Burnout 3: Takedown
Encyclopedia
Burnout 3: Takedown is the third game in the Burnout
series of video games. Released on September 7, 2004, developed by Criterion Games
and published by Electronic Arts
(the first Burnout game EA published), the game drew critical acclaim and a large fanbase.
A GameCube version was planned but was scrapped during development. The game was delayed for release in 2003 because of its original publisher Acclaim Entertainment
going bankrupt. The game was then picked up by Electronic Arts
, the game was then further delayed as changes were made to the game. It is also the only game in the series that received a T rating by the ESRB
, making it the last game in the series to be released before the E10+ rating debuted on March 2, 2005. A 5 lapped race demo was and is still available in the EA game Need For Speed: Underground 2. EA Games shut down all network services on April 15, 2010. It is the longest Burnout game to ever have 6th gen console online support.
In the crash mode, the player is not racing opponents on a track. Instead, in each crash attempt, the player races at high speeds towards an intersection and tries to do as much monetary damage to the vehicles there as possible, while collecting cash and multiplier bonuses. The three crash modes are very similar. In some, you drive alone, in others you crash as a team with a combined score, etc., but the goal of doing the most damage remains the same.
In any mode, medals are awarded for achieving certain scores. These medals are used to unlock hidden tracks and vehicles.
Burnout 3 features 173 different events in the offline mode, and 67 cars to unlock, including a City Bus, Truck Cab, Fire Truck, and a Trash Truck for use in the Crash mode. There was also an online mode where up to six players could compete in a race, and eight players could compete in a Crash event. In online races, aggression was lowered down compared to Single Player. Racers must focus on good drifts and avoiding traffic, not just takedowns, in order to win. This gave the online mode a different feel from single player. There is a racing variant known as Road Rage where players are divided into two teams. The blue team receives a three second head start
and must drive a certain number of miles without being eliminated by being taken down. The red team attempts to takedown the blue team before they reach the finish line. On April 15th, 2010, EA pulled the plug on the online servers, shutting them down for both the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions of the game. Xbox Live
for the original Xbox was completely shut down on the same day.
and Far East
. The exact locations of the tracks are just as differing as the tracks of previous Burnout series. A new asset to the race track environments are real-world landmarks and vehicles known famously to these locations: In the Downtown race track, Chicago's famous elevated subways can be seen, In the Waterfront race track, the San Diego
Convention Center is seen, and in the Riviera race track, the Monte Carlo
Casino is viewed briefly. As for the vehicular aspect, small three-wheeled taxis called tuk-tuks, which are found throughout Bangkok, can be seen in the Golden City track. The real names of these locations are never actually shown in the game, however.
The tracks are:
" by My Chemical Romance
, "Breathing" by Yellowcard
, "This Fire
" by Franz Ferdinand
, "Saccharine Smile" by Donots
, "Always You" by Amber Pacific
and "Memory" by Sugarcult
. "Lazy Generation" by The F-Ups
is the game's opening song. Songs are played through "Crash FM", the game's radio station with commentary from DJ Stryker
from alternative radio station KROQ-FM
in Los Angeles. Alternatively, Burnout 3 supports user created soundtracks on the Xbox
with the usage of the Xbox hard drive.
Burnout (series)
Burnout is a series of high-speed racing games for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Xbox, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo GameCube game consoles. Also, for the very first time, a PC version of the latest installment in the series, Burnout Paradise, has been released...
series of video games. Released on September 7, 2004, developed by Criterion Games
Criterion Games
Criterion Games is a Guildford, England based British video game developer. It is best known for its work on the award-winning, multi-platform Burnout series, the PS2, Gamecube and Xbox first-person shooter Black.Criterion Software Ltd was created in 1993 to commercialise 3D...
and published by Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
(the first Burnout game EA published), the game drew critical acclaim and a large fanbase.
