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30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Leaves the original in the dust, October 4, 2002
Burnout, Criterion's original traffic-weaving arcade racer, was a hit-and-miss affair with many. It delivered an intense racing experience, but was marred by short length, fuzzy graphics, and annoying crash replays. However, Criterion has taken all complaints into account, and delivered their masterpiece: Burnout 2 - Point of Impact. It looks better and is deeper, but retains the same magnetic gameplay of the first game. Burnout 2 is one of the best games on the system, and is one of the best arcade racers to come along in a long time.The first thing you'll notice is the graphical upgrade. Anyone who thinks the PS2 is underpowered should look at what Criterion's been able to coax out of it. Burnout 2 is filled with visual beauty: lens flares, weather effects, beautifully rendered car models, lifelike tracks brimming with ambient activity and traffic, and wince-causing crashes. The roads are choked with traffic, each moving independently (Criterion says there are several different types of AI behavior now). All this at a screaming 60 frames per second...without an ounce of slowdown - even in multiplayer. When you consider the detail, the speed, and the amount of moving objects on the screen at any one time, Burnout 2 is one of the best-looking games on the PS2. Criterion and its Renderware tool deserve some serious praise for what they've accomplished. But games aren't all graphics, are they? Burnout 2 has some of the most enjoyable, adrenaline-pumping gameplay you'll find. The premise is simple: race AI-controlled opponents as fast as you can, along checkpoint-riddled courses overflowing with traffic which serves no purpose except to get in your way. Weaving amongst the logging trucks, passenger cars, and buses, time running out, AI on your tail....what a rush. The CPU cars aren't perfect, either - they'll crash as often as you do, making the races much more realistic and forgiving. Go too slow, and you'll miss the next checkpoint, losing the race - the game WANTS you to take risks, and constantly rewards you for it. If you should be unlucky enough to hit another car, be ready for a ferociously portrayed impact. However, the replays have been much shortened from the first game - one short replay and you're back on the track in no time. Another complaint that's been addressed is the lack of modes. Burnout 2 sports a training mode called Offensive Driving 101, which teaches you the advantages of power-sliding, jumping, driving against traffic, getting Near Misses, etc - all of which fill your Burnout meter. When full, you can access a speed boost that'll launch you into serious high-g territory, complete with screen blur and a soundtrack change. Drain your meter without crashing and you get a score multiplier. Time Attack is exactly what you'd expect - try and set your best lap/course times. Pursuit Mode is also new - you're a police car chasing another vehicle, with no other purpose but to ram it into submission...while avoiding traffic yourself. Do so, and you'll unlock the car for the other modes. None of the cars are licensed - not surprising when you consider the twisted hunks of metal they become - but it's easy to see their source of inspiration (i.e. the Classic is obviously an old-school Caddy...and you can choose to make it pink!). A brilliant new mode is called simply Crash. Criterion's smart - it knew it had a great creation with its impact engine, but fully including it in the main racing modes disrupted the flow of the races. Enter Crash mode, in which you're given a few seconds, a full Boost meter, and a busy intersection just ahead. Here, the object is to cause the biggest traffic accident you can. After you throw yourself into motor mayhem, you're treated to an ego-indulging, overhead, slo-motion replay, and you're given a final score (in insurance dollars). Plus, wreck five cars at once, and your total is multiplied by five. This mode is a stroke of genius that's huge fun with friends, in an un-ending competition to wreak the most havoc. Championship Mode is similar to the original Burnout: progress along a series of races, unlocking cars and new courses as you go, but in Burnout 2, you're given a points system rather than the rigid "You Must Finish First To Advance" rules of the first. Burnout 2's single-player mode is longer than before, but still has the same difficulty level. Driving game vets will be able to jump in and unlock stuff right away. But once you unlock everything, you'll most likely leave Championship behind - the real replay value of Burnout is in the multiplayer and Time Attack modes (plus a couple other worthwhile secret ones!). Burnout 2: Point of Impact is a thrill freak's dream. It's the fastest game on the PS2, looks gorgeous, has great sound, and packs tons of replay value. If you liked the original, you'll love the second - case closed. If you passed on the first, Point of Impact is definitely worth looking at, because all the gripes you mave have had have been fixed, and the new modes make Burnout 2 quite an attractive package. As the AAA-title-swamped end of 2002 approaches, Burnout 2 may get lost amongst higher-profile titles, but as of October, it's without a doubt my pick for Game of the Year...and I'm not really a huge fan of racing games.
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