Looking for a fast racer that has some of the best detailed wild crash sequences? Then look no further than Burnout 2: Point of Impact, out now on the Nintendo GameCube. Anyone who is a fan of the Ridge Racer series of games on the PS2 owes it to themselves to check out Burnout 2 and see what all the talk is about. Detailed cities and tracks, well modeled vehicles, and some great in-game physics when it comes to fast cars slamming into objects and demolishing.
Graphics
Ap…earing done quite well on the GC, and Progressive Scan supported, B2 is a nice collection of speed racing in crowded cities and country side alike. Framerates run in the upper digits and the game never really seems to exhibit any hiccups or lag–and this is a plus considering much of the racing is at breakneck speeds through crowded streets.
The big draw with B2 is of course the bone-crunching wrecks and smash ups. It won’t be long before you wrap your vehicle around a light pole or do a head-on into a crowded school bus–and the effects are top notch. When an accident does happen, the game cues an external camera view which offers the best vantage point to see you carnage at work. The effect can sometimes be truly hilarious.
The streets, buildings, pedestrians, and other vehicles didn’t really get the short end of the graphical stick however, so it is pleasing to see that these aforementioned items are well done and are fairly polished. The camera can be selected to follow your car at two different distances, or switched to a first –person viewpoint to give that added realism of being behind the wheel.
Audio
A great feature with Burnout 2 is the audio option of Dolby Pro Logic II surround sound. Players with the Home Theater setup will enjoy some great racing and crashing effects heard through the advanced speakers of an HT system.
Music in Burnout 2 is a cool collection of rocking tunes which adds to the exciting nature of maniacal driving on crowded highways. Music and sound effects can be heard in the Pro Logic II format, or listened to in normal stereo if so desired.
Gameplay
There are several options for getting onto the highway in B2, whether it be a Single Race, Time Attack, Crash, or up against another in the Multiplayer feature. Before anyone can take to the road however, the game has a tutorial built into it that forces a player to go through before the real racing happens. Skills such as the Near-Miss, Oncoming Traffic, Skidding Turn, Big Air, and Boost are needed to be completed before a player can move on.
Points are awarded for driving on the wrong side of the road and achieving the Near Miss. Once enough points have been accumulated, the Boost gauge fills and the player can now use the R button to boost the car to a higher speed on the track. Of course a crash is almost guaranteed to follow and the breakup can be entertaining indeed.
Gamers can even play the Crash mode of gameplay and see how many insurance points they can rack up for driving dangerously. Courses include Pacific International Airport, Palm Bay, Interstate 88, Big Surf, Sunrise Valley, and Crystal Summit. Road and track conditions vary as does the time of day, so racers will see a little of everything in B2.
There is also a Championship mode that has players racing through a GP series of races which will unlock additional Modes and Courses. There are two Championship seasons to compete in–Standard and Custom–and both contain four GP races each.
Replay
Burnout 2 has a solid Multiplayer feature with it that has several MP racer features such as MP Single Race, MP Pursuit Mode, and MP Crash Mode. These three modes offer some great fun for you and another friend to hash out on the highways and streets.
Burnout 2: Point of Impact is a solid racer and a must have for any racing fan who owns the GameCube. Serious racing fans even have the option of using a Racing Wheel peripheral instead of the standard GameCube controller to drive their three ton piece of machinery right into a wall. At the very least, pick this title up just to get a load of the incredible crash sequences.
Screenshots