A GameCube version was planned but was scrapped during development. The game was delayed for release in 2003 because of its original publisher Acclaim Entertainment
Acclaim Entertainment
Acclaim Entertainment was an American video game developer and publisher. It developed, published, marketed and distributed interactive entertainment software for a variety of hardware platforms, including Sega's Mega Drive/Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast, and Game Gear, Nintendo's NES, SNES, Nintendo...
going bankrupt. The game was then picked up by Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
, the game was then further delayed as changes were made to the game. It is also the only game in the series that received a T rating by the ESRB
Entertainment Software Rating Board
The Entertainment Software Rating Board is a self-regulatory organization that assigns age and content ratings, enforces industry-adopted advertising guidelines, and ensures responsible online privacy principles for computer and video games as well as entertainment software in Canada, Mexico and...
, making it the last game in the series to be released before the E10+ rating debuted on March 2, 2005. A 5 lapped race demo was and is still available in the EA game Need For Speed: Underground 2. EA Games shut down all network services on April 15, 2010. It is the longest Burnout game to ever have 6th gen console online support.
Gameplay
There are five play modes, including two race modes and three crash modes. Before play starts, players choose their vehicle based on its speed and weight. In the race modes, the player gains "boost" by driving in the oncoming traffic lanes, narrowly avoiding traffic, drifting around bends, getting air time, and by causing competitors' cars to crash (called a "Takedown"). In "Race" mode, the object is to win the race around the track like a standard racing game, while in the "Road Rage" mode, the player must takedown a set number of computer-controlled opponents.In the crash mode, the player is not racing opponents on a track. Instead, in each crash attempt, the player races at high speeds towards an intersection and tries to do as much monetary damage to the vehicles there as possible, while collecting cash and multiplier bonuses. The three crash modes are very similar. In some, you drive alone, in others you crash as a team with a combined score, etc., but the goal of doing the most damage remains the same.
In any mode, medals are awarded for achieving certain scores. These medals are used to unlock hidden tracks and vehicles.
Burnout 3 features 173 different events in the offline mode, and 67 cars to unlock, including a City Bus, Truck Cab, Fire Truck, and a Trash Truck for use in the Crash mode. There was also an online mode where up to six players could compete in a race, and eight players could compete in a Crash event. In online races, aggression was lowered down compared to Single Player. Racers must focus on good drifts and avoiding traffic, not just takedowns, in order to win. This gave the online mode a different feel from single player. There is a racing variant known as Road Rage where players are divided into two teams. The blue team receives a three second head start
Head start (positioning)
In positioning, a head start is a start in advance of the starting position of others in competition, or simply toward the finish line or desired outcome...
and must drive a certain number of miles without being eliminated by being taken down. The red team attempts to takedown the blue team before they reach the finish line. On April 15th, 2010, EA pulled the plug on the online servers, shutting them down for both the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions of the game. Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
for the original Xbox was completely shut down on the same day.
Locations
The game is split over three areas: USA, EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
. The exact locations of the tracks are just as differing as the tracks of previous Burnout series. A new asset to the race track environments are real-world landmarks and vehicles known famously to these locations: In the Downtown race track, Chicago's famous elevated subways can be seen, In the Waterfront race track, the San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
Convention Center is seen, and in the Riviera race track, the Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
Casino is viewed briefly. As for the vehicular aspect, small three-wheeled taxis called tuk-tuks, which are found throughout Bangkok, can be seen in the Golden City track. The real names of these locations are never actually shown in the game, however.
