I bought Burnout. It was good. I bought Burnout 2. It was better. Much better. So when Burnout 3 came along I found it very hard to resist. Particularly as number one son had read nice things about it online. So I bought it. And oh boy, it is the best yet. If you are not sure about buying sequels then don't worry. Burnout 3 is quite a different game from the earlier ones. In a totally better way.

In the first two games the crashes were fun to watch, but not really part of the action. OK, Burnout 2 gave you specific crash events, but they were not integral to the gameplay itself. Burnout 3 likes you to crash. In fact it insists. The only way to make progress is to smash into your opponents to take them down and gain boost points. And a number of events are based around you trashing as many other cars as possible. A masterstroke is "crash aftertouch". In the middle of a crash you can enter a kind of "demolition derby bullet time" where you can steer your hurtling wreck into the path of oncoming opponents to ruin their day too. And when you use the boost the only appropriate word is "Wahay!".

I don't think it is particularly realistic. But I don't play games for realistic experiences. I play them for fun. And this is "Fun" written in huge letters on the side of the biggest, meatiest, hungriest muscle car you ever saw. Just as it ploughs into the side of a fuel tanker....