Burnout CRASH! Review for PlayStation 3 (PS3)

System: PS3, Xbox 360
Dev: Criterion Games
Pub: EA
Release: September 20, 2011
Players: 1
Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p	Cartoon Violence

However, that doesn't mean the game is perfect by any means. If you are playing on the Xbox 360, you might be tempted to check out the Kinect mode. Do yourself a favor and just leave it alone. I can kind of see where the developers were going with the Kinect support, but this control scheme just doesn't have enough precision to allow you to effectively stop traffic or hit targets. Oh, and jumping to explode gets old fast. Especially if you live in a condo and have downstairs neighbors. (Sorry, guys!)

Burnout CRASH! Screenshot

The sound is also a problem at times. In the main mode, there are periodic radio announcements that play every time you go through a level, and they're always exactly the same. Normally this wouldn't be too much of an issue, but when the game is centered around re-playing levels over and over to get higher scores and earn more stars, the repetitive radio sounds gets incredibly agitating—especially when the radio voiceover has the worst fake hillbilly accent I've ever heard. Seriously, it will make you want to remove your own ears. On the plus side, though, the game does feature some cute nods to oldies music—"Dr. Beat" by Miami Sound Machine plays whenever an ambulance is near, for example—and the background music is inoffensive.

Burnout CRASH! is not the game I needed—or even wanted—from the Burnout series. Still, it has enough charm to stand on its own, and it's a fun little diversion. The actual driving element is minimal, but if you like puzzle or arcade-style games, Burnout CRASH! is right up your alley. It's certainly charming and addictive, and for $10, it doesn't get a whole lot wrong. I'm just hoping that the next game that comes along with the Burnout name sticks a little closer to the roots of the series.

By Amanda L. Kondolojy
CCC Senior Contributing Writer

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

3.5

Graphics
Visuals are simple but effective.

3.7

Control
Traditional controls work well enough, but Kinect support is a disappointment.

3.0

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Background music and oldies clips sound great, but a repetitive voiceover ruins the overall sound scheme.

3.5

Play Value
The game certainly has pick-up-and-play appeal, and the Autolog feature may provide some friendly competition, but Burnout CRASH! isn't one you'll play for too long.

3.6

Overall Rating - Good
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 - 1.9 = Avoid	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	3.5 - 3.9 = Good	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair	4.0 - 4.4 = Great	5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

Burnout CRASH! packs countless hours of reckless chaos into an easy to pick up but difficult to master gameplay experience. There are three explosive game modes available across 18 crash junctions in six unique locations, each requiring different skills and strategies to maximize damage and destroy everything in sight.

With a variety of player vehicles to unlock, high-value targets to seek and destroy, and crazy special features to discover, players will be hooked on an adrenaline-fuelled rampage to the top of the Crashwall.

Burnout CRASH! is the first Xbox LIVE Arcade title to feature a game mode designed exclusively for Kinect in which two teams can use gestural controls to play on one television in a party battle!