Burnout Paradise

"Burnout is Back and Better Than Ever"

Before I get started, let me tell you that I hate racing games. Yes, I said it. So you must be asking yourselves, why would someone who hates racing games review Burnout Paradise? Well, it's simple. After playing a ton of racing games, like Gran Turismo and DiRT, the Burnout series is the only series in the genre that I love (and F-Zero, but lets not get into that). After getting Burnout 3 and Burnout Revenge and playing them non-stop, I couldn't wait for this game. When I finally bought it, I found this game to be an improvement over the previous iterations in every possible way. The decision to go open-world provides gamers with a sense of freedom that is unmatched.

Graphics: 9/10

At first glance, it may not look as good as the other racers on the market, but considering the size of the world, these graphics are nothing to scoff at. A brilliant and vibrant world awaits gamers who play this game, and if you take the time to look at the finer details, you'll see the Criterion has gone through a lot of effort to make Paradise City a great place to drive. Graffiti marks the walls of buildings, signs saying "no trespassing" show up when you go off road. The light from the sun hits your car and creates a wonderful glare when driving. The only complaint I have is the way that the water looks, but once you get better, you won't be looking at the water for extended periods. ;)

Sound: 10/10

Many of you are probably looking at the score and wondering "A 10? What about the soundtrack?" Well, Criterion has given us PS3 owners the chance to put in custom soundtracks, and it is a feature that I use to the fullest. I despise the soundtrack they put in this game, but when I have the ability to change it, it can be forgiven. So the only thing left to analyze is the car sounds. For people who have played previous versions of the series, you know that Criterion knows what cars should sound like. This game is no exception. The engine roar is perfect, and every car has different sounds to accompany them. If you get into an unfortunate accident (which you will, after all it is Burnout) you will also discover that the crash sounds are absolutely perfect.

Gameplay: 10/10

Oh boy. This is where Burnout Paradise veers off course from the previous games. Abandoning the linear tracks of the past, Criterion has given us the wonderful open world of Paradise City. No longer will you have to navigate menus to start a road rage, this time all the challenges take place in intersections. Just find a place where 2 roads meet, press L1 and R1 together, and the challenge starts. All the previous modes are here with the exception of Crash Mode. Road Rage and Races are back, as well as 2 new, and fun modes: Stunt Run and Marked Man. In Stunt Run your goal is to do as many stunts as possible as rack up multipliers before time runs out. Barrel Roll, Drift, Flat Spin and Jump of insane ramps. This mode is one of my favourites. The thrill of pulling of stunts one after the other is unmatched. Marked Man takes the beloved Road Rage (my favourite mode) and turns it on its ear. Instead of being the hunter, you are now the hunted. Reach the finish line before being taken out by a pack of incredibly aggressive cars. In place of Crash Mode is Show Time, a bizarre new mode where you basically turn your car into a basketball and bounce it in the streets causing as much havoc as possible. Sounds, well, dumb, but its mindless fun and if you don't like it, you don't have to do it. Plus, I was never a fan of Crash Mode anyways (yeah, I said it). The two other modes, Race and Road Rage, are also changed thanks to the open world. Races are now not set to a confined path, meaning you are free to take the path you choose. About to be totaled in Road Rage? Find an Auto Repair and keep the battle going. These changes add a new twist and in my books they are great. When you complete a challenge, you will get new cars and earn better licenses. Don't feel like doing anything but driving? Now hear comes my favourite part of the game.......JUST DRIVE. Yes, that's right, don't do anything but drive...trust me, it's fun. I have spent a good 10 hours JUST driving. Finding billboards to crash into, gates to crash into, new jumps, it' a blast! Wow....I haven't even talked about online..and look at how big the gameplay section is....

Online: 10/10

Taking Paradise online is a whole different beast, and the great thing is that you don''t even have to pause the game in order to get online, a few presses on the d-pad will open a menu while the game is still running, and you can choose to get online from there. Create a game, join a game, and have fun! Try beating other people's records, take part in a road rage, stunt run, marked man or a race. Or just crash into people, that's always fun XD. When going online you are also free to participate in 1 of 500 challenges. Yes 500, that's some great replayability isn't it? Wait...replayability...that reminds me...

Replay Value: 10/10

After reading everything before this, I guess you can assume that there is a ton of things to do in this game and it will take a while before you get bored. Remember when I said that I don't like racing games other than Burnout? Well, I have spent more time in this game than any other game this generation, by far. Even when I'm done all 500 challenges and maxed out my license, I bet I will still have a blast just driving. Lets not forget the hefty amount of add-on content as well. What's not to love ;)?

Final Thoughts:

It can't be said enough how much I love this game. Playing online with friends, taking down cars like a mad man, getting taken down while barrel rolling of a ramp. This game provides satisfaction that other games just can't compare to. If you are a fan of racing games (or not) I recommend you get this game. You will not regret it.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 08/05/09

Game Release: Burnout Paradise (US, 01/22/08)