The series, developed by Criterion Games, which was acquired by Electronic Arts before the 2004 release of Burnout 3: Takedown, has inexplicably been left to wither (regrettably, along with Criterion itself) for decades. This next attempt—Wreckreation 2, from the new studio When Tides Turn—is focused on nailing those fundamentals that Burnout understood so well. But plenty of problem areas are apparently receiving attention from the When Tides Turn crew. When Tides TurnPlaying Wreckreation 2 at this extremely young stage—the studio says it represents all of three months of work—is a strange experience. At a time when gaming feels suffocated by an unending corporate desire to bleed players of all of their time and money, the spirit of games like Burnout feels depressingly foreign.