PS2 2K7

Burnout: Dominator

What's it all about?

It has been proven that two things gamers tend to like are a. racing cars and b. sequences of spectacular destruction. The Burnout series has made a name for itself by expertly combining these things. While the upcoming Burnout 5 is embracing open-world gameplay, Burnout Dominator plans to take a different path. It continues in the strict tradition series predecessors have set: intense, balls-to-the-wall high-speed racing that no sane human being would ever participate in. Thankfully, it's okay to be completely crazy in the wonderful world of video games.

What's the big deal?

There are plenty of racing games out there, but the specialty of the Burnout series has always been high-speed, high-stakes racing with an emphasis on performing extremely dangerous maneuvers. While Dominator tones down the rampant destruction to put more emphasis on skill, you'll still get a hefty dose of vehicular carnage. Dominator also puts a particular emphasis on the technique the game derives its title from - the "burnout," which involves expending an entire turbo boost meter all at once. Although one of the more popular modes of previous Burnout games, Crash Mode, is not present in Dominator, the extra attention put into the other challenge modes more than makes up for its absence.

How does it stack up?

Currently, Burnout: Dominator is slated to be a PS2 and PSP exclusive. The PS2 version will likely be the better of the two, since it offers considerably more processing power than its portable sibling.