Leave it to a good racing game to enthrall me, to trap me within its presentation and allow me to dominate all who challenge me with my combination of speed and technique. The original Daytona USA arcade game is such a game, as is Amusement Vision's take on Nintendo's mighty F-Zero license on the GameCube. But another company I have to give props to is Criterion, whose Burnout series, up to this point, has been a longtime favorite. Burnout 2: Point of Impact was a particuarly good chapter for me, especially the Xbox "Developer's Cut". It was loaded with more cars, customized soundtrack support, and more good stuff to stand out over the previous versions. And who could resist the Crash mode, racking up points while you're engaging in some real vehicular damage? I thought it couldn't be topped, and that Point of Impact would be the company's peak.

How wrong I was. Earlier this year, Criterion began showing off a build of its newest edition in the series, Burnout 3: Takedown, and it became so massive in its heaping improvements that Electronic Arts stepped up and grabbed the rights to the series from the faulted Acclaim, a company now six feet under in bankruptcy. Good thing, too, as they saved this brand and have revitalized it with some of their own advertising juice and hype. After playing this at E3, I realized that I had just seen the tip of the iceberg of Criterion, and the best would be yet to come in the final product.

Now here it is, nearly four months later, and the final retail edition for the Xbox finally sits in my console. I started playing Burnout 3: Takedown at roughly 8:49 PM at night and didn't really come to the end of my evening's run until well past 3 AM, with several beer bottles and an empty bag of Cheetos at my feet. Before I knew it, my evening had been sucked into playing hours upon hours of this arcade racing fest, mastering the arts of the Takedown and the Aftertouch. And, strangely enough, even with my somewhat watery eyes and sore thumbs, I couldn't get enough of it. So I got maybe a few hours sleep and started right up the next day.

Burnout 3: Takedown isn't a particular waste of time. Not at all. This is the sort of arcade racer that people often dream about, offering no rules and no limits as it's just you and the finish line, awaiting destiny upon your union. If someone gets in the way, it's a matter of passing them or, in some cases, causing them to get involved in a fiery wreck that stops them in their tracks. Not that the theme of Takedown is one of hate, but rather one of victory. It's "get them before they get you", and it's that adventurous spirit of the game that makes it excel above many others in the genre, even casual racers like Project Gotham Racing 2 and Gran Turismo: 3 A-Spec.

Like the first two games before it, Burnout 3: Takedown lays down a set of races to complete in the game's World Tour mode. As you continue your journey, you'll find a way to unlock new courses and new vehicles to take on the road. There are a variety of great cars available to choose from, and each one differs a bit in performance while the general purpose of the gameplay remains the same. The number of cars offered in the game (over 70!) is staggering, and as you gain more and more points with each victory, you get closer to discovering the utopia hiding within the garage. Some of these tracks offer great detail and plenty of obstacles as well, like oncoming traffic that apparently doesn't get the fact that this is a race made up of speed and very little care for their safety, as well as the occasional ramp that can launch you into the air, temporarily out of harm's way (unless, of course, you crash into something like a sign or a wall).

Criterion has kicked up the graphic engine for Burnout 3: Takedown quite significantly. The cars look even more realistic this time around, complete with parts that have a life of their own once the vehicle is jarred or wrecked. Get into a wreck and the action changes dramatically, so you can see how the debris flies from your vehicle, kind of like a deconstruction. You can even hold down the A button to see it slowed further, so you can get an idea of just what kind of hit you took. The collision engine is still in full effect and looks wonderful. But enough about the crashes- the racing action is where it's at and it's fast, furious, frenetic, and fantastic. The 60-frames per second action never lets up, and things even get more outrageous with a press of the turbo button. Depending on how much turbo you have stored, your car suddenly goes into "blur vision", where everything else around you slightly begins to fade as more and more speed is gathered. As you scrape up along rails and other vehicles, a shower of sparks lets out, and your car slowly begins to lose its original shape without really backing down from its performance. And just wait until you've gotten in a few crashes in Road Rage...your car will literally look like it's been duct taped together and is barely holding its own as you continue your quest for Takedowns. Throw in intuitive and helpful menu screens and you have a graphic presentation that has nearly everything.

I say nearly because some replay options seem to be missing where they would have been insightful. But that's minor, especially when you consider the awesome slowdown effects in the game. It's not just your car that'll be detailed if it crashes. If you partake in a successful Takedown of a foe driver, the action will stop in time, and the view will change to the wreck at hand, showing their vehicle in the air or on the ground, heading for its temporary but still impending failure. This is a terrific addition and adds a lot of drama to the game. Be prepared, though, as the action shifts back to your car, and it's not so pretty if you see that you have an oncoming car ahead of you.

