Crash
'N' Burn is an arcade-style racer with a mean streak.
If bumping and banging your way to the finish line,
demolition style, in the heart of the city is your
kind of thing, then Crash 'N' Burn may be right up
your alley - both figuratively and literally.
This
is the consummate Christmas morning game. It can be
played by anyone almost immediately but it's not a
cakewalk. It's challenging in that there are many
variables to consider such as dodging attacks from
other racers, veering around traffic and avoiding
the wrecks that stay on the track for the duration
of the race. The sounds, the graphics and the spectacular
animation of the crashes are sure to leave a few jaws
agape. Of course you've seen a lot of this before
in games such as Midnight Club, Burnout and the Need
For Speed Underground series.
Each
race consists of 16 vehicles. Damage to each vehicle
affects performance and you can expect to take many
hits from the AI which are prone to such offensive
driving tactics a the expense of their own lives.
Sparks fly as you kiss fenders. Glass shatters and
dents appear as your car takes a beating. Those that
sustain too much damage die on the course and remain
there for the duration of the race. Other crashes
result in astounding carnage as vehicles flip, turn,
twist, crumple and erupt in a wall of flames with
the announcer calling for an ambulance.
The
cars handle great. They don't go particularly fast
but they feel as though they have some weight to them
and appear to respond to real world physics - albeit
in an arcade fashion. They are very colorful, almost
plastic looking which just begs you to put some wear
and tear on them. There are four classes of vehicles
which include muscle, sports, pick up and compact.
Money
awarded for races can be used for primarily cosmetic
upgrades such as paint, scoops, hoods and rims. You
can really get your vehicle looking fly. Performance
upgrades include steering, brakes and turbo but the
focus of the gameplay is not solely that of racing,
it's destruction which kind renders these upgrades
somewhat impotent. Perhaps armor and weapons should
have been included as upgradable options.
Customized
vehicles can be uploaded online where the action varies
from lame to intense depending on the skill of the
other racers. This game is so accessible that it attracts
a wide range of players - many which end up as debris
on the track. Human racers tend not to be so reckless
since they want to stay in the race. It's the unavoidable
accidents that keep you on your toes.
Tracks
are located within the various city limits of places
such as Las Vegas, Miami, San Francisco and Detroit.
There will be live intersections with city traffic
to deal with. One particular mode, Kamikaze, has half
of the cars racing in one direction with the other
half racing in the other direction. This is a lot
of fun and there are plenty of head-on collisions
to witness, avoid, or take part in.
I
could do without the soundtrack that passes for rock
music and the announcer needs more dialogue. He sounds
like an automaton on a Disney ride. The cars sound
generic but at least the crashing sounds have some
meat to them. 
Crash
'N' Burn is a fun, if shallow, game that is geared
for intermediate gamers that just want to break something
and not have to spend half a day learning which button
does what. There is a "budget-quality" feel
to the game which robs it of personality but treat
it like the arcade beeeeatch that it is and you'll
do fine.
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