I don’t normally have much time for over the top arcade games, so when Burnout: Dominator came my way a while ago, I didn’t really give it much attention – i.e. I loaded it up once, played it for five minutes, and dismissed it as pure fluff, to be consigned to the ‘never play again pile’.

So why, you may be wondering, did I pick it up again over the weekend and decide to give it another go? To be honest, I can’t give you a reason, other than a mild pang of guilt that I’d not given it a fighting chance of proving itself.

Regardless of the reasons, this weekend found me sitting with a few minutes to spare and a game I needed to properly try out. And I’m extremely glad I did. Burnout: Dominator proved to be a highlight of the weekend, and has given me a couple of enjoyable hours of PSP gameplay without being too demanding on my concentration.

Burnout is a complete arcade fest of unrealistic car handling and ludicrous power boosts and combo scores, but theres a real polish to the way it plays, and for anyone whose gaming enjoyment normally falls in the sim category, its a refreshing change from what can be monotonous gameplay.

One of the best things about Burnout: Dominator is the sheer speed of the game. Cars fly along, and the PSP doesn’t seem to struggle with excessive pop-up or that dreadful slow down when the screen gets full. The further you progress through the game, the faster the cars get, which is great incentive to continue playing it.

There are numerous driving challenges in Burnout: Dominator, but my favourite has to be the races where the total destruction of your competitors is the only objective. Never has smashing another car headlong into a brickwall held so much appeal. It takes road rage to another (safer) level.

As with most EA games, Burnout: Dominator comes with a variable quality soundtrack, some suiting the game entirely, and some seemingly thrown into the mix at random, which is a shame as the soundtrack to this kind of game on the PSP really adds to the feeling of speed and danger.

If you are looking for a decent quality arcade racer to play, and you’ve become bored with the likes of Ridge Racer and WipeOut, I suggest you give Burnout: Dominator a chance, you won’t be disapponted.