Just over a week ago, I talked about how Xbox 360 backwards compatibility is surprisingly decent. It allows you to play a big bunch of original Xbox games on the system, including one of the best racing games ever in Burnout 3: Takedown.
I'll be honest though, I hadn't touched Burnout 3 in years prior to writing that article. The game doesn't work on Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S for presumably licensing reasons, so Burnout Paradise Remastered is the entry that's received the most attention for the past decade-or-so. I do enjoy Burnout Paradise for what it is, but something about the open world setting and just the overall vibe never clicked with me in the same way as Burnout 3: Takedown.
Going back to Burnout 3 over the past couple of weeks, I was shocked to realise just how much I love the game in 2025. Everything still feels so fresh - from the sense of speed to the breathtaking takedowns, from the memorable track layouts to the varied game modes. The soundtrack is fantastic as well (although probably a major reason why we don't have this game on modern systems), and the atmosphere of it all is just so beautifully mid-2000s.
Of course, this was where Burnout really came into its own. Yes, Burnout 1 and 2 were great games in their own right, but Burnout 3 introduced the pivotal Takedown system - where you could slam into opponents and initiate a slow-motion crash sequence that seamlessly transitioned back into gameplay after it was over. Destroying your opponents suddenly became more enticing and deliciously addictive - and 21 years later, it still feels that way even now!
Another one of the most popular features in Burnout 3: Takedown was Crash mode. For those who don't know, this throws you into a scenario where you have to cause as much damage as possible by crashing into vehicles and obstacles, followed by activating your Crashbreaker - basically a way to explode your car and cause even more mayhem. The feature was a notable absentee from Burnout Paradise, with that game introducing something called "Showtime" that followed a similar kind of structure, but didn't quite nail the appeal of Crash mode.
I'm getting to enjoy this mode in Burnout 3 while making my way through the World Tour campaign again, and it's all running beautifully on my Xbox 360 at 60 frames per-second. Of course, as you can see from the screenshots, the resolution isn't what we're used to with modern games - I believe Burnout 3 runs at a native 480p - but it's something that quickly sinks to the back of your mind when you're in the middle of a high-octane crash fest.
There are only two things that I'm sad about now with this game. The first is that it doesn't support backwards compatibility on Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S (can you imagine how many copies this would sell?!), and the second is that online multiplayer doesn't work anymore. Even the amazing Insignia service on the original Xbox doesn't support Burnout 3 yet, so there's no way of playing it online on any Xbox console.
Looking ahead to the future, I'm hopeful it will enjoy a resurgence in some form - whether that's via a new backwards compatibility innovation or maybe even a remaster. For now though, I'm here to tell you that Burnout 3: Takedown is a good time on both the OG Xbox and Xbox 360, and you can often pick it up for the price of a coffee these days. Alternatively, have a look into Burnout Revenge - the sequel to Burnout 3 that was released natively for the Xbox 360, and that version is backwards compatible on Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.
