Burnout 2: Point Of Impact (GameCube) Preview

Burnout 2 is the original, doing 500 mph! More cars, tracks and the most amazing crashes literally make you gasp at every corner. In its predecessor, the crashes were ok. Thing was, you rarely left the floor. Now they are huge and explosive sending your car flying, in a million tiny bits. The physics have been taken even further and are now realistic 3D in a 3D world. They just make you think, does this really happen in real life. They are great and all, but slightly, just slightly, OTT. Never mind, can't say that we would want them to change it! The new cars look superb, with reflection everywhere and great looking cars. The polygon count is almost double what it was before. The traffic on the road now have the same graphical look as the main cars in the original! Each individual part of the car is now fully modelled so now, everything comes off. Wheels, bumpers, the lot. A great new aspect of the new game is the custom championship mode. Unlike the original, you will not finish the game with a whole three new cars. In the end, you will have over twenty at your disposal. Now also, the custom series make everything that little bit better. Every regular buyer or Max Power will know what this is. They are basically the same cars, but, modded up and dropped down, with spoilers and a decals galore. Rock on! Anyway, you won't be getting bored of this one quickly.

Burnout 2 is a major improvement on the original with bigger and brasher cars and amazing crashes. Now, like Gran Turismo and many other, championships work in a points based format. So even if you mess up one race, you can come back and win the next. This stops the originals unfair play of making you come first on a track you had never seen before. Criterion have not just beefed up the graphics of the original. They've given it a thorough kick in the teeth. Also, tracks are no where near as separated. So, you could find yourself going across a crossroad of another track. Next up, handling. It really is spot on. With power slides round corners being easier to pull off and seeming more realistic. You feel as though you are in complete control and know when to do different things. The Burnout bar is back. This time though, it becomes on fire so there is no chance of missing it. We don't know how many people we raced against and they complained they couldn't see the bar well enough. What rubbish. Anyway, now it also fills up when you get air as well the near misses, driving on the wrong side of the road and great drifts. Another improvement, as we always wanted to just drive up a ramp and take off.

If the actually main section itself wasn't enough, criterion have added even more, yes, more. This is in the form of a pursuit mode. Imagine Dukes Of Hazard and Chase HQ in one massive place, at the same time, intertwined, to make a mode which is probably bigger than the championship mode on the original! Obviously, if you do know what we are talking about you will realise what we mean. You jump in a police car, or whatever you choose, and give chase. Its kind of like some of the missions in Driver. You have a damage meter in the top left, and you have to gradually wear it down on the opponents car. Everything comes off, and in the end, all that will be left is a pile of billowing smoke. Sweet.