The tracks are:
| Location | Track Name | Real-life Equivalent |
| USA | Silver Lake | Rocky Mountain Nat. Park Rocky Mountain National Park Rocky Mountain National Park is a national park located in the north-central region of the U.S. state of Colorado.It features majestic mountain views, a variety of wildlife, varied climates and environments—from wooded forests to mountain tundra—and easy access to back-country trails... : a crystal-clear and silent lake surrounded by granite cliff faces and neighbored by a sleepy Main Street town. |
| USA | Downtown | Chicago Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... : the tight alleyways and congested avenues of a major city and send your opponents into the elevated train track supports. A circuit built for precision thinking and fast reflexes against heavy traffic. |
| USA | Waterfront | San Diego: a fast-paced track filled with tight coastal turns, busy thoroughfares, a sign that says "Interstate 5 and California Route 163 next right", and an intriguing tram system through the Gaslamp Quarter. |
| USA | Kings of the Road | A linear race from Downtown, through the highway section of Waterfront, and into Silver Lake. |
| USA | Lakeside Getaway | Silver Lake – Waterfront |
| USA | Mountain Parkway | Silver Lake – Downtown |
| Europe | Alpine | Autobahn: a long, wide highway system past glorious castles, snow-capped peaks and perilously constructed toll booths and gas stations. A long track with a fast glimpse of Europe. |
| Europe | Vineyard | Avignon Avignon Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the... : traversing the beautiful winding roads of southern France and zoom by the ancient Papal Palace Palais des Papes The Palais des Papes is a historical palace in Avignon, southern France, one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe.... and the surrounding sidewalk cafes of Avignon. |
| Europe | Winter City | Vienna Vienna Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre... : St. Stephen's Cathedral, the U-Bahn and the Hofburg Imperial Palace Hofburg Imperial Palace Hofburg Palace is a palace located in Vienna, Austria, that has housed some of the most powerful people in Austrian history, including the Habsburg dynasty, rulers of the Austro-Hungarian empire. It currently serves as the official residence of the President of Austria... line the snow-covered track. |
| Europe | Riviera | Monte Carlo Monte Carlo Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco.... : based on the fast based Monte Carlo Monte Carlo Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco.... circuit and filled with twisting roads and tunnels. |
| Europe | Coastal Dream | Riviera – Vineyard |
| Europe | Continental Run | Vineyards – Autobahn |
| Europe | Alpine Expressway | Winter City – Riviera |
| Europe | Frozen Peak | Winter City – Alpine |
| Far East | Golden City | Bangkok Bangkok Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom... : a fast paced track through ancient and neon-clad marketplaces and modern, sleekly designed monorails and highways. |
| Far East | Dockside | Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour... : a track around the steep roads and winding scenic routes just outside of central Hong Kong, passing a busy docking harbor, a vulnerable ferry terminal, and the Lippo Centre Lippo Centre, Hong Kong The Lippo Centre is a pair of twin office towers in Hong Kong, previously known as the Bond Center . The buildings are located at 89 Queensway, in Admiralty on Hong Kong Island. They were taken over by the Lippo Group after the collapse of the Bond Corporation... towers. |
| Far East | Island Paradise | Ko Samui Ko Samui Ko Samui island of Surat Thani Province , or often, simply Samui as it is referred to by locals, is an island off the east coast of the Kra Isthmus in Thailand, close to the mainland Surat Thani town. It is Thailand's second largest island, with an area of 228.7 km2 and a population of over... : a wide, scenic track featuring off-road Off-roading Off-roading is a term for driving a vehicle on unsurfaced roads or tracks, made of materials such as sand, gravel, riverbeds, mud, snow, rocks, and other natural terrain.-Off-road vehicle:... areas through the jungle and packed coach Coach (vehicle) A coach is a large motor vehicle, a type of bus, used for conveying passengers on excursions and on longer distance express coach scheduled transport between cities - or even between countries... terminals. |
| Far East | Tropical Drive | Island Paradise – Golden City |
Soundtrack
The soundtrack for Burnout 3: Takedown features 44 songs, which includes "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)I'm Not Okay (I Promise)
UK promotional CDUK CD1 and 7" vinylUK CD2UK and Australian CDUK re-release CD1 and iTunes singleUK re-release CD2- Charts :-Release history:-External links:* *...
" by My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance is an American alternative rock band from New Jersey, formed in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way and have a diverse sound incorporating elements of punk, emo, glam metal, and progressive rock...
, "Breathing" by Yellowcard
Yellowcard
Yellowcard is an American pop punk/alternative rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1997, and based in Los Angeles, California since 2000. Their music features the use of a violin, unusual for the genre...
, "This Fire
This Fire (song)
"This Fire" is the fifth single by Scottish rock band Franz Ferdinand from their eponymous album. It received widespread airplay.It was released as a download-only single, and reached #17 on the United States Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and #8 on the UK Download Chart...
" by Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (band)
Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in...
, "Saccharine Smile" by Donots
Donots
-Albums:-Compilation albums:-Split albums:-Exclusive compilation tracks:-Singles:-Videography:-Music videos:-External links:***** with Truepunk.com * with Truepunk.com * with Truepunk.com...
