Therapy for road rage

If you're a road rage addict like me, "Burnout Revenge" is not just a videogame. It also serves as a valid form of therapy. \n"Revenge," the fourth game in the venerable EA series, doesn't do a lot to change the franchise formula. The basics are there -- arcade racing focused on creating multi-car pileups, addictive gameplay -- but the end result is something just fresh enough to warrant a new game.\nVariety is key in a game that revolves around one central action, and "Revenge" has plenty of it. The game's eight huge areas are split up into multiple courses, running in various lengths and even directions. To add to it, each course features multiple shortcuts, many of which are designed to launch your car off a ramp and onto an opponent's sunroof. \nThe game modes, too, are varied and altered from previous installments, including the new Traffic Attack mode, which challenges gamers to cause a set amount of damage by rear-ending as many cars as possible in a set time limit. The basic race and time attack modes are back as well. \nThe art direction couldn't be better. Not only do the cars look great (if a bit generic), the levels are beautiful, even when they're being blown by at 250 miles an hour. The sense of speed, too, is amazing, never failing to give the gamer doubt that he's going really, really fast.\n"Revenge" is not without its shortcomings, however. For all the positive changes to the game modes, Crash Mode has been irrevocably damaged. First and foremost: There are no replays. Create a giant crash in downtown Detroit? Explosions everywhere? Better enjoy it while you can, since you'll never be able to watch it again. This is doubly frustrating because of a decidedly dumb camera, which tends to stick on the flaming wreckage of the player's car instead of swooping around to show the action. The mode is also less about crashing now and more about finding the best path to a busy intersection.\nThe computer also cheats. For instance, on certain races, it is impossible to put a distance in between yourself and the computer. No matter how well you drive, how few times you crash, the computer is always on your bumper. In essence, the game punishes you for driving well, which can be an annoyance, to say the least.\nStill, small flaws aside, "Burnout Revenge" is a lot of fun and worth at least a rental. Just resist the urge to smash into that little old lady in front of you on the way back to the video store.