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Leaves the original in the dust

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 30 / 32
Date: October 05, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Burnout, Criterion's original traffic-weaving arcade racer, was a hit-and-miss affair with many. It delivered an intense racing experience, but was marred by short length, fuzzy graphics, and annoying crash replays. However, Criterion has taken all complaints into account, and delivered their masterpiece: Burnout 2 - Point of Impact. It looks better and is deeper, but retains the same magnetic gameplay of the first game. Burnout 2 is one of the best games on the system, and is one of the best arcade racers to come along in a long time.

The first thing you'll notice is the graphical upgrade. Anyone who thinks the PS2 is underpowered should look at what Criterion's been able to coax out of it. Burnout 2 is filled with visual beauty: lens flares, weather effects, beautifully rendered car models, lifelike tracks brimming with ambient activity and traffic, and wince-causing crashes. The roads are choked with traffic, each moving independently (Criterion says there are several different types of AI behavior now). All this at a screaming 60 frames per second...without an ounce of slowdown - even in multiplayer. When you consider the detail, the speed, and the amount of moving objects on the screen at any one time, Burnout 2 is one of the best-looking games on the PS2. Criterion and its Renderware tool deserve some serious praise for what they've accomplished.

But games aren't all graphics, are they? Burnout 2 has some of the most enjoyable, adrenaline-pumping gameplay you'll find. The premise is simple: race AI-controlled opponents as fast as you can, along checkpoint-riddled courses overflowing with traffic which serves no purpose except to get in your way. Weaving amongst the logging trucks, passenger cars, and buses, time running out, AI on your tail....what a rush. The CPU cars aren't perfect, either - they'll crash as often as you do, making the races much more realistic and forgiving. Go too slow, and you'll miss the next checkpoint, losing the race - the game WANTS you to take risks, and constantly rewards you for it. If you should be unlucky enough to hit another car, be ready for a ferociously portrayed impact. However, the replays have been much shortened from the first game - one short replay and you're back on the track in no time.

Another complaint that's been addressed is the lack of modes. Burnout 2 sports a training mode called Offensive Driving 101, which teaches you the advantages of power-sliding, jumping, driving against traffic, getting Near Misses, etc - all of which fill your Burnout meter. When full, you can access a speed boost that'll launch you into serious high-g territory, complete with screen blur and a soundtrack change. Drain your meter without crashing and you get a score multiplier. Time Attack is exactly what you'd expect - try and set your best lap/course times. Pursuit Mode is also new - you're a police car chasing another vehicle, with no other purpose but to ram it into submission...while avoiding traffic yourself. Do so, and you'll unlock the car for the other modes. None of the cars are licensed - not surprising when you consider the twisted hunks of metal they become - but it's easy to see their source of inspiration (i.e. the Classic is obviously an old-school Caddy...and you can choose to make it pink!).

A brilliant new mode is called simply Crash. Criterion's smart - it knew it had a great creation with its impact engine, but fully including it in the main racing modes disrupted the flow of the races. Enter Crash mode, in which you're given a few seconds, a full Boost meter, and a busy intersection just ahead. Here, the object is to cause the biggest traffic accident you can. After you throw yourself into motor mayhem, you're treated to an ego-indulging, overhead, slo-motion replay, and you're given a final score (in insurance dollars). Plus, wreck five cars at once, and your total is multiplied by five. This mode is a stroke of genius that's huge fun with friends, in an un-ending competition to wreak the most havoc.

Championship Mode is similar to the original Burnout: progress along a series of races, unlocking cars and new courses as you go, but in Burnout 2, you're given a points system rather than the rigid "You Must Finish First To Advance" rules of the first. Burnout 2's single-player mode is longer than before, but still has the same difficulty level. Driving game vets will be able to jump in and unlock stuff right away. But once you unlock everything, you'll most likely leave Championship behind - the real replay value of Burnout is in the multiplayer and Time Attack modes (plus a couple other worthwhile secret ones!).

Burnout 2: Point of Impact is a thrill freak's dream. It's the fastest game on the PS2, looks gorgeous, has great sound, and packs tons of replay value. If you liked the original, you'll love the second - case closed. If you passed on the first, Point of Impact is definitely worth looking at, because all the gripes you mave have had have been fixed, and the new modes make Burnout 2 quite an attractive package. As the AAA-title-swamped end of 2002 approaches, Burnout 2 may get lost amongst higher-profile titles, but as of October, it's without a doubt my pick for Game of the Year...and I'm not really a huge fan of racing games.

One of the Best Racing Titles Ever!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 15 / 19
Date: October 05, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I just can't say enough about this game. If you liked the first Burnout or are looking for an amazing gaming experience this is the game for you. Awesome visuals a 60fps framerate and rocking gameplay will have you in front of your PS2 for hours on end. I just picked this game up today and have been playing for 4 hours straight.

