Fireburst - PS3

Using the Unreal Engine 3 to create a madcap racing game is certainly an interesting addition to the off-road genre, which for a while seemed to be dominated by the likes of MotorStorm, not to mention a brave move. Fireburst, from developer ExDream, seeks to take on the big guns, or rather karts.

So, what does Fireburst have to offer the hardened off-road fan? It's key point is a four-level boost system that not only enables you to power past opponents, it also allows you to destroy them.

This boost system is fitted to a range of vehicles as diverse as buggies and “pimped-up” vintage models, right through to huge pick-up trucks. You will, however, have to match the equally varied set of racing characters to the vehicles themselves in order to get the most from both.

The characters, vehicles and, of course, numerous pick-ups that you'll find scattered around the 20 different tracks (over 10 areas) can be played in a number of ways including Challenge and Championship modes. These are complemented by up to 16-player multiplayer online and up four-player offline play using split screen.

And if all that's not enough – you've got 50 different taunts to choose from with which to wind up your real life pals or to ensure that the AI drivers are up to their very angry best. more