Well, they call me Fox and I am an avid video gamer, driver, and musician. I also have a fascination...
Well, they call me Fox and I am an avid video gamer, driver, and musician. I also have a fascination with Japan and related products, and I'm currently studying Games Design at university.
Member since:03.08.2009
Reviews:5
Members who trust:1
Ever since Burnout 2: Point of Impact, this series of games has been the manifestation of ten year old boy's dreams the world over. Fast cars, loud noises, and massive crashes. If that's the sort of thing that makes your eyes light up with glee, then the rest of this review is irrelevant - you have to buy this game. For the rest of you however, primeval thrill alone is probably not enough of a selling point, so let's have a look at what makes Burnout Paradise arguably the most fun racing game money can buy.
Design
First, gather round for a history lesson. After a rather mundane opening title, game players were given something a little different with Burnout 2. Gone were the simple "first to the line" mechanics of old and in their place came boost functions and mini games rewarding the most carnage achieved in a single crash. Burnout 3 introduced the idea of "takedowns", where you ram opponents off the road in spectacular fashion in order to win the race, or as the sole objective in certain game modes. These radical ideas, coupled with cars whose main purpose is to drift at very high speed and do barrel rolls off ramps, made Burnout very different from its rivals, and fans of the series will be delighted to hear that all of these functions are retained in Burnout Paradise. What is gone, however, is the classic menu system of old, where you would select your game mode, car, and track to race on. Instead, you are
let loose from the word go in a massive city, with everything from beaches to twisty mountain roads and even rooftops available to explore. There are dozens of different events to try - all you have to do is pull up at a set of lights to start one - and there are a few different types. Races do exactly what they say on the tin, Stunt Runs see you chaining together combos of boost, drift, and jumps to achieve a certain score, Road Rage gets you to take down as many cars as possible within a time limit, and Marked Man sees dozens of cars try to ram you off the road, whilst you try and get to a certain point. In addition to these main options, there is a "Burning Route" for almost every car in the game, and these are essentially simple time trials.
There are even more challenges and game types available with multiple players in online play, and additional "party games" and "cops and robbers" content can be bought from the impressive collection of downloadable add-ons, meaning you can be sure of getting an awful lot for your money, even with just the basic package which can be downloaded straight from the Playstation Network at half the original retail price.
Gameplay
So with so much to do, the most important thing is you have fun doing it! And Burnout Paradise certainly does not disappoint. The thrill of tearing down the wrong side of the road at breakneck speeds on full boost, weaving in and out of traffic, jumping across bridges, and ramming opponents off the road will never get old. There are 75 cars available in the standard game of three different "types": Stunt, Aggression, and Speed. These three types have different attributes, and accumulate and use their boost in different ways. The difference in handling between each individual car is incredible as well, and depending on your style of play you are likely to to come up with a few favourites from each category. The actual driving is well executed as well, using the shoulder buttons on the SIXAXIS or DUALSHOCK controller to accelerate and brake, with a simple tap of the brake capable of sending almost any car into a beautifully controlled drift, and a press of the handbrake allowing 180 degree turns as well as spectacular spins off the top of ramps.
This isn't to say that Burnout Paradise is without flaw. Navigation is a constant problem, even after many hours playing the game. You are given a mini map at all times in the corner of the screen, street names appearing at the top of the screen to show when you're approaching a turn, and a compass during events pointing towards your destination. Unfortunately, with such an open world with so many shortcuts to find this is not really sufficient, especially when travelling so fast the city around you is merely a blur. The only way to be relatively confident of finding your way is to stick to main roads, but that discourages exploration and finding interesting shortcuts, which are the most rewarding roads to drive. This is a game that could have used a route finding system similar to Grand Theft Auto 4's, which displays a line on your mini map showing the simplest route from where you are to your destination, and automatically corrects if you miss a turning. Having this would give you the confidence to try out the shortcuts, as even if they took you to the wrong spot the game would automatically find you the fastest route back in the right direction.
Another issue is the crashing. The first few times you wreck your car against oncoming traffic, you'll whoop with glee at the exquisite car deformation and slow motion effects. The trouble comes when you find yourself smashing your car up once every couple of minutes and each time you have to sit through the slow-motion consequences of your slight mistake. This is especially galling in the middle of a close race.
On the plus side, developers Criterion have been excellent when it comes to updating the game. When it was originally released, failing any event was a disaster because you had to drive back to where you started and begin again. Nowadays you can simply select "Restart last event" from a menu, which saves an awful lot of time and frustration. The downloadable content they provide allows you to gain every car in the game if you don't want to work to unlock them all, and also includes a free update introducing motorbikes, