[MULTI] Burnout revenge hands-On su TeamXBox

[.:|Physalis|:.]

Per immagini e filmati andate QUI...


You may look at the title Burnout Revenge and think that EA and Criterion are trying to pull a fast one over on you. How can the Burnout franchise, which appeared to peak last year, get any different or any better? While trying to improve on near-perfection is a good problem to have, EA and Criterion were definitely faced with a dilemma when creating Burnout Revenge. The development team didn’t want to reinvent the wheel, they wanted to smash it into little pieces, which the series has been doing great with all along. But to stave off repetition and the subsequent boredom; here is where things get tricky.


Now that we have a build in our possession, it’s very clear to see that Burnout Revenge is much of the same but much of the different all in one. Things will look strikingly familiar to gamers when playing Burnout Revenge, but they are played in different ways. It’s sort of like the transition from the played out C-4 Corvette to the C-5; the machine is familiar yet innovative at the same time. Well, we’re about to take this latest version of the crème de la crème of extreme racing games for a test drive. Better have your seat belt, and next of kin information handy, ‘cause this is gonna’ be one wild ride…


Junction from hell

We all know and love the crash junction scenarios in the earlier Burnout titles, and if they didn’t change at all for Burnout Revenge, we’re thinking that the complaints would be minimal. But Criterion doesn’t roll like that. They have revamped the crash junction scenes to feature more skill via more things to worry about, while still retaining the visual destruction we all know and desire. When starting out in the crash junction mode, you won’t just leave the line with speed by picking up tokens. You’ll have to use some skill right off the starting line by working a meter in a multi-tap fashion. One tap will get your motor runnin’, and the second tap will hopefully get you heading out on the highway. If you grossly miss the timing points, you’ll will blow up right there and have to pick engine pieces off the tarmac and wait for the next run. But time the taps perfectly, and your ride will get afterburner-like boost and rocket toward the ramp.



Crash Junction


Ramps are a big part of Burnout Revenge since cars will spend as much time in the air as they do on the ground. As you hit the ramp at terminal velocity you’ll immediately notice that your car is never on the right track, or so it appears. This is no problem in Burnout Revenge since you can adjust for wind and direction just like a pro golfer would.



A wind gauge lets you know what’s up; a cross wind will move your ride either left or right and head or tail winds will send you short or long like a high-handicapped golfer’s short iron. You’ll have to use “aftertouch” to work the car like a giant golf ball, gently coaxing it to a landing that will cause the most carnage. Once the lead sled lands, it’s up to you to use more aftertouch to get it into the most precarious position possible. As the percentage of damage goes up, so do your chances of igniting a Crashbreaker which will guarantee you a spot on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. The fun doesn’t end there. As an added test of skill, you’ll need to track down a target car that must be hit for the really big points to be awarded. When you first see the car, you’ll realize that this is no east task since it will be well away from most junctions’ landing spots. You must figure out a way to contact the target car with your speed demon. This will take much practice, dedication, and reckless disregard for the well being of your driver and other motorists, but you’ll be willing to do what it takes to score- you can count on that.


Traffic is your friend

Burnout Revenge is more than just crash junction situations. The meat of the action comes from heads-up racing which has been redefined for Burnout Revenge. Remember how frustrating it was in Takedown to be winning a race, only to have some blue hair jam up your lane by doing the speed limit? Yeah, we thought so. Lucky for you, traffic in Burnout Revenge will be your friend and your friend only, never again causing you the road rage that landed your butt in jail last year. Every vehicle on the pavement can be manipulated to take your competitor’s out, instead of holding you up, which completely changes the dynamic of head-to-head racing in Burnout Revenge. This road-clearing move is known as a “check” and is no dissimilar to the hockey move of the same name. You’ll literally knock an innocent motorist into a competitor by nipping them with a bumper or quarter panel, which will send them flying into the woods instead of into the boards. You’ll be rewarded with points instead of traffic tickets for these maneuvers too, which adds even more excitement into every wheel-to-wheel race in Burnout Revenge. Couple the checks with in-race Crashbreakers, and the familiar Vertical Takedown, and you have one hell of an event on your hands. Also upping the excitement factor are new track designs which “double back” much more than before, pretty much guaranteeing head-on type situations. You’ll also be treated to renditions of real cities such as Detroit, Rome, and Tokyo, which means that you can be a rude motorist all over the globe.



Traffic Attack Carnage


What to expect besides carnage

Further testing of Burnout Revenge proves our initial feelings after EA’s Hot Summer Night- this game will make your engine block rock. Not only will you be faced with more dastardly tracks in real cities, in-race Crashbreakers, and traffic checking, but you’ll also have cars that show much more deformation than before. Yes, Burnout Revenge has even been given the visual upgrade that it didn’t really need, but it is nice to see. On top of the much improved wheel-to-wheel racing, you’ll have a totally new crash junction experience to deal with. Some may have liked the party-game simplicity of the older versions of this mode, but we’re digging the new depth here at the office. It’s more realistic, and therefore more rewarding to do well. Unfortunately it’s more addictive too, which leads to marathon gaming sessions that tend to mess up our updating deadlines. There’s also a new Traffic Attack mode included that adds additional depth to a franchise that is widely known for being interesting through-and-through.


From start to checkered finish, Burnout Revenge appears to have all of its bolts torqued and fluids topped off. Check out our new movies, and screens featuring the balls-to-the-wall gameplay of Burnout Revenge, which should be shipping sometime in September.