First Burnout on GameCube, the speed sensation is already impressive but a long way from the polish of later entries. Pure arcade driving, aggressive AI and joyous crashes. Local multiplayer is fun, content a bit thin. A great trailer for the series.
Your verdict
Category
Racing1 player3+
Description
Racing car drivers race roads and opponents in this Acclaim GameCube racing game. Published by Acclaim, released in the United States in June 2002. Burnout racing simulation with spectacular crashes and urban road racing, cinematic crashes and competitive modes.
Burnout review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
The series' first entry, Burnout already lays the foundations of its speed aesthetic: dense traffic grazed by a hair, exhilarating motion blur and spectacular pileups that celebrate the crash. Urban and highway settings stream past with a sense of velocity rare for the time. Art direction in service of pure adrenaline, the visual foundation of a cult arcade-racing franchise.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Skimming traffic at full speed to earn boost, then unleashing it all in a mad burst of acceleration: risk becomes the heart of the fun. The more dangerously you drive, the faster you go, and every near-miss overtake spikes the adrenaline. Direct and intoxicating, this racing concept flips the fear of danger into pure thrill.
The first entry in Criterion's cult series, Burnout lays the foundations of an ultra fast arcade racer where you skim oncoming traffic to earn boost, in a rush of speed and spectacular crashes. The sense of constant risk and danger stays exhilarating, even if this debut still lacks the madness and content of its sequels. The presentation has aged but the pace holds up. For fans of pure arcade racing and the curious about Burnout's origins, it keeps an immediate, snappy driving thrill.
