It’s been about six months now since EA released the newest version of Burnout Revenge for the Xbox system. Several of the staff has since spent hours playing online and enjoying the game. Of course the latest version to hit the Xbox had some great features and even new game modes added. It was certainly worth the wait.

The Xbox 360 version hit and I could not wait to get my hands on it and try it out. Fans of the series are in for a few surprises and while the game is basically the same as the Xbox version, there are new enhancements and a few changes. The big question for gamers is Burnout Revenge for the 360 worth buying? Read the full Burnout Revenge Xbox 360 video game review and find out.

Gameplay

At first glance the game seems almost identical to the Xbox version. However, there are some big changes. Some make the game even better while other changes may have fans of the Xbox version wondering why. Of course the game looks better and it certainly plays well. It’s the same format on the single-player mode. The goal is to enter the latest Burnout Tournament traveling throughout the different locations around the world with the goal of getting a gold medal and the highest rank. The cars, for the most part, are the same, but they did add a few new ones and will be offering new ones through the Marketplace.

In the single-player mode the overall load time is fast and the game is great to play. You may notice the first change is in the crash events. Gone is the meter that acted like the revving of the gas pedal and required gamers to hit the A button at the right time for the perfect start. Now it’s an auto launch system and for many, this small change has been greeted with mixed reviews. I personally thought the old way was an improvement. At times there was the need for a slower start to get the best crash score possible. For those who liked the old control system as found in Burnout: TakeDown 3, the change may be a welcomed one.

Gamers will also notice the new instant replay and the ability to record up to 30 seconds of game footage to save or upload and share with their friends, a nice feature and one that is simple to use. The fact you can view the entire race from several angles may help those who are struggling with a race or an event. It’s also pretty cool to be able to upload the replay and see if you can make the top 20. Road rage, Crashbreaker and the traffic attack return and are as challenging as the Xbox version. Sadly, they went a different route with the intro movies and while they fit the Xbox 360 style and are slick looking, I was really looking forward to seeing the movies redone for the 360 version. The hardest events are still the Burning Laps and finding and pulling off all the Signature Takedowns. The rest of the game is intact and while the crash scores are higher, it’s pretty much the same game and attitude which is great.

Owners of the Xbox 360 know that they want you to take the game online and play against others players who are not on your friends list. This is in keeping with the “Jump In” slogan that MS created when the Xbox 360 was launched. I have mixed feelings about this. I can understand the fact that they want to promote competition. However, just like PGR 3 and a few other titles, half the fun was getting a group of friends in one room and playing together. You can still do this but you won’t be able to have it as a ranked match. While this really falls under the Xbox live section, it’s an important part of the trend of most games and has created mixed reactions among gamers.

It’s very hard not to judge the bar so to speak on this version without looking at the Xbox version. Since the game was released not that long ago and most gamers still have their old Xbox systems, many gamers may wonder if it’s worth the extra $20.00 to get the 360 version. I say it is and many of the fans I have talked to have agreed, but there are a few issues that are common with any Burnout version. The load times are short on the single-player but online, especially in crash mode, it seems like a patch is needed. They are long and at times can be frustrating. EA has already posted on their forums they are working on this issue and just like the Xbox version; they are working on it even as you read the review. Having both versions, I prefer the 360 version overall and while it’s a little different, the enhancements and other small touches make this one hard not to like for fans of the series.

Control / Playability

The controls are near perfect and really not any different than the Xbox version. Of course, now you would hit the right shoulder button to change tracks on the default game soundtrack. In the Xbox version you hit the black button. The after touch controls seem a bit more powerful and you will notice that you travel further than before. Also the crashbreakers are also a bit more powerful, but when you see the goals for each event, it makes sense.

Overall, the controls are great and very responsive. Everything is at your fingertips, which makes the game easier to play but still hard to master. No complaints at all with the controls except for the crash events and the launch meter changing which I already mentioned. Perhaps fans responded and they wanted to make it even for all to learn, I guess we’ll never know. The racing still requires perfect timing of the gas and break to get the boost start. If it sounds a little confusing, it is but this may be a case of not wanting to tick off the die-hard fans of the series.

