Boy, it's hard to judge a game like Crash 'N' Burn on its own merits. The second I popped the game in the Xbox--heck, the second I saw the game's cover art--all I could think of was Burnout 3: Takedown. And while that is a pretty simplistic comparison--after all, Crash 'N' Burn has its own take on the high-impact racing scene--all the crashing and the speed and the craziness immediately brings to mind the classic BO3; and that's a long shadow from which CnB has to escape.

　　Ultimately I'm of two minds abot CnB. While the game is good for a few laughs and probably worth its budget price, I ultimately found it to be exceedlingly (and unecessarily) frustrating. The same persistent crash feature that seems fun in the beginning of the game wears thin pretty quick and all you're left with is a exasperating racing mechanic, inept AI opponents, poor frame rate, and decent fire effects. Not really enough to keep me coming back.

　　Still, for those with a spare twenty burning a hole in their wallet, I can think of numerous worse things to spend it on than Crash 'N' Burn. Just expect to get your money's worth, and not much else.