The digital delights of Sony’s scrumptious PlayStation Network service know no bounds. Aside from letting punters compete in online gaming, stream films, browse the Internet and more, its premier attraction rests in the copious supply of downloadable games ripe for the picking. From PSN exclusives to PSOne Classics, minis and plain old add-on content, Sony’s online space is chock full of goodies battling it out for your hard-earned digital dollars.
Welcome back to another installment of Inside PlayStation Network, where every Monday – Friday we’ll pluck a PSN release—be it new or old—and put it in the spotlight for a thorough dissection. Fancy getting a new PSN game but don’t know what one to plump for? Perhaps this feature will help. Didn’t realize that a game was available in your region until now? We’ve got you covered. Or, perhaps you were musing over what those lucky Japanese folk were tucking into over in the Land of the Rising Sun? You can be sure our coverage will extend to those rare regional exclusives as much as those firmly embedded on the public consciousness.
Today, we take a gander at downloadable PSP outing Burnout: Dominator.
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Developer: EA UK
Region(s) available: North America, Europe
Players: 1-6
One of two Burnout games not developed by series mastermind Criterion Games, Burnout: Dominator adheres to the series’ trademark template of racing at exorbitant speeds while testing “reckless skill-based” driving techniques. However, Dominator offers a slightly more combative-edge to its console stable mates, and comes off as more of a skilled affair than the traditional Burnout romp. Danger is still the name of the game, however, and in that respect Dominator should still prove instantly familiar to fans.
Dominator’s boost meter – which players power up by performing barmy stunts like driving on the wrong side of the road or ramming other vehicles – has a distinctly Burnout 2-esque flavour to it. The meter has a set length and glows blue when full; when this happens, players ram the boost button and hold it down until the meter has reduced, performing a Burnout. Concurrently, you can fill a second meter when driving dangerously, which determines how much boost you’ll receive when your burnout has fizzled out. Bagging both of these boosts will result in a speed-induced chain combo, which will send you darting around the track at full power.
Events-wise, Dominator is your bread-and-butter Burnout affair. New to the table however are the maniac races, which reward you with points for driving, well, like a maniac. Also on offer are lap time challenges, drift events, road rage challenges, as well as races that pit you against five other competitors. Conspicuous by its absence however is Crash Mode, though this would later be implemented in the console outing Burnout Paradise under the moniker ‘Showtime.’ Elsewhere, Dominator on PSP also boasts a multiplayer component for up to six players via local and ad-hoc connection, which provides plenty of options for ramming your mates into oblivion when you’re done with the single-player aspect.
Tune in again same time tomorrow for another butcher’s Inside PlayStation Network.