Matt Slagle (AP)

Getting to the finish line first is good enough for most racing video games. Then there's ``Burnout 3: Takedown,'' which puts a disarmingly enjoyable spin on the racing game: the bigger the wreck, the better.

Blending high velocities with jarring crashes, this new title from Electronic Arts offers a variety of racing styles on courses spanning the United States, Europe and Asia.

Mass destruction puts this one ahead of its competitors. You drive, slam and careen off ramps and into traffic to rack up as much destruction as possible. You can pick up special bonuses along the way that can push the damage into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Cause a suitably large pileup and you'll get a ``Crashbreaker,'' an explosive bonus you can detonate for additional flying bits of twisted metal and flaming tires. Enough of these big wrecks will unlock additional venues and new vehicles like sports cars, trucks and buses.

If only my daily commute could be this fun _ sans the inevitable hospital visit, of course.

The graphics effectively conveyed an amazing illusion of speed.

The edges of the screen blurred as I roared down city streets and through twisting mountainside dirt roads at speeds that would be sure to catch the attention of any local TV news stations eager for a good high-speed chase.

Behind the wheel, the experience was as intense and focused as I've ever had while playing a video game.

Staring at a single point on the horizon, I swerved through one near-miss after another involving tractor-trailers, RVs and hapless motorists.

Such brushes with death are rewarded in the game's other modes, which include ``Road Rage'' and yes, plain old first-to-the-finish ``Race'' mode.

You're rewarded for tailgating, running your opponents over cliffs (hence the word takedown in the title) and suicidal drifts into oncoming traffic with a speed boost bar. Like a nitrous oxide tank for a real hot rod, you can use the boost whenever you need a neck-snapping dose of extra speed.

A new twist with this sequel is called ``Aftertouch.'' During crashes, you can slow down the action like ``The Matrix'' films and move your burning heap of metal into more traffic or your opponents.

Like a skateboarder in slow motion, you can also use the aftertouch to perform additional tricks like hood slides, flips or bumper grinds.

It felt odd at first, but I grew fond of aftertouch because it gave me a much-needed chance to catch my breath.

The single player game is a good for getting attuned to the responsive controls, but as with most video games, going online and competing against other people is the real challenge.

I had no problems connecting online with my PlayStation 2 and finding others to play against. As expected, I was much better at being the victim of a wreck instead of the instigator.

Excessive destruction runs rampant in this T-rated game for the PS2 and Xbox, but at least the smashing is limited to vehicles.

There are no guns and you can't go on blood-soaked, pedestrian-squashing rampages like you can in games such as ``Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.''

``Burnout 3'' isn't going to win any first-place medals for realism but delivers a superb arcade experience. Besides, why would anyone want to simulate being stuck in gridlock?

5 stars out of 5.

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On the Net:

http://www.eagames.com/official/burnout/burnout3/us/home.jsp