A couple of weeks ago, we counted down Electronic Gaming Monthly's best and worst Gran Turismo games. That was a lot of fun, but what about the arcade-style racing games? Who wants realism when you can smash another car off the road at 200 miles per hour? For me, the best series for that has always been Burnout, which hasn't seen a proper new installment in fifteen years. That made me wonder what Electronic Gaming Monthly thought of this takedown-heavy franchise back in the day. Which Burnout was their favorite?
In case you're wondering, EGM reviewed a total of nine Burnout games between 2001 and 2008. That covers everything from the original game right up to the final entry in the racing series – Burnout Paradise. Just about the only game they didn't cover was Burnout Dominator on PSP and the truly terrible Nintendo DS version of Burnout Legends. But even without those spin-offs, I think we're working with a pretty great list of games. What we're going to do today is countdown the best and worst Burnout games using Electronic Gaming Monthly's own words and scores. There's no editorializing here, we're going to focus on what the critics said back when these games first came out. So, make sure your car insurance is up to date, because I have a hunch you're going to be making a claim or two after EGM ranks the Burnout series!
Burnout (PlayStation 2)
#9
“Burnout is every frustrated commuter's dream: A game that lets you haul ass down congested highways with absolutely no regard for life or limb. What sets Burnout apart from other racing games is that it actually rewards you for reckless driving; every near miss and high-speed power slide fills an aggressive driving meter in a corner of the screen. Fill it completely, and you can boost your top speed from ‘whoa!' to ‘holy shit!' Burnout's biggest shortcoming, however, is its paltry number of play modes. The game would have greatly benefitted from a tag mode, police pursuit or some other options.” (7 out of 10)
Burnout 2: Point of Impact (GameCube)
#8
“This is the most fun I've had racing since Nintendo 64's San Francisco Rush days. But Burnout's got that series beat with the excellent speed-boosting. The single-player missions are solid and they're complemented by intense, addictive multiplayer modes. Even after playing it for a week, I didn't want to quit. I won't be puttin' this down until F-Zero shows up.” (8 out of 10)
Burnout (GameCube & Xbox)
#7
“So, there I am, racing down the wrong side of an eight-lane highway, splitting the oncoming traffic with surgical precision. The power-enhancing Adrenaline Meter creeps higher with every near miss until it's finally full. I hold down the button for a boost that propels me to hair-raising speeds as the traffic turns to a blur. Holy cow – I can honestly say Burnout provides the most intense street-racing rush I've ever experienced in a video game. But for those who like variety, this one will leave you hungry for stuff like licensed cars, more tracks and, most importantly, more modes. While I'm at it, how about throwing in a cop or two to chase you? Or maybe some creative shortcuts to spice up the courses? You get the idea. Burnout is a fantastic one-trick pony, but because it doesn't have a large variety of modes, you'll only return for the adrenaline rush.” (8 out of 10)
Burnout 2: Point of Impact (Xbox)
#6
“Shame on me for waiting so long to try out this glorious racer. Burnout 2's kamikaze driving had me hooked – I couldn't stop until I'd unlocked every vehicle and course in the single-player campaign. Multiplayer is also a blast, and the Crash minigames are super addictive. The Xbox Live score ranking feature is barely worth mentioning, though. Hopefully, a sequel will offer real online action (and licensed cars).” (8.2 out of 10)
Burnout 2: Point of Impact (PlayStation 2)
#5
“The more I play Burnout 2, the more I appreciate all the little touches that make this one of the best arcade racers ever. Not only do you have plenty of gameplay incentives to drive like a maniac through rush-hour traffic, the game also rewards you with beautiful, flinch-inducing car crashes when you get too greedy. And as you take to the streets, no two races will unfold the same way. Computer drivers and bystanders often make human-like mistakes, resulting in unpredictable multi-car pileups that you have to watch for and avoid. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I had this much fun with a racing game.” (8.3 out of 10)
Burnout Legends (PlayStation Portable)
#4
“The thing that really impresses me about Legends is the way the developers managed to translate the breakneck pace of Burnout 3 to a handheld. Sure, it's a little bit slower than its PS2 counterparts, but I still felt that ridiculous sense of speed. Even more impressive is the fact that the controls are as tight as anyone could hope for. The only real disappointment is that event type Pursuit is a bit of a snooze compared to the immediate, visceral thrill of taking an opponent down. Chasing and slowing tearing apart your opponent is a bit too slow for my taste. Beyond that, it's a top-notch handheld translation and one of my favorite PSP games ever.” (8.8 out of 10)
Burnout Revenge (PlayStation 2 & Xbox)
#3
“Burnout Revenge is hard to rate. On almost every level, it's superior to Burnout 3, yet it lacks the impact of that game, which had so many pieces come together to create arguably the best arcade-racing experience ever. But Revenge's beauty is bounteous. The additions of track-opening shortcuts, an intuitive rating system and the ability to hit same-way traffic are significant and integrated flawlessly. I have a list of tiny complaints – I'd still like to see fewer loading screens and some sort of map or indication a track is nearing the end – but the fact is, I relished each minute with this game.” (8.8 out of 10)
Burnout Paradise (PlayStation 3 & Xbox 360)
#2
“As someone who closely followed Criterion's racing series for the last seven years, it warms my heart to see it evolve into something as innovative, satisfying and polished as Paradise. The series' core driving gameplay remains mercifully unadulterated here. But while the most recent franchise offers (Revenge and Dominator) felt like playin'-it-safe rehashes, Paradise brilliantly reimagines Burnout as a go-anywhere, do-anything open-world adventure in the vein of Grand Theft Auto. Devilishly aggressive A.I. transforms point-to-point races into epic high-speed battles, while stunt runs demand familiarity with Paradise City's craziest trick playgrounds. Yet, it's a shame that the game's best events – the takedown-centric Road Rage and everyone's-out-to-total-you Marked Man – aren't available in the otherwise sensational online mode.” (9 out of 10)
Burnout 3: Takedown (PlayStation 2 & Xbox)
#1
“Forget about tuning and tweaking in Takedown. The tenacity to ram your rivals and a sixth sense for finding a safe route through the snarled mass of sparking steel and smoking rubber are all that matters now that the contact motorsport is as mind-blowing as the second Matrix movie's freeway free-for-all. This is by far the best Burnout yet, and simulators aside, it's the rawest, most rewarding racer your buck can buy. While the pimple-pop-rock soundtrack shoves shoddy tunes on you instead of letting you handpick songs from your hard drive, the courses are sensational, the speed is staggering, and the smashes spectacular.” (9.2 out of 10)
