I am from Warwickshire and I love to review products. My interests are music, football, video and co...
I am from Warwickshire and I love to review products. My interests are music, football, video and computer games, cycling and going out with friends.
Member since:09.08.2004
Reviews:83
Members who trust:7
[From my own website, Ministry of Gamers - www.ministryofgamers.com]
Thursday 5th February was the date for the brand new update and the release of the first premium DLC for Burnout Paradise, the Party Pack. Is it another success for Criterion Games? Read on to find out...
So, I went into the PlayStation Store to download the new Party Pack which cost me £7.99 (Note: For those who not downloaded Burnout Paradise from the Store or bought the retail version, get the Ultimate Box from retailers or the Ultimate Bundle download from the PlayStation Store). I then updated the game to version 1.6. I booted it up and noticed a visual difference to this game.
First of all, there is a brand new Criterion Games Network to replace the News section when you start the game up. Not only you be able to see the news added by Criterion, but also see your stats in the game and then soon to compare your stats with your friends list. This feature is only for PS3 and PC versions of Burnout Paradise.
After leaving the Criterion Games Network feature, you are then presented with a brand new main menu where you are given 3 options - enter Paradise City as normal, start up a Party on the new Party Pack or enter the new in-game Burnout Store where you can purchase content previously released such as the Bikes Pack and Cagney
update to future packs such as Legendary Cars, Toy Cars, Boost Specials and also the Big Surf Island. There's plenty to come on Burnout Paradise in 2009 and this is probably the very first videogame to constantly get full support even after a year old. No other game has managed to do this feat. I'm also aware of more content to come in future too which are not announced yet.
Let's go into the Party Pack first before going to the 1.6 update.
The Party Pack allows up to 8 players around one single PS3, PC or Xbox 360 and play a variety of challenges set to be the best out of all your friends. This is done by simply passing one controller around the whole party. There are three types of challenges for you to try - Speed, Stunt and Skill. There are literally tons of challenges so there's new challenges each time you play. Each round you play has points to play for. You start with 250 points and then gradually doubles and then triples near the end of the party game to make it more competitive between the party to try be the champion.
Party is really good fun and it's a wise move for Criterion to do this as most of the packs so far were catered for online play and I am pleased that they also considered for those wanted to play offline or haven't got the Internet at all. Releasing the Ultimate Box is also fantastic as it brings all the packs released so far onto one disc and is a superb idea again for those who can't play over the Internet and are missing out on the extras.
Onto the update released at the same time as the Party Pack and there are a good few tweaks and improvements done.
As mentioned earlier, the CG Network is absolutely brilliant. I'm sure this will develop as they have promised as well as mentioning the Burnout Store in-game. What's also been done in v1.6 are that the vehicle dynamics have drastically changed and I'm glad it's done. This is to make it easier for gamers to Burnout Paradise and also more accessible. As for the cars unlocked later, they'll be more a challenge to handle and you be able to tell the difference between the cars you get first off in the game and the ones unlocked progressively throughout the game. Cars you get when you first play are slower but the ones later unlocked are faster.
The Junkyard has changed a bit also to reflect on the dynamics changed on the vehicles. Also, you can easily choose between bikes and cars instead of all of them in one list. As for the additions of Legendary Cars, Toy Cars and Boost Specials in the near future, this will also be easily laid out to pick out.
The modes have changed too. The timer has changed so it begins slow but as you build the multipliers, it'll run out faster than you started with to make it more challenging. Road Rage has changed and removed the extra time earned for each takedown after the goal's reached, making that more challenging.
Events are rebalanced and changed the rival vehicles and Burning Route times to reflect the dynamics changed on the vehicles. This is to accomodate new car speeds.
Gamers have requested the ability to restart events offline if they failed and Criterion have listened and delivered this. Criterion is the first to improve the game and add features requested by gamers themselves. Custom soundtrack was another feature requested by gamers and was added a good while back now. You can't fault Criterion with the amount of effort going into ensuring this game being the best driving game on any console and I must admit this is the best driving game ever!
And I ain't finished the update details yet. The whole game visuals are more vibrant and is now easier to see where everything is from super jumps (now in blue), smash barriers (in yellow) and billboards (in red) to being able to see in the dark better than before.
And finally, the barrel roll system is tweaked for the beginners of the game so whenever a barrel roll is started, it will right itself automatically but for the experts going for more than 1 barrell roll, you still got to do it yourself by steering into the roll.
To finish the review off, I will take my hat off and applaud Criterion Games for the constant outstanding efforts being made to this game and constantly support Burnout Paradise long after it's release and this is a massive feat for gaming. I can't remember any other game being constantly supported long after it's release. Party Pack and version 1.6 is making Burnout Paradise even better than ever. Party mode is absolutely fun for all your friends gathering round one console and will keep you entertained hours on end! Graphics are improved and brighter as well as dynamic improvements in vehicles. For those who have not bought the game at all since the release, I recommend getting it now with the Ultimate Box. For those who got it from release or downloaded from the PlayStation Store, get the Party Pack today! It's now another reason why you'd be coming back to Burnout Paradise once again!
Pictures of Burnout Paradise (PS3)
Party mode - number of players can be selected here and rename them as well as add pictures using the Playstation Eye on PS3 or Live Vision for 360.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
If you love playing with friends at home or online then this is the game for you. Welcome ... more
to Paradise City, a world built for fun and adventure. From team challenges to racing to exploring the city there's always something to look forward to in Para...
Postage & Packaging: £4.50 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
If you love playing with friends at home or online then this is the game for you. Welcome ... more
to Paradise City, a world built for fun and adventure. From team challenges to racing to exploring the city there's always something to look forward to in Para...
Postage & Packaging: free Super Saver Delivery Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Welcome to the Ultimate Driving PlaygroundParadise City - Explore over 250 miles of open ... more
road, discovering jumps, stunts and shortcuts.Team Up or Take Down - Race friends online and grab their mugshots, or join forces to complete more than 300 online C...
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Burnout’s mix of spectacular crashes and open world racing returns with an ... more
unprecedented amount of new content now in place.When Burnout Paradise first graced consoles, it was an entirely unique take on a well-worn racing formula. The over-th...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: Out of stock
Advantages: The free run of a huge city in some very flash cars. Disadvantages: The bike experience isn't quite there. Other driving games offer more variety.
very helpful by (100%):
