Burnout has been one of my personal favorite driving series since Burnout 2: Point of Impact. One of the main reasons this game series has caught my eye for so long is because of that little game play feature called “crash mode.” While Burnout Paradise was an amazing game and the crashes were gorgeous, I kind of had a bad taste in my mouth because the traditional crash mode was nowhere to be seen. Well now Criterion seems to be going back to crash mode as EA has announced Burnout Crash! for XBLA and PSN this Fall.
The game is looking to bring all the carnage and mayhem back, but this time in a downloadable package. For those who are not familiar with crash mode, here is the breakdown: the object is to hurl your car into an intersection and cause as much damage and destruction as possible. Criterion is also throwing in the Autolog technology that was used in Hot Pursuit so everyone can keep track of high scores and records with friends and rivals. So far EA and Criterion are boasting three different game modes and eighteen crash junctions in six different location types. There will be a variety of cars to unlock and a ton of secret features which they are not discussing yet.
The only departure that makes me worried is the fact the game’s top down perspective. The graphics are going to look scaled down rather than what you’d come to expect from a full fledged Burnout sequel. This should be expected though since this isn’t a major Burnout installment but more of a side game to tide people over until the next Burnout. Check out the teaser trailer below to get an idea of what direction Criterion is taking for this departure.
There used to be an embeded media player here, but it doesn't work anymore. We blame the Tumbeasts.
[Images and video via Criterion Games and burnout team rocks]
