Burnout Paradise

by Darren Lee Taylor - 2008/02/05 6:43am

If there is one title this year that will divide opinion, it's Burnout Paradise. At the most basic level, this game is frustrating, unnecessary and frequently disappointing with its structure and level design. The traditional Burnout formula has been completely thrown out to be replaced with a freeform driving experience within an open-world, very much like Grand Theft Auto.

The first disappointment in the game is the way you are just left to simply sulk and swerve around the simplistic road networks and main expressways, cicrumventing your way around a world comprised of unoriginality and realistic spoilties, not really sure about what it is your supposed to be doing. The lack of tutorials, along with a distinct refusal to add any sort of training mode for any of the main functions, a lack of navigational material, and a relapse in the way you sense your immediate organisational opportunites; a new player to this franchise would be alienated from the very start. For Burnout veterans, this title is a thorn in their soft sides, as many of the original titles winning aspects have been replaced by infrequent and inadequate race events at various traffic lights and junctions.

The fact that you have to pull up and stop to start a race, by squeezing L2 and R2, is a dire mistake made by Criterion, as the whole point of the game is speed, and there are far too many stopping opportunities that spoil this enjoyment and thrill factor. There are many events and event types however that does add variety to proceedings, along with a fairly decent soundtrack that can be altered for the tunes of your choice. Guns and Roses breaks the title in with Paradise City, a track that is certainly well known amongst retro hardy rock fans.



Avril Lavigne aside, their is a top class quality soundtrack systematically implemented into the hidden menu screen. The optional races and modes in single player include the already mastered Showtime, taking over the popular Crashtime in previous titles, freeburn, road rage and cruise control. With all of these races to uncover on the average sized map screen, it will take you a good while to really get to grips with the areas covered and find all of the material scattered at various junctions.

Some events can only be played with a certain vehicle, again, alienating the player and removing you from the experience as you would have to track back to an already uncovered garage and change vehicle, of which there are limited few. Another positive point is the way each vehicle has been finely tuned to fit the needs for each race, especially as you progress through the games difficulty curve. Along with the heaps of scrap metal you are given to start with, there are some lovely additions to your personal collection to be found; bumping them off the road or assimilating them if you are to secure that vehicle.

The amount of pixellated joy you get out of the game, in high definition glory, as you smash your vehicle into a barrier or oncoming traffic is mindblowing, and the rushing feeling of pleasurable emphoria as you catapult your favourite machine into the sky blue beyond of the cities horizon would bring many a tear to the eye. With every shattered shard of glass or debris, bodywork or flying crispy paint, a car crash has never been so rewarding.

It really does make the game a very considerable purchase decision, but one that is certainly outweighed by the rest of the games offerability . The Playstation 3 version is certainly superior in this department, along with enhanced crisp sounds and smoother framerates as you cruise the streets of Paradise City.



It makes you feel like your standing on the tallest building in the world, ready to jump off into an explosion of chocolate pudding. Its exhillarating, unadulterated pleasure, and something that must be tried and tested if you are to make the ultimate decision yourself. So far so good then, a mixed review on all accounts, and one that would probably have you scratching your head in frustration as to the point of my argument that you will become divided? Well, thats because the multiplayer is so damn exciting.

With an array of online events and freeform races setup to challenge even the most speed hungry individual, the best entry for the series so far is the ability to be able to flaunt in the face of your opponent by taking pictures using the Playstation 3 camera, challenging your rivals to rematches at the exact same spots you succumbed to last time, battles with groups od modded race cars and sporty numbers and explosive Showdowns with the rest of the world, it really is open for everyone.

This is what they intended originally for the title for sure, and its only through the multiplayer that this frightening realisation takes hold. From a fairly average, lacklustre singleplayer, to a commendable multiplayer party, this really is a title that will split opinion right down the middle.

So, is it worth purchasing? Well, if you are not connected to the net, you could probably get more thrill from other Playstation 3 racers, or wait for Gran Turismo 5. If you are connected, then you will probably be able to ignore the average mundanity of the single campaign, and focus all of your energy at securing new cars and racing them against real opponents.



That said, if you are a fan of collecting and 100% completion, then tracking down and finding all of the ramps, billboards, fences and vehicles will take you awhile. And with the gorgoeous fluidity of the in-game graphics it really holds its own on Sony's black box. Consider this, rental for the indecisive, purchase only if you have the patience to withstand some of the horrible decisions implemented by Criterion; you will surely make your own minds up on this one.