Burnout 3: Takedown

Burnout 3: Takedown
Developer(s)	Criterion Games
Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts
Designer(s)	Alex Ward (creative director)
Series	Burnout
Engine	RenderWare
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2, Xbox
Release date(s)	NA 7 September 2004 EU 10 September 2004 AU 10 September 2004 (PS2) JP 14 October 2004 (PS2)
Genre(s)	Racing
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer
Distribution	DVD

Burnout 3: Takedown is the third game in the Burnout series of video games. It was developed by Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts (the first Burnout game Electronic Arts published), the game drew critical acclaim and a large fanbase.

A GameCube version was planned but was scrapped during development. The game was delayed for release in 2003 because of its original publisher Acclaim Entertainment going bankrupt. The game was then picked up by Electronic Arts, and then further delayed as changes were made to the game. A 5 lapped race demo was and is still available in the Electronic Arts game Need For Speed: Underground 2. Electronic Arts shut down all network services on 15 April 2010.

Gameplay

There are five game modes, including two race modes and three crash modes. Before play starts, players choose their vehicle based on its speed and weight. In the race modes, the player gains "boost" by driving in the oncoming traffic lanes, narrowly avoiding traffic, drifting around bends, getting air time, and by causing competitors' cars to crash (called a "Takedown"). In "Race" mode, the object is to win the race around the track like a standard racing game, while in the "Road Rage" mode, the player must takedown a set number of computer-controlled opponents.

In the "Crash Junction" mode, the player is not racing opponents on a track. Instead, in each crash attempt, the player races at high speeds towards an intersection and tries to do as much monetary damage to the vehicles there as possible, while collecting cash and multiplier bonuses.

In any mode, medals are awarded for achieving certain scores. These medals are used to unlock hidden tracks and vehicles.

Burnout 3 features 173 different events in the offline mode, and 67 cars to unlock, including a City Bus, Truck Cab, Fire Truck, and a Trash Truck for use in the Crash mode. There was also an online mode where up to six players could compete in a race, and eight players could compete in a Crash event. In online races, aggression was lowered down when compared to Single Player. Racers must focus on good drifts and avoiding traffic, not just takedowns, in order to win. This gave the online mode a different feel from Single Player. There is a racing variant known as Road Rage where players are divided into two teams. The blue team receives a three second head start and must drive a certain number of miles without being eliminated by being taken down. The red team attempts to takedown the blue team before they reach the finish line. On 15 April 2010, Electronic Arts pulled the plug on the online servers, shutting them down for both the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions of the game. Xbox Live for the original Xbox was completely shut down on the same day.

Soundtrack

Main article: Burnout 3 soundtrack

The soundtrack for Burnout 3: Takedown features 44 songs, which includes "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" by My Chemical Romance, "Breathing" by Yellowcard, "This Fire" by Franz Ferdinand, "Saccharine Smile" by Donots, "Always You" by Amber Pacific and "Memory" by Sugarcult. "Lazy Generation" by The F-Ups is the game's opening song. Songs are played through "Crash FM", the game's radio station with commentary from DJ Stryker from alternative radio station KROQ-FM in Los Angeles. Alternatively, Burnout 3 supports user created soundtracks on the Xbox with the usage of the Xbox hard drive.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	(PS2) 93.32% (Xbox) 93.06%
Metacritic	(Xbox) 94/100 (PS2) 93/100
Review scores
Publication	Score
1UP.com	A
Edge	9/10
GameSpot	9.5/10
GameSpy
IGN	9.5/10
TeamXbox	9.6/10

Burnout 3: Takedown received critical acclaim upon release. Aggregating review websites GameRankings and Metacritic gave the PlayStation 2 version 93.32% and 93/100 and the Xbox version 93.06% and 94/100.

1UP.com cited "The Takedown system is what makes the already pretty good Burnout series amazing... Burnout 3 delivers the purest hit of awesome so far this year."

Edge noted "It still possesses the series’ trademark ability to deliver Tempest-like ‘in the zone’ moments of remarkable intensity unlike any of its contemporaries, but now comes with a confidently revised dynamic, marking this as Criterion Games’ finest hour."

Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot stated "Even if driving games aren't normally your thing, Burnout 3 is still right for you. It's that good. It ranks among the best racing games ever made...An amazing achievement that anyone with a pulse will probably love."

GameSpy called the game "The new king of arcade racers. Think about everything that was brilliant about its predecessors -- the whimsical take on the laws of physics, the gorgeous graphics, and the completely insane emphasis on crashing -- and multiply it by ten thousand."

IGN editor Fran Mirabella commented that the game "Offers up insane speed, unequaled crash sequences, and a truly new style of gameplay. It has reinvented the wheel, so to speak...Burnout 3 is astonishing. It's one of the best arcade racers I've ever touched."

External links

• Burnout Wiki, an external wiki
• Burnout 3: Takedown at MobyGames