Xbox Live

Here is where the game has the biggest changes for players to get used to. In a ranked match or even an unranked match, the game will show you the point leader and if there are any rivals in the room. The rival system is easy to learn; if you take down someone, a green exclamation point will appear by their names. If they take you down, a red one will show up. To settle the score, just take down the rival and the icon will disappear. It adds to the feel of the game and the way that it promotes trading paint and taking down the other racers. You can log on next week or next month and if there happens to be a rival in the room, it will show up. It adds to the gameplay and will certainly cater to those who love to compete on Xbox Live. Making or joining a room is easy and the host has the option of changing the event without needing to start a new room and set certain rules. Also the boot button is back in case someone joins who has been a problem in the past.

Overall, the online play is great but there seems at times to be server problems which are not uncommon with the Burnout crowd. At times the servers can be a nightmare to connect and other times it’s fantastic. Again, just like the last two versions, EA is always working on this and it will improve. To say the game has no issues would be wrong and unfair to those who read our reviews. The load times in crash mode are way too long. If you get booted, unless in a room full of friends, you will need to wait until the event is over to rejoin. Even with friends only the host would need to end the game and re invite everyone. Having spent a several hours online with and without friends, I have noticed that the load times are slowly improving. EA still needs to tweak the servers and it seems a busy night is when the load times are the worst. Then again fans already went through this with the past versions and with updates and patches; the problem always seems to get better. Overall, with the new rival mode and the new crash events, the Xbox 360 version is worth every penny.

Graphics / Presentation

The graphics are sharp and the load screens feature some great shots. Cars look 3-D and will certainly make any one take a second look. The explosions and takedowns are all enhanced and not over done. Each car looks great and they added enough new ones and crash vehicles to add some challenge to learn when to use the new ones. The rival screens and the stats are impressive and will show you if you go online this week or next month and enter a room if there is someone who you made a rivalry with. The tracks and surroundings all look great no complaints in this area.

Audio

I praised EA for not using a DJ who held your hand like in Takedown. She returns and acts only as a person who introduces the event at the beginning of the game. The EA Trax include perhaps the best verity of any EA game and fits well with the theme. Of course most will stream custom play lists through their computer while playing and the music does not interfere with the intros or other sounds. The tires sound real when doing a huge drift and the added sound effects are all great. Of course the best is the added chants of the crowd yelling “blow it up” when getting ready to hit a crash breaker in crash mode. Overall, the audio is top-notch and no issues I found at all.

Replay Value

Burnout Revenge will take days to beat and maybe longer in the single-player. Throw in the achievements and the game really is loaded with replay value. The amount of cars and crash vehicles and the fact you need to unlock them will challenge any player. They may have gone a little gung ho on a few of the achievements and it will take you a long time to get a perfect rating on all events or the 50 takedowns on one rival, but then again fans of the series are hard core and will find the time to reach them if they want. It also is the type of game that racing fans can get online, race, and be aggressive, then when they want to play just for fun, make a room with friends and play the crash mode.

Overall Score

Overall Score: 9.2/10 [not an average]

Additional Comments

While the 360 version is overall the better one, I have to take into account the long load times and some of the server issues. No fan of the series would regret buying the 360 version, but it has some issues online that need to be fixed. The change made back to the auto launch in crash may take time to adjust to but overall the title is great and a real challenge. While a bit different then the Xbox one, Burnout Revenge is still the best Arcade-style racer around and will be a great addition to your Xbox 360 library!

Editor’s Notes

I absolutely love Burnout, and the more recent versions of Burnout Revenge for the Xbox and the Xbox 360 are the best of the batch. I like allot of the changes that the developers have incorporated into the game and for the most part agree fully with this opinion of the game, but it leaves a burning question in my mind when I sit on-line with a few friends and wait almost a minute for the game to progress to the next attempt in a Crash mode game. We are in the ‘next generation’ of video game consoles, developers should take notice. To be brutally honest, even though I am indeed a huge fan of the series, the one thing stopping me from going on-line to play Burnout Revenge right now on my Xbox 360 is this issue, and this issue alone.

Our reviewer Rich says the developers are indeed working on a patch to make the game’s load times better. Unfortunately, patches like these should be applied to the game during testing, not after it has reached gamer’s consoles. Call it a no brainer, load times make me crazy, and Burnout Revenge as it stands has one of the worst load times I have seen on the Xbox 360, especially in the crash modes. In a game where you are dealing with aggression and revenge, one of the more prevalent traits should not be the waiting game. - Jason Rybka, Chief Editor, XBS.

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