Burnout 2: Point of Impact PS2

One year on from the release of the original Burnout and a sequel comes careering along, bringing with it the same high velocity, no-strings-attached arcade racing. Ever heard the old adage 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it, just add more options and stuff'? Well, maybe not, but you get the picture. Essentially, Burnout 2 picks up where its predecessor left off. The same emphasis is placed on the idea that dangerous driving is the best way to go about it. Missing other vehicles by a scratch, catching some air, and driving on the wrong side of the road all count in your favour, slowly building up the ever-important boost bar. Once the boost is full, hit the R1 button and you're into warp speed. And that's fast. Vehicle deformation again plays a big part in the game's crashes, with some outstandingly preposterous wrecks resulting from the slightest miscalculation. The resulting carnage is examined from ever angle as the camera pans round in a helicopter fly-by. Six US-based locations, including Los Angeles, the Rocky Mountains and New Mexico, deliver a total of 32 new stages on which to wreak havoc. After a tutorial mode sticks you in a quirky little learner-driver car and preaches the basics of how not to drive, it's straight into Championship mode for straight-up head-on racing with three opponents. You know what to do - finish in a respectable position in order to unlock new levels and cars. Aside from the usual races, you also take part in one-on-ones, racing for pink slips, as well as all-new Pursuit races, completing such objectives as racing with the police and ramming opponents off the road. In keeping with the current trend for wreck-em-ups, Burnout 2 comes complete with a similarly inspired Crash mode. The idea is simple: drive as fast as possible into heavy traffic and cause as much damage as possible. A subsequent slow-motion replay shows the accident in all its gory detail, then the cost of the damage is meticulously calculated as a news helicopter assesses the scene. Nice.