Burnout was codenamed ‘Shiny Red Car’ when it was shown privately at E3 in 2001be, not even reaching Burnout 3’s
fidelity of deformation. Even on
two-generations-old hardware, that
game’s crashes still have a greater
sense of weight, more prominent
shattering glass and debris, and more
cinematic takedowns.
Secondly, there are some minor
technical issues, with occasional
super-speed AI bugs, momentary
freezes in tunnels (presumably due
to graphic streaming), dead stops
without crashes registering and
respawns sometimes putting you
straight into another crash. The
takedown cutaways can also return
you to the action significantly further
behind the leader than you were when
you performed the takedown.
But mainly, even when suitable
music is blaring out, there’s just a
nagging feeling that something else
is missing. DJ Stryker is sorely missed,
that’s for sure, but it’s not that. A
multiplayer mode would also have
been nice at launch, and even though
it should be coming in an update
later, it’s still not too much of an issue
considering this kind of game works
so well as a turn-taker. There’s also
very little in the way of decals on the
cars, which makes everything look
a bit drab. You still get arcade-style
iconography like windmills and the
Aurora Borealis that make for ‘ooooh’
moments of eye-candy, but it is
nonetheless an understated game
that could do with a splash more
colour and brazen artistic flair.
But what it really needs?
Buildings. This game is absolutely
full of sky. There’s no city driving, so
there’s nothing like the density of
environmental objects seen in the
downtown stage of Burnout 3. The
reasons are understandable, given the
team size and budget, but Dangerous
Driving is so close to the full
experience, you can’t help but wish
this was a big-budget production.The boxed version does contain a
copy of Danger Zone 2, which makes
up for the lack of a dedicated Crash
mode here, so this package really is
the culmination of the past few years’
work for the team, and as close to
classic-style Burnout as you can get
on Xbox One. So accept its limitations,
blast some Funeral For A Friend and
crash ’em like it’s 2004. QSONIC
HIGHWAYS
The game wants you
to enjoy the kind of
soundtrack only EA
could afford to
license, so it allows
you to connect a
Premium Spotify
account via the Xbox
Guide. You can then
load up a Burnout 3
playlist, or indeed
anything else you
fancy. The game tells
you the ideal volume
level (15 per cent) so
everything’s sonically
balanced, and the
game feels more
complete and
self-assured as a
result. With Animal
Alpha’s ‘Bundy’ or My
Chemical Romance’s
‘I’m Not Okay (I
Promise)’ blaring from
your speakers, it feels
a lot like it’s the early
’00s again.“The game
wants you
to have fun
and focus on
aggression”
FAR LEFT You’re
limited to
wide-open
roads, there
are no urban
areas here.
RIGHT Driving
like you have a
death wish will
fill up your
boost gauge.OXM VERDICT
This really is just
like Burnout. Less
flamboyant, sure,
but supremely
enjoyable.7
LEFT Even the UI
is evocative of
Burnout 3.
Honestly, it’s a
dead ringer.More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 083REVIEW