Burnout 3 (2004-04-28 demo)


Build Info
Platform: PlayStation 2 Compilation date: April 28th, 2004 Also known as: "April Build" Released publically: Yes

This promotional demo for Burnout 3: Takedown (then known as simply Burnout 3) was compiled on April 28th, 2004, exactly three months before the game's final retail version. Its executable was recently patched to activate a functional menu system, revealing lots of normally hidden content and a considerable amount of differences.

Notable Differences

Since the Demo was initially compiled close to 4 months before the retail game, it is marginally different as such.

Old HUD

This HUD dates back very far within the game's development, and was in the demo but pulled shortly after in development once manual transmission was gutted entirely. The color palette also changed from orange and yellow to blue and gold. The crash screen is also less cluttered with a more simplistic and dramatic look to it featuring black bars that are seen during replays in the retail game. The layout is different in some modes, maintaining itself as compact but displaying lots of information at the same time. In this period as well, the boost bar would shake intensely during use which was removed post-E3.

Intense Damage Model

In this era of the game, the damage model was shifting to something more like what retail received, and the demo happens to stand right in the middle. The deformation is very intense, but to a degree realistic with most parts rarely ever breaking free from the vehicle besides wheels and the hood, more akin to a real car crash. This era also is at the end of the lifespan of a damage feature nicknamed "Folding" where the vehicle folds in and pinches upwards to represent a violent compression. This feature is never seen again beyond this point.

Early Vehicle Designs

While the April demo itself is met with only 3 player vehicles from the time, the Japanese demo's designs are likely dated to around May 2004. There are vehicles here and there more drastically different than others, and some of which also include LOD models that are from even earlier versions of the vehicle's design. Many feature placeholder sounds, as well as a few featuring engine sounds that were not present in any acquired build beforehand.

Light Downtown Changes

Since Downtown was the only featured map, it sports some earlier elements respectively. Some billboards and ads present in retail are missing, and it is lacking both a licensed Axe billboard and billboards promoting other EA titles at the time. Differences are minor but rather noticeable.

Varying Car Combat

Unlike the retail game which raw Value Database values indicate that mostly every car is the same mass among the class, the car combat in the Burnout 3 demo varies among vehicles, some being better at combat than others. Different vehicles are thought to share varying masses and values regarding reactions to attacks, indicated very prominently by select few vehicles that will barely budge at the strongest of hits.

Differing Physics

While the main physics don't vary too much themselves, some cars feel much heavier and a lot tighter compared to their retail counterparts. On top of this, other opponents can be taken out by pressuring certain points in the side, causing them to tip over. A similar likeness to this can be seen in real life crashes.

Highly Competitive AI

When playing in split-screen mode and Championship mode, the AI in the demo will unveil their true colors. They are fast and very aggressive, beating on the player at almost any given opportunity, even if it sometimes means taking themselves down too. Their speeds usually exceed that of the player in the same vehicles, and will keep up rather well rarely opening a gap until the final lap; A customary AI behavior in the Burnout games.

Early Crashbreaker

Likewise to what is seen in Burnout Revenge, crashbreaker in the demo must be charged, although instead of getting a number of cars to crash or explode adding to it, the player must instead travel lots of distance and/or collide with vehicles to fill it. Since explosions are not present this early on, initiating it sends all nearby cars into an airborne stasis indicated by the distinct sound and particle effect when the player vehicle propels itself off the ground in a crash.

Darker Undertones

The earlier version of Burnout 3 are thought to be a lot more grim, and this demo is no exception. The impact time tracks are far more brutalistic and audibly violent compared to retail's, and audible screams or shouts of pain can be heard while the player is crashing, and when nearby AI drivers crash themselves. Earlier text strings in the executable indicate these undertones being much heavier even before this point, with Psyche Out!'s text string possibly having been Caused A Suicide!

Known Issues

 Issues marked with * are only presented in the modded demo featuring functional menu systems.

The AI will not act as they are meant to, being far less aggressive than they should be. (This is only fixed in Championship Mode and Split-Screen)
Replays do not work for single-player modes and will typically send the player back to the main menu shortly after finishing.
Running out of time or being totaled in a Road Rage event will soft-lock the game.*
Road Rage is unable to pool in other cars of the same class for reasons unknown, and will repurpose the same vehicles similar to retail.*
Race events will only consist of the player car for a likely similar instance to Road Rage.*
Crash Mode must first be completed through the dedicated menu before being able to play in Single Event.*
Reverse tracks in Single Event will respawn you facing the wrong way, Race and Championship Mode are the only exceptions to this.*
The option to enable vibration for the controller does not do anything.*
Due to the lack of tracks, a sizeable portion of the game is inaccessible and much is still unseen.*
Selecting events from the dedicated Crash Nav does not work.*
Championship mode featuring Race events is not accessible without means of replacing another menu.*

Burnout 3 (2004-04-28 demo)