GAMES TM Issue 24

[Concept]

I think this is the first issue of GamesTM I've ever liked the cover of.

[hankwangford]

Well, there is. Dodging cars and being a master of your own reflexes is very skillful - Burnout 3 has so much gameplay to offer those who look past all the flashing EA logos. This is the reason why you'll find me on Live pretty much every night playing the game at the moment.

Ah ah ah Mr. Filmer... I personally don't care as I love both equally for their own merits. They're different enough for me to personally not compare them. And I'm more than happy to look past the EA logos too; the companies EA bought instead of built do still make very good titles.

In any case, online is a different kettle of fish and there's no doubt Burnout 3 makes a better online racer than Outrun2 does simply because of it's engine. If that's what you were referring to then absolutely fair enough, I have no debate to make. But offline, you can race a whole track with a full burnout on perfectly and still not get more than 4-5 seconds ahead of your opponent. One crash on the last corner and all your hard work and evasion will have been for nothing. Does that irk me? Yes, yes it does. Do I consider that to have any bearing upon your playing skill? None whatsoever.

It's a bit of a cheap way of raising the difficulty bar but equally, it has the pure pace and adrenaline that Outrun2 lacks. It's almost like comparing UT and Quake 3...!

Anyway, I didn't want to get into a full comparison between the two because one should not exist - they're both damn respectable titles.

[hankwangford]

Can I play Devil's Advocate between hankwangford and Jaysus here and say this?

OutRun 2 and Burnout 3 both demand skill - OutRun's demands are on self-improvement and the long-term ability to build up skill, while Burnout 3 requires seat-of-your-pants, reactionary skill that's over once the race finishes.

How's that for a summing up (and hopefully, an end to the argument)?

Anyway. In other news... that gamesTM issue 24. Good mag, eh?

I'd like to hope there was no argument in the first place :P

In any case, summary:

Burnout 3 requires immense skill online and I respect that, I just feel that it's not there compared to Outrun 2 in the offline steaks.

I love both games equally and would give them between 85% and 90% (for I ****ing hate /10 scores for this very reason).

I like cheese.

[martTM]

I think this is the first issue of GamesTM I've ever liked the cover of.

I still think issue 2 is my favourite. Although issue 25 is coming incredibly close.

[Jaysus]

Yeah, the quick catch up can be a bastard, but it's not the first game to do this and I understand the need for quick catch up. It keeps the game competetive and ensures you don't constantly find yourself racing on your own - for a game like Burnout 3, that wouldn't be a good thing.

Online is the same - if you're a way behind your opponent you get more boost than the guy in front simply so you can reach them and take them down. Purists will clearly frown on the game's intrusion but at the same time, it's a good thing as it keeps things exciting. Tis what it's all about innit.

But yeah, I agree. Both games are top class.

[Strider]

But yeah, I agree. Both games are top class.

I still prefer OutRun 2...

[Darwock]

How many 'to sum ups' have we seen in this thread?!? I'm guessing between 20 and 30...

[Concept]

I still think issue 2 is my favourite. Although issue 25 is coming incredibly close.

It better be Half-Life 2 you feature on the front mistah. I don't want to be waiting around months for yours and Edge's reviews due to these stupid legal proceedings.

[hankwangford]

Yeah, the quick catch up can be a bastard, but it's not the first game to do this and I understand the need for quick catch up. It keeps the game competetive and ensures you don't constantly find yourself racing on your own - for a game like Burnout 3, that wouldn't be a good thing.

Rubberband/catchup AI (whatever you want to call it) has its place, yes, but the lengths of cheapness that it goes to in BO3 are frustrating to say the least. Case in point are those F1 races; when you crash at 200MPH you can spend 10 seconds watching your crash as everyone else buzzes past you. By the time you're back at full speed they're 10-15 seconds ahead and you have absolutely no chance of seeing them again in that particular race.

Likewise, when they crash the time they spend flipping around the track in their car's carcass is almost half of the time you spend watching yours.

But there's always going to be debate about this; I just feel Burnout 1 handled it better (using their previous title as an example). You'd crash and likely wouldn't get overtaken if you'd built up a reasonable lead by burning out and avoiding traffic (sheer shows of skill), but they'd certainly be much closer behind you, and you'd have to edge them out until you'd re-established control over the race. I guess adding the whole takedown mechanism makes that a little redundant, but... meh.

Your comments re: online - I can forgive that as online's about having some fun with whoever's on your friends list or the random strangers that pop up in your room (no peadophilia jokes neccessary, ta). I'd much rather strip rankings out of all online games as at least then you'd just have people wanting a laugh by smashing into the back of each other rather than propelling them 5 miles up the leaderboard (grr, Road Rage mode exploiters...)

[Madbury]

Good to see some love for the D finally coming through. It's a class act in the arcades.

[Brats]

I don't think the catch up in BO3 is as bad as people say, aside from the 1v1 duels in which it is blatant. I've got 14 seconds ahead of other cars in standard races before (even the F1 races) though judicious use of the boost. The trick is not to hold down the BO all the time, but use it to keep your speed at maximum.

Likewise, I've been 10 seconds beghind in a race before and caought up and won no problem.

[Jaysus]

I don't think the catch up in BO3 is as bad as people say, aside from the 1v1 duels in which it is blatant. I've got 14 seconds ahead of other cars in standard races before (even the F1 races) though judicious use of the boost. The trick is not to hold down the BO all the time, but use it to keep your speed at maximum.

Likewise, I've been 10 seconds beghind in a race before and caought up and won no problem.

The trick is to just be good. If you've got 'tha skillz' it's not really a problem. It's not something I really care about too much anymore.

[martTM]

It better be Half-Life 2 you feature on the front mistah. I don't want to be waiting around months for yours and Edge's reviews due to these stupid legal proceedings.

Gah... no-one wants to play that any more. It's sooooo pass?, dah-ling.

Our current cover could go one of two ways and either one is ace. But I'm certainly not saying what it is... although both are completely exclusive, which is a bit of a surprise for us as we never really try to go for exclusives. Not if it involves having to scratching one back so that they do ours, anyway.

[JammyD]

I think Granny's Garden was my first ever videogame, which used at our school to teach people to Always Say No To Dragons. I must have been about six at the time, so I don't think I ever got far. It wasn't a violent first person shooter (if I recall correctly), so chances are I sucked at it.

Same here, I remember being scared ****less by that game, I never got over the shock of seeing the witch. I seem to remember the dragons being friendly for some reason, maybe cos they were done in nice bright colours. Going to have to check that out now

[dreamylittledream]

If thats so then why have I clocked up twice as much playtime on Outrun 2 and not touched Burnout 3 for just over 3 weeks now?

Burnout 3 may have more modes and content but Outrun 2 has addictive replayability and at its core is a solid and defined game, Not a gimmicky randomness that Burnout 3 consistently feeds you. My ?30 has been much better spent on Outrun 2.

Hmmm yes that is undoubtedly so....but why have I clocked up a shed load of hours on Burnout...but found Outrun 2 incredibly tedious and one dimentional?

Its different strokes for different folks undoubtedly, but B3 has far more content and is the more modern game. OR2 is clearly trading on its history to some extent...