One of last year’s sleeper racing hits, Burnout, returns with a tuned-up engine, extra bells and whistles, and even better crashes than last year’s model. If Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 feels some heat on its tail, it’s probably Burnout 2. Burnout’s play engine is unique and appealing. You burn rubber on a variety of tracks and accumulate Boost power by narrowly avoiding other cars, performing powerslides, and catching air. Once your Boost meter is full, you can accelerate to super speeds and overcome the competition. If you mess up and crash, well, there’s a sweet payoff for that, too, as Burnout 2 serves up some of the coolest crashes in recent memory…along with equally sweet multi-angle replay footage. In addition to Tournament, multiplayer, and other race modes is Offensive Driving 101 (training), Time Attack (try to get the best lap time possible), and Pursuit (unlock new cars by ramming speeders to a halt à la Chase HQ). The highlight, though, is Crash mode, where you must create as much chaos as possible by causing chain-reaction rush-hour pileups. It sounds simple, but there’s an addictive strategy aspect that will keep you crashing and causing pile-ups for sheer effect, not to mention big-damage bragging rights. One of the first Burnout’s most appealing aspects was the smash-ups, but in this sequel they’re bigger, longer, and more intense. Burnout 2 surpasses its predecessor in almost every department. The visuals blaze by at an unfaltering pace, although they’re plagued by distorting PlayStation 2 “jaggies.” The audio track also shines with a host of excellent ambient effects, but the hit-and-miss music pieces are a distraction. Then there are the marvelous crashes that are filled with clever details—car alarms, bouncing tires, and more—which add to the overall effect. The arcade-friendly controls are simple to pick up and master, although the single configuration setting brings the score down a notch. Burnout 2 may not have the name recognition of Need for Speed, but it shouldn’t be overlooked on the PlayStation 2 racing circuit. If you’re looking for an arcade racer with features and play modes outside the norm, Burnout 2 will make quite an impact.
