Burnout 2: Point of Impact

Burnout 2: Point of Impact is an arcade racing game from Criterion Games that arrived on GameCube as a port following its success on PlayStation 2. The core of the game is extremely fast driving in heavy road traffic, where the player risks head-on collisions and skids in an effort to achieve the best possible time, while earning a so-called boost for dangerous driving into oncoming traffic, tight passes around oncoming cars, or drifting — a boost that can shoot them forward and decide the outcome of the race.

The game also introduced modes like Crash, where the goal is to cause the largest possible chain-reaction traffic accident at an intersection full of cars, which became one of the series' signature features, and players grew fond of this mode as a standalone diversion outside the classic races. The GameCube version delivers a smooth sense of speed and clearly readable courses despite the game's high pace, which is why it still feels surprisingly fresh and playable years later. The sound effects of crashes and roaring engines, together with an energetic soundtrack, amplify the sense of constant danger and adrenaline that was typical of the Burnout series from the very beginning and set it apart from slower simulation racers.

At the time of release, Point of Impact was valued above all for how directly and clearly it conveyed the feeling of extreme speed, and it helped the Burnout series establish itself as a counterpart to the realistic racing simulations of the time. For GameCube owners, it was one of the few ways to try this particular adrenaline-fueled racing style directly on a Nintendo console without having to reach for a competing platform. Today, the game is interesting as an early showcase of concepts that Criterion Games later developed into even more popular sequels in the series, and it still plays as brisk, straightforward fun for shorter gaming sessions, when the player doesn't want to deal with complicated menus or car setup but just wants to hit the track and be carried along by the game's high pace.

Why play it: For players who want to hit the track right away without unnecessary setup, it offers the direct feeling of extreme speed with which Burnout established itself as a counterpart to the realistic racing simulations of its time.