| BurnOut 3: TakeDown, Need For Speed Underground 2 and Street Racing Syndicate - they’re all new
racing games, but what’s the difference? Burnout
2 launched on all 3 consoles back in 2003, but since Criterion Studios has been bought
by EA, Burnout 3 only appeared on the PlayStation2 and Xbox. The Need For Speed franchise has typically been
multiformat and the Underground editions
haven’t broken the trend, while Street Racing
Syndicate is also coming to all three major systems, with the UK GameCube release
discovering shop shelves some weeks prior to other formats for some undisclosed reason.
BurnOut 3: TakeDown is the a-typical classic
arcade racing game, a pure
frantic adrenaline rush where completing each race and unlock the next one. However, the
seemingly generic nature of the title is ironically becoming a niche in the racing market,
as the only recent release that springs to mind following a similar pattern would be OutRun on the Xbox. The BurnOut Crash Junctions have become infamous - the
idea is to do as much damage as you can to everything in your way. Simple, and addictive.
As an addition to the series, the third instalment saw the addition of races were the idea
was to simply destroy as many of your rivals as possible in order to earn points, you
could also use Signature Moves to earn more, which added a new level of challenge to the
proceedings. If you’re after a thrill-ride blast of arcade racing and some
spectacular crashes, and don’t care if reality’s left in the pit-lane, this is
it.
Need For Speed Underground 2 is a title which
sees the racing taking a back-seat to the cars – the title features over 20 different
models of car and over 200 different upgrades for your car. Winning races rewards you with
cash to customise your ride however you see fit, earning you respect on the street. With a
wide range of different race types such as Drift, Downhill Drift, Drag, Sprint, Street X,
Circuit and more, Need For Speed Underground 2
makes its play in the variety stakes. Also, you can drive around the city, between races
through different cities in America and there’s the odd hidden race that doesn’t
appear on the map - you just get a call on your phone. However, the graphics are truly
terrible. The cars are crafted to perfection, but inch-sighted corners and blurry
backgrounds unnecessarily hinder the game.
SRS: Street racing syndicate is a racing game
that pits itself between the two frontrunners above. You can modify your car with engine
and visual upgrades as in Need For Speed Underground
2, but you still have the slick high-speed racing seen in BurnOut 3: TakeDown.  The Collision Detection is perfect, and
unlike most rivals, in Street Racing Syndicate,
you can not only damage your car, but also this damage affects the performance of your
vehicle. Also it has a very wide range of licensed cars - 52 in fact. The street-roaming
from Need For Speed Underground 2 appears,
however when you use up all of your NOS you have to go and buy some more. In Street Racing Syndicate, you also have to win the
respect of the ladies – perform a challenge for them and then they become your
girlfriend – 18 in total – and take them out. You can also be chased by the cops
for speeding, dangerous driving and jumping lights. Seemingly a bit of a collaboration on
both BurnOut 3: TakeDown and Need For Speed Underground 2, Street Racing Syndicate places Namco on equal
footing with EA. |
