Burnout 3: Takedown is a racing video game with arcade-style gameplay that emphasises dangerous and fast-paced driving.[2][3] The game features standard circuit races which take place on carriageways and city streets populated with traffic. The Single Race mode pits the player against five AI opponents in a single or multiple lap race.[2] During a race, boost, which is earned by acts of reckless driving such as drifting around corners, near misses with traffic, and driving in oncoming lanes, can be used to rapidly increase a car's speed.[2][4] Boost can be used immediately in Burnout 3, unlike previous Burnout games which required the boost meter to be full.[4] The quickest method for earning boost is a Takedown—a central mechanic introduced in this instalment of the series.[2][5] A Takedown involves shunting opposing vehicles until they crash. Each one fills the boost meter and can provide an additional boost segment, causing the meter to extend up to four times its initial size. Ramming opponents will cause them to behave more aggressively in return; their level of hostility is indicated by a coloured arrow above their vehicle. When the player crashes or is taken out by an opponent, boost is lost and a bonus boost segment is withdrawn. During the crash sequence, a slow-motion mode called Impact Time can be activated. In Impact Time, the Aftertouch mechanic can be used to manoeuvre the wrecked car chassis into an opponent to get a Takedown, which acts as a recovery move by negating the penalty of crashing.[2]
Road Rage is a new game mode in which the player must achieve a certain number of Takedowns in a preset time limit or before their vehicle is totalled.[2][5] Cars continuously spawn in Road Rage so that there are always vehicles to perform Takedowns on. The Crash mode from Burnout 2: Point of Impact returns but has been enhanced to accommodate the Aftertouch feature.[2] The goal of Crash mode is to create the largest amount of monetary damage in a multi-vehicle collision at a junction full of traffic.[2][5] The game includes a total of one hundred Crash junctions.[3] When a set number of vehicles become involved in the pileup, a Crashbreaker is available which allows the player to detonate their vehicle to cause further damage Cash bonuses, score multipliers, a speed boost, or an immediate Crashbreaker can be obtained by driving through power-ups that lie on the junction in Crash mode.[2] One particular power-up, the Heartbreaker, has a negative effect by reducing the total score.[6]