, "Always You" by Amber Pacific
Amber Pacific
Amber Pacific is an American band that formed in 2002 in Federal Way, Washington. The band has released three full length albums thus far, The Possibility and the Promise in 2005, Truth in Sincerity in 2007, and Virtues in 2010....
and "Memory" by Sugarcult
Sugarcult
Sugarcult is an American rock band from Santa Barbara, California formed in 1998. The band currently consists of Tim Pagnotta , Airin Older , Marko DeSantis , and Kenny Livingston .-Formation :Tim Pagnotta met ex-drummer Ben Davis during a cigarette break at school...
. "Lazy Generation" by The F-Ups
The F-Ups
The F-Ups are an American punk rock band from Rochester, Minnesota-History:The group formed in 1999 while its members were still in high school. Originally the band was named Mr. Completely, and just prior to signing with Capitol Records in 2003 changed the name to "The F-Ups." They came second in...
is the game's opening song. Songs are played through "Crash FM", the game's radio station with commentary from DJ Stryker
Stryker (disc jockey)
Theodore "Ted" Ramón Stryker known on-air as simply "Stryker", is an American radio personality and disc jockey.-Biography:...
from alternative radio station KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...
in Los Angeles. Alternatively, Burnout 3 supports user created soundtracks on the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
with the usage of the Xbox hard drive.
Reception
Burnout 3: Takedown has received critical acclaim since its release. IGN praised the gameplay, saying it is "instantly enjoyable and maddeningly addictive", GameSpot said Burnout 3 "is an amazing achievement that anyone with a pulse will probably love", and 1UP concluded that Burnout 3 is "so good that you don't have to like racing games at all to enjoy it".Awards
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2004 | Gold Award (10/10), Hot 100 – Official PS2 PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan... Magazine Can't Miss Holiday Games #1 – GamePro GamePro GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and... Best Game of its Class: Driving; Best Xbox Game – GameSpot GameSpot GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which... Racing Game of the Year: PS2; Top 10 Game of the Year – GameSpy GameSpy GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current... Game of the Month – GameSpy GameSpy GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current... (Sept.) Game of the Month – IGN IGN IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment... (Sept.) Best Racing Game – Jive Magazine JIVE Magazine JIVE Magazine is a popular-entertainment, technology, and urban-culture magazine. It publishes features, reviews, editorials, photo galleries, and art productions on the web as well as quarterly in print. The web edition is updated frequently. JIVE Magazine launched its website in August 2000... Best Racing Game – Lawrence.com Editor's Choice – OXM (Oct.) Must Buy Silver Award: Buy or Die – PSM PlayStation: The Official Magazine PlayStation: The Official Magazine is a magazine originally known as PlayStation Magazine . After Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine was canceled, Sony Computer Entertainment announced on October 1, 2007 that PSM would become "PlayStation: The Official Magazine"... (Nov.) #4 of Top 10 Games – Official PlayStation Magazine Best Driving Game; Most Addictive Game – Spike TV Video Game Awards Spike TV Video Game Awards Spike Video Game Awards is an award show hosted by Spike TV that recognizes the best computer and video games of the year. The VGAs feature live music performances and appearances by popular performers in music, movies, and television. Additionally, preview trailers for upcoming games are... Top 10 Video Games – Time Magazine Game of the Month – XBN (Oct.) |
| 2005 | Editor's Choice Award: Xbox Xbox The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console... ; Editor's Choice Award: PS2 PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan... – GameSpot GameSpot GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which... Console Racing Game of the Year – AIAS Interactive Achievement Awards Best Racing Game – G4 G4 (TV channel) G4, also known as G4 TV, is an American cable- and satellite-television channel originally geared primarily toward young adult viewers, originally based on the world of video games... Video Game TV 10 Essential Racers – Official PlayStation Magazine #2 of Top 40 Console Games – Pelaaja Magazine Best Game; Art and Sound; Technology – IGDA Game Developers Choice Awards Game of the Year; Best Driving Game 2004 – Official PlayStation Magazine Platinum Award – PS2 PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan... |