Burnout Revenge could have been just the same on Microsoft's 'next-gen' 360 as it is on the Xbox and PS2. After all, a straightforward port with slightly shinier graphics would hardly stand out right now, as even the machine's cheerleaders would be forced to admit. And Revenge is hardly lacking excitement as it is.
Yet, despite a development push that won't exceed six months, Burnout Revenge 360 is looking shockingly more next-gen than many of the more established standard-bearers.
Are we just judging the extra prettiness? No. While Burnout looks gorgeous on the new console (improvements over the already-sexy PS2 and Xbox versions are dramatic) the real excitement lies elsewhere. Specifically on Xbox Live.
A lot has been tweaked. In online races, messages have been reworked to emphasize the fighting: the idea is to set up rivalries quickly and continually intensify them. Constant on-screen updates, such as 'Rivalry Re-ignited!' or 'Score Settled!' chart the ebb and flow of battle.
Get a row of Takedowns on a rival (in other words, shred them into tumbling shrapnel) and they'll know about it - stats are tracked persistently and displayed pre-race. If a racer has, say, a '10' by his name, it means they've taken you out 10 times in a row. That's great for their bragging rights but it makes them a target, and crashing them just once resets the number. So for each clash, the stakes get higher…
Also new is a world ranking. Your achievements are judged against everyone on Live, and again displayed prominently pre-race. Get number one here and you really will be the best. No pressure, eh?
A 29-year-old PC racing game going cyberpunk anime with Troy Baker, Initial D drifting, and cutscenes from the Metroid: Other M studio sure wasn't on my Game Awards bingo card
A speedrunner just beat Need for Speed: Most Wanted's world record by 90 minutes - by using Half-Life's Gordon Freeman instead of a car