The looks are one thing, and they're nailed near perfectly, so let's move on to the gameplay. Like Burnout 2 before it, the game depends on a great deal of speed, as you must build up your turbo meter by having near misses, drifting, driving on the wrong side of the road, or gathering some good air time. Once filled, your turbo can come in quite handy in regaining the lead, especially considering the sharp AI that's been thrown into the game. (More on this in a second.) Good steering is also required to make the game a success, and it has this in spades. No matter what your vehicle, you'll be able to adjust to the gameplay rather quickly, although you might still find yourself frustrated in getting in a crash you didn't count on. Hey, traffic can be unpredictable. That's part of the thrill. The gameplay works really well here, and the addition of support for third party steering wheels is a nice touch as well. Nothing's wrong if you just have a controller, though. The game still feels right at home.

Two significant additions to the gameplay make it that much more exciting. First, there's the Takedown element, which leads to the sub-name of this particular chapter. This time around, instead of just racing past your opponents for the finish line, you have the ability of taking them down by ramming them against walls, oncoming traffic, or other objects, and you can really rack up some serious combo points with each forthcoming Takedown you earn. These points lead to many unlockables, so keep tallying up as you can. However, keep in mind that an opponent can also take you out at prime moments, so be careful that you're not wall riding or in a position to hit traffic a little too closely. The other addition is Aftertouch, which factors in with your crashing. See, if you crash, it's not just a matter of suffering the consequences and getting back on the road. You can actually add a slight touch of control to your crash, so you can swerve an end to get the car that nailed you or other vehicles involved in the race. This is a great touch and allows you to wallow in a little victory at your obvious moment of defeat.

One thing that has to be mentioned is the game's racked-up artificial intelligence. In past racing games, some drivers are a bit casual, and some offer a "catch-up" logic, where they try some sort of miraculous comeback near the end of a race and totally steal the victory from you in a cheating manner. Not here- Burnout 3: Takedown's drivers are vicious and just as eager to snatch victory from you as you are from them, and it takes a matter of skill to really survive, not to mention keep in the race. Some rookie drivers may be frustrated by this, but I for one appreciate the challenge. It allows me to work harder at my goal and keep striving for the victory. It also adds a bit of satisfaction to the takedowns, so I'm not just taking down some no-names like particular NASCAR drivers are known to do. (You hear me, Tony Stewart?) A little practice and you rookies should be fine.

The game has a huge amount of modes to offer. There's the Lap Eliminator, Burning Lap, the World Tour mode, and Battle Race, which are bound to offer some thrills for those looking for speed. However, I immediately have to recommend two modes that really stand out, and those are Road Rage and Crash. Crash mode was already included in Burnout 2: Point of Impact, but is improved upon here with all new scenarios that add a great new deal of excitement. This can be expanded upon with Party Crash, where a number of friends can compete in scenarios and see who is truly the master of disaster. (The toll booth scenario itself is just plain awesome- give it a go.) As for Road Rage, well, it's a matter of not getting first place, but seeing how many cars you can take down before you reach the finish line (or the destruction of your vehicle, whichever comes first). Both are superb modes and will keep you coming back for more.

The game has plenty of multiplayer support in a number of modes offline (for up to two players, unless it's Crash- that supports up to eight!), but Xbox Live also deserves applause. You can get into a number of racing match-ups through the Xbox Live network, where up to six people can compete in a battle for the flag in a number of modes. You can also earn unlockable items online, a big plus for this sort of thing. The lobby gets a bit packed at times, but getting into a match-up should be pretty easy. I was very happy with this particular mode (although my friend wasn't- I practically hogged his online unit for hours testing every little thing and barely gave him play time. Can you blame me?)

As for the game's sound factor, well, the sound effects are absolutely top of the line, from the devastating rocking of your speakers during a wreck (the Dolby Digital support is much appreciated) to the faint honking of horns of the traffic and foes you just left in your dust. The announcer, however, sounds a bit out of the picture and not really into the action. Would it have been so much to really hire someone with a bit more intensity in their voice? Like, maybe, Tim Kurzow from the Midway sports games? Now HE would have truly been a factor here.

And, of course, being from EA, the game features a soundtrack from a calvacade of artists, including Jimmy Eat World, Finger Eleven, Von Bondies, and more. Unfortunately, most of the tracks seem like generic picks and don't seem to fit the game that well. However, Xbox owners are in luck, as the game fully supports customizable soundtracks. Here now are a few suggestions from me, although you can play what you like. Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out" (better than the "This Fire" tune on EA's soundtrack), Lost Prophets' "Make a Move", and Cold's "With My Mind" are prime picks for me, although sometimes a little "Float On" by Modest Mouse doesn't hurt either. Hey, it's your soundtrack, you chose what floats your boat. But the option is nice to have...I feel sorry for PS2 owners in this aspect.

Sound and AI quirks aside, I have absolutely zero complaints about Burnout 3: Takedown. Criterion Games has upped the ante significantly in almost every aspect and shoved the series into overdrive, and I couldn't be happier. The visceral, high-velocity thrills that the game provides can't be beat, and the number of multiplayer offerings offline and online add up to replay value heaven (although the single player mode will keep you coming back for more). I could sit here and say it's one of the best arcade racers ever crafted, but to be honest, Burnout 3: Takedown is, at this moment, the ride of your life. Don't let it pass you by.