7. Burnout 3: Takedown – XBOX, PS2

If there’s a better racing game out there than Burnout 3, I’ve never played it. Certainly there are people out there who sing the praises of your Gran Turismos and Forza Motorsports and what have you, but simulation racers, as technically impressive and engaging they may be, are just not my style. A good racing game should be all about speed, and no game before ever delivered the sense of speed that Burnout 3 did. After two solid but flawed outings in the, Criterion’s Burnout 3: Takedown was such a complete package for fans of arcade racers, the game upon its debut was an instant classic.

It cannot be stressed enough that this game FEELS fast. It isn’t simply that a high number is displayed in the onscreen speedometer, the environment and the car behave exactly as you would expect traveling at ridiculous speeds of over 200mph. The fun and tension of going so fast is arguably the best part of the entire game. Along with driving fast, Burnout 3 is all about taking risks. You have a boost meter that builds when you drive recklessly – driving too close to other cars, driving on the wrong side of the road, running opponents off the road – and, particularly late in the game, it’s essential not only to drive skillfully, but drive recklessly so you’re able to move at the high speeds necessary to beat your opponents. If you like slowing down for turns and other caveats of “realistic” racers, this probably isn’t the game for you.

Along with standard races, Burnout 3 has a variety of gameplay modes. Two of the more interesting modes are “Road Rage,” which challenges players to “take down”, or cause to crash, as many other cars on the road as possible, and “Crash” mode, where you must strategically destroy your car in such a way that as much damage as caused as possible. Completing a Crash mission requires that a specific dollar amount of carnage is caused. GTA, eat your heart out.

Burnout 3 has a huge amount of content, that plays as equally well in short spurts as it does in multi-hour marathon sessions. With the huge amounts a tracks, challenges, and objectives, it’s one of those games where it is nearly impossible to achieve 100% completion. The game excels so highly on every level that I would not hesitate to recommend it to any fan of video games, regardless of their feelings on the racing genre.