Burnout Revenge can be summed up into 27 words: the most bad-ass, adrenaline-rushing, non-stop action, pedal-to-the-metal, look-out-for-that-18-wheeler racing game ever to grace a game console. There were times in game that I had to pause it just to resettle myself in my chair and the controller in my hands. Just like its predecessor, Burnout 3, Revenge relies on high-speed driving and dangerous decision-making to be successful. Want to follow the rules of the road, take a field trip to the DMV. Putting it all on the line to stay one step ahead of your opponents justly defines the gameplay of Burnout Revenge.

There have been a couple major changes to the gameplay of Burnout including the ability to plow through traffic to open a path on the road. Called traffic checking, racers are able to hit cars (with the exception of big rigs and oncoming traffic) without sustaining damage to your vehicle. Furthermore, the cars you slam into can easily be used as a road hazard for opposing racers, hopefully taking them out in the process. The cars you hit don’t follow any practical physics engine, crushed like aluminum soda cans and flown up in the air upon any hard contact with racers. Realistic, no. Awesomely cool, hell yes! The race tracks are quite freeing in the game, opening up several different paths and secret routes to the racers to cut time and surprise opponents. The speeds in which you travel can be so intense, I wondered how the game would play without the alternate paths. These paths have almost no traffic, leaving you with a decision to either avoid your opponents and sacrifice boost power gained from dodging traffic or vice versa.

There are three modes of gameplay including World Tour mode, multiplayer mode, and online mode through Xbox Live. World Tour leads you through more than 150 events, earning new cars and awards on the way. The progression system of World Tour is a little confusing because you can progress to new levels (11 ranks in all) without completing all prior races. The complications could have been avoided through a more user-friendly menu that required the completion of all prior races. Also, choosing your vehicles for races have actually been downgraded from Burnout 3, lacking the class ranking that separated coupes from hot rods and implementing a new straight-line selection ranked by speed, weight, and crashbreaker force (an explosion you can initiate after a major collision). The same race types from Burnout 3 are here: standard race, eliminator (which eliminates the most behind racer every 30 seconds until one remains), road rage (which aims at running opponents off the road), and crash mode (where you must drive your vehicle right into heavy flowing traffic to cause the most monetary damage).

One thing I noticed was that the races always seemed pretty close in single player. The AI system allows for this by slowing down opponents that are in the lead and speeding up opponents that are falling behind. This is an essential part of the game in order to balance the curveballs thrown at you such as plowing through traffic or crashing into a 20 car pile-up. Xbox Live works very well in Burnout Revenge, with an optimatch system similar to the rank-based Halo 2. Different from Burnout 3, where you could race all your single-player cars online, Revenge requires you to level up online as well to unlock your vehicles, all the while putting you in the correct rank placement for races.

Graphically, the game excels in every direction. The car models are so smooth and detailed, I didn’t even notice that the vehicles are not licensed by any manufacturer like Lamborghini or Porsche (although they look just like them). The tracks are incredibly diverse and beautiful to race through, only strengthened through the use of a blur effect when traveling at high-speeds. Even the camera system is done properly with “Take downs” shown beautifully in slow motion while in the race. All of this, of course, looks better with HD-TV where the Xbox version triumphs in comparison. The sound is also on top of the game, mixing realistic sound of collisions and explosions every step of the way with the EA music soundtrack featuring heavy rock artists that complement the aggressive feel of the game.

Burnout Revenge improves upon some of the shortcomings of Burnout 3. Although not a completely revolutionized title, Burnout Revenge adds so much in terms of game mechanics, it has quickly become my favorite racing game of all time. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up now! 

Gameplay: 9.0
Major changes to the gameplay and the thrill of the ride makes Revenge a must have.

Graphics: 9.4
Car wrecks never looked so good!

Sound: 9.0
Car wrecks never sounded so good either!

Difficulty: Easy/Medium

Concept: 9.0
It’s been about a year since Burnout 3 was released and Revenge continues strong where it left off.

Multiplayer: 9.0
It’s good to know Xbox Live serves a purpose outside of Halo 2, as Burnout Revenge delivers a very solid multiplayer experience.

Overall: 9.2
There are some things like menu interfaces that could have been fixed up, but all shortcomings pale in comparison to how fun Burnout Revenge is to play. Now if you’ll excuse me, it's time to plow down some unaware drivers and use their cars as road hazards!