Danger Zone 2

Danger Zone 2 is exactly what I wanted the first Danger Zone to be: the true follow-up to Burnout’s classic Crash mode that EA won’t give me. It’s not as fully fleshed out or polished as my dream game of this type would be, but as a self-contained and one-note smash-up it shines like a spectacular fireball explosion. Now how about reviving the rest of Burnout? Road Rage mode, anyone?

In any case, Danger Zone 2 is hugely enjoyable. The only thought on my mind as I finished up getting all of its platinum awards was that I wanted more. I loved completing its new Run Up challenges, checking traffic, performing jumps and boosting like a maniac. And I loved figuring out the best way to initiate each crash, enabling me to explode my car and pick up all the cash bonuses along the way. Whether or not the three hours or so of riveting gameplay it provides is worth the asking price is up to you, but there’s nothing else like it while it lasts.

For fans of Ward, Sperry and Ross’ previous work, Danger Zone 2 is the closest we’ve come to a new Burnout experience in years. Crashing into things hasn’t lost any of its base appeal, and while we’re waiting for Dangerous Driving to bring things full circle, this is more than worthy of your time.

A great improvement over the original that almost nails the aesthetic and feel of the games it lovingly recreates even if it is a little rough around the edges. For those yearning for Burnout’s Crash mode or that just enjoy score attack games there is a lot to enjoy here!

Last year, we reviewed a fun, albeit flawed, Burnout-style game called Danger Zone that was developed by Three Fields Entertainment. Three Fields Entertainment was actually founded by ex-members of Criterion Games, the studio that made those great Burnout games. So in many ways, Danger Zone was a spiritual successor to Burnout. Now, a year later, we’re getting behind the wheel of the sequel, Danger Zone 2. The developers have definitely taken some big steps forward with Danger Zone 2, but unfortunately, there are still a few nagging flaws that drag this otherwise fun title down.

Three Fields Entertainment’s games so far (Danger Zone and Dangerous Golf) haven’t strayed from the studios’ roots as the creators of the Burnout series and its fabled Crash mode. Danger Zone 2 is no exception: You hurtle your car towards an intersection and hope to create as much chaos and damage as possible when you detonate your explosive Smashbreaker and blow up everything around you. But this sequel adds on to the formula by also emphasizing what you do before you get there, and in the process, expands the playing field – if only a little.

Three Fields continues to slowly inch their way towards the Burnout successor everyone is clamouring for. At the end of the day, Danger Zone 2 is much too light on content to recommend despite scratching the itch to a certain degree.

Danger Zone 2 has all the groundwork set to make an explosive comeback for Burnout, but Three Fields Entertainment just needs to up its quality control. Also, how do we still not have Kenny Loggins on the soundtrack?!