeds. The end result, is a game that offers you purely satisfying experience and leaves you wanting more.....

Gameplay, Graphics and Sound....

The real star of Burnout 3 is undoubtedly its gameplay. You are pitched against other cars and you gain points or win the race by crashing them into various objects like civilian vehicles, road-bends etc. You earn 'Boost' by doing so. When activated, 'Boost' speeds up your car exponentially thus giving you the potential to out-race your opponents or causing greater damage when taking them down. You increase your Boost meter by taking down others, or you lose your meter if your opponent takes you down!. When you crash, you can slow down and slightly steer your car to make an 'After touch' takedown that, if successfully accomplished, maintains your Boost meter intact. Takedowns are real fun and the variety of ways by which you can do so is immense. This adds a lot to replay value. In the career mode, you start out with basic cars and by winning events around the world, you unlock new events and better cars. Each event has its own charm and not all events are the same. Some have pure racing, some have just takedown counts, while others focus on you to crash into incoming traffic in a way to gain maximum points. Thus you are never given the same mundane stuff. Rather Burnout 3 offers something new. And as you unlock yourself all the way through to the Super car series, the levels of speed you attain is freakish and eye-popping.

The graphics are secondary to Burnout 3 but they are not far behind to gameplay. Rather, if it wasn't for it, then the game would have looked perceptibly dull. It surely is the best around in business, but slightly less detailed than say Project Gotham Racing 2. It has been specifically designed to showcase the speed of the game, and at no point in the game will you find the frame rate dropping below 60fps. Your car is brilliantly detailed. It will look hazy and blurred at the back when propelling forward, showing you the real sense of speed . The sudden fall back of the environment when you Boost is jaw-dropping. Also the effect of cars whizzing past you when you Boost is tremendous if not downright astonishing, giving you a thrill unseen in other titles. However, the civilian traffic and the surrounding flora and fauna are a bit blocky but passable. Whose got the time to stare when you're nitro-ing at over 200 mph!.

The real beauty of the game come into fray when you crash. Your car will tumble across, hitting incoming vehicles, which in turn get ripped apart around the surrounding vehicles, dealing truly spectacular damage. The crash physics is phenomenal and the most complex in any game to date. What makes Burnout 3 so good is that you have not only pure adrenaline driving, but you can just about smash into anything and everything to bring out memorable moments of traffic mayhem. And the game rewards you for it, which is a brilliant concept.

The sound is great. The roar of the engines is deep and the ambient sounds are but satisfactory. Crash sounds are tremendous. The only annoying addition is a radio station called Crash FM, hosted by Stryker. In the beginning , he is okay, but then you'll get annoyed when he says the same thing over and over again. Just turning him off will do the trick. He isn't in the league of class as Lazlow of ChatterBox in GTA3. Also, the custom soundtracks are good, but not great. All are upswing in mood, generally reflecting the gameplay. Overall, they do a decent job.

Conclusion :

If you are into racing dangerously and always living on the edge, then go ahead and buy this game. It is worth it. The XBOX version is hands-down the better one. Burnout 3 is stellar and offers you pure adrenaline pumping experience that is refreshing and rewarding. It delivers you a sense of speed unmatched by other racing games. The game offers enough scope for re-play and the multiplayer option will keep you busy long after you put your car in the garage.
Enjoy.

Whether you play it on your Xbox 360 (backwards compatible) or you still have an old Xbox 1 lying around, this game still holds up even today.

Since Burnout 2 this has been one of my favorite series. I played Burnout 2 and 3 on Xbox, and Burnout Revenge on PS2 and loved them all. Recently, I picked up the Xbox 360 version of Revenge for 360 because I missed playing the games and I was craving some Burnout action. (Side note: I just couldn't get into Paradise, plus, no crash mode?)

I enjoyed it so much that I decided to go get Burnout 3: Takedown and Burnout 2: Developer's Cut again because they are backwards compatible with the 360. I picked up part 3 at a local used game shop (Disc Replay, Google it, great store if you have one in your area). I also ordered part 2 from Amazon's Warehouse Deals so that is on the way as well. Each game only cost me a few bucks.

The graphics and game play still hold up really well on this one and in fact, part 3 might even have a slight edge over Revenge!

Anyway, go get these games! They can be had for cheap and you won't be disappointed, especially with Crash mode.

This is a must-have for all Xbox owners!!! This game is is a racing game to the core but has spectacular crash sequences and brillant sense of speed. I don't even like racing games and I appreciate the good times Burnout 3: Takedown has brought to me. The game is probably the best in the series besides the new one which I have yet to play the full version(I've only played the demo off madden 06) Still not convinced? They have more. Play Crash mode where the objective is to get the most damage from a crash by hitting: semis, buses, taxis, and other cars. They also have Roadrage where your objective is to takedown as many cars as you can until the time runs out or your completely wrecked.

The only flaw in this game is that when you hit a car going the same direction as you in the back, it counts as a takedown. It may not seem like much but when your trying to weave through traffic going 120+, it makes all the difference. I'm glad to hear that the new Burnout has fixed that flaw.

Overall this is a must buy for everyone. I would recommend it to anyone even if they don't like racing games because it has revived my passion for racing games. Trust me, its unlike any other racing game you've ever played.

The most important thing to note here is that the third installment of this series was developed by a different company: EA Games. They tried to stay close to the first 2 games but ended up with a different spin. Here's a recap:

Burnout 1 featured linear game play keeping you contained within the track and some nice crashes.

Burnout 2 featured a crash mode, pursuit mode, an online score system and a more robust physics engine allowing you to propel your car off the track. The graphics also improved and showed more motion blur.

Burnout 3 features a much more robust physics engine allowing you to jump across bridges, soar into the air, go off of corkscrew jumps and the ever popular bullet time (slow motion during game play). Also there is online play that is just plain fun. The graphics go above and beyond Burnout 2 with increased motion blur, realistic crumpling effects, glass shattering smashes and grinding spark action.

Burnout 3 has more of an arcade style of game play than the previous two titles and because of that people can be turned off. The bottom line is, if you enjoyed Burnout 2 for its crashes, then you'll love Burnout 3.