In the mid-2000s, arcade racers were all the rage, and major developers/publishers were fighting for the title of the best racing game. While many focused on realistic, high-stakes racing, Criterion tried a completely different approach with their Burnout series. They ultimately perfected the formula with Burnout 3: Takedown, a game that revolutionized the genre.
This is a game that throws the rules out the window and embraces pure mayhem. It was about cinematic crashes and chaotic takedowns, rewarding aggressive and reckless driving. Unfortunately, it has been more than a decade since the last entry in this series. To reminisce, let’s take a look back at Burnout 3: Takedown and the lost art of over-the-top arcade racers.
Crash Mode In Burnout 3: Takedown Made Destruction To The Point
While the fast-paced racing and rewarding takedowns were the game’s meat and potatoes, it was Crash Mode that best exemplified Burnout 3: Takedown’s do-what-harm-you-can attitude. This wasn’t a racing mode, but a straightforward puzzle game of devastation. The goal was simple: drive your car into a congested intersection and create a chain-reaction pileup of apocalyptic size. The more cars you had in the pileup, the more explosions you set off, and the more expensive the damage, the greater your score.
What was so interesting about Crash Mode was the way it made senseless destruction a strategic problem. You had to skillfully direct your vehicle to crash into a “power up” or individual car to reap maximum devastation. The addition of the “Aftertouch” feature, which enabled you to maneuver your crashing vehicle in mid-air, introduced a much-needed degree of control. It was a flawlessly played side mode that provided infinite replayability, making sure a timely collision was as satisfying as coming in first place.
Crashbreaker was another interesting feature. When you had a “crash quota” and had reached it, a symbol would materialize. Pressing a button would blow up your vehicle, send surrounding cars flying, and produce extra destruction. Crash Mode wasn’t just about crashes, but orchestrating a symphony of destruction.
Aggression In Burnout 3: Takedown Redefined Multiplayer Racing
Whereas the addictive single-player experiences did Burnout 3: Takedown a world of favour, its multiplayer aspect is where it solidified its place as a genre pioneer. This game’s online component was all about raw anarchy and extreme speed aggression. Races were more about who could demolish the most rather than the standard competition.
The central Takedown mechanism easily crossed over into multiplayer. It wasn’t about who was the fastest, but who was the most aggressive. It produced a dynamic in which players were always on the lookout for chances to crash their opponents, not only for the thrill, but to get speed boosts too. Securing a flawless takedown on your friend was always hilarious, but receiving a takedown caused a tangible sense of need for revenge.
The goal in the online version of Road Rage wasn’t merely to complete the course, but to survive getting knocked out by rivals. This emphasis on aggressive combat in opposition to raw speed made every race nerve-wrecking, unpredictable, and a rewarding fight that raised the bar for what kind of gameplay is possible in racing games, even in the mid-2000s.
What Happened To Burnout?
While we still have great destruction-focused racing games like Wreckfest, they are very few and far between in the current era of games. Criterion briefly worked on Need for Speed games like 2010’s Hot Pursuit and 2012’s Most Wanted, and most recently, Need for Speed Unbound. We hear rumors about a new Burnout game all the time, but with the focus shifting due to studio restructuring, we may never see it again. It’s a shame, as Burnout 3: Takedown shows that this is a studio that can make some of the most enjoyable games out there.