The many modes in Burnout 2 are great. You have the normal Championship mode, Time Attack, Single Race, Pursuit where you play a cop trying to ram the baddies off the road ala Chase HQ, and then the ultimate mode of any game CRASH. In crash mode you strategically crash your car into an onslaught of other cars to cause as much damage as possible.

I have just started playing this game, but can honestly say that it will be in my PS2 for a long time to come.

It's all about the racing...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 14
Date: October 08, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Let me first get this out of the way: Burnout 2 cannot compete with Gran Turismo, but it doesn't have to. They are different styles of games, with very different goals.

The Gran Turismo series is all about the real cars, the real driving physics (minus damage) and tuning options out the wazoo; Burnout 2 is about racing and crashing in spectacular fashion. If your idea of a good driving game is to be able to change the gear ratios, modify the spark timing, et. al. then you probably want to skip Burnout 2. If you want to drive wrecklessly through oncoming traffic and see some of the best slow motion, metal wrenching, car crushing crashes while playing a very fast and tighly controlled arcade racer, the Burnout 2 is where you want to be.

Burnout 2 takes classic checkpoint racing and brings it home at a blazing speed. The game has no slowdown from it's beautiful 60 fps. The cars offer excellent detail (though not quite so much as Gran Turismo), and the backgrounds (or what you see of them while zipping by at outlandish speeds) are also richly populated. The game just looks good. Add to that the excellent crash physics (and a special mode where you just try to wreck in the most expensive and destructive manner possible) and you have a wonderfull little game. The crash mode alone makes this a great party game if for just to see who can cause the most spectacular wreck and cause the most property damage.

But keep this in mind when checking the game out. If you like arcade racing, then Burnout 2 is the new cream of the crop. If you want a realistic simulation of driving and tuning, then this is not going to be the game for you.

Best Car Game Since Gran Turismo 3!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 11
Date: November 25, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Burnout 2 is such a good game. When I got it, I wasn't expecting such good graphics and detail. You start out having to do Offensive Driving 101, and then after completing that, you begin the game. It has a "Crash" mode where the whole point is to rack up collateral damage. There are regular championship races, and when you get all gold medals in a championship, it unlocks a face off, where you race a car for the right to drive it, or a pursuit, where you use a cop car to total the other car so you can race it. After you complete the championships, a new mode opens up called custom chapionship. In that, you race souped up cars in a fast and the furious like manner, especially with the whole nitrous thing. Nitrous plays a big part in Burnout. You get it by dodging cars, drifing, catching air, and driving in oncoming traffic. Burnout's crashes are awsome because car parts fly everywhere and it activates a special camera that plays in slow motion to capture the full terror of the crash. This game is a must-buy for everyone because it is a good single player and multipayer game. You just can't go wrong with Burnout 2.

Awesome!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 13
Date: April 22, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I never play such an exciting & realistic driving game before. This totally beats out the GT series! It keeps you busy on non-stoping driving excitment.

Burnout 2 Awsome Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 16
Date: August 29, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Burnout 2 is the best game ever made!!!! I would recomend it to anyone who has PS 2,Gamecube, or Xbox. Its very fun

MOST FUN RACING GAME I'VE SEEN YET!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: April 03, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I have played a lot of racing games and none of them captivated me like this one. When I first played it it was ok until my first crash. The realism and graphics on the crashes are amazing. It shows windows cracked and glass all over the place and unbelievably real damage done to the cars. The crash or destruction mode is awesome because is sets you up in perfect places to cause some serious devestation where the goal is to cause as much damage as possible. The first one sends you down a hill into an extrememly busy intersection full of suvs, semi-trucks, small coupe cars and many more. You just plow through and fly up totaling your car and causing a 9+ car pile up with mass meyhem. This is the best racing game I have ever played! Without a doubt you should pick this game up because I know you'll be going back to the crash mode again and again. Definately 5 stars!!!

A Great racing game times 100

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: January 03, 2003
Author: Amazon User

The original Burnout was a ground breaking new game that made weaving through traffic a whole lot more fun than it used to be. Now Acclaim came out with Burnout 2 and did the impossible: improved upon the original Burnout. Here are the good and bad things about this game:

Highs:

~Outstanding graphics
~Realistic weather conditions
~Over 20 different cars
~Lots of tracks
~Tells you the acceleration, handling, ect. (unlike Burnout 1)
~New modes: Crash, Pursuit, and Offensive Driving School

Lows:

There really aren't any.

Obviously anyone who givs this game a bad rating hasn't played it before.

Looks great

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 7
Date: September 06, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Have to say I'm looking forward to this game. My PS2 is actually going to have 480P on my digital TV, that with 60fps and I'm a happy camper. And the lighting on this game looks incredible.

Burnout 2 is red-hot!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: October 18, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Burnout 2 is an awesome game. The crash mode is definitely the top feature although everything is excellent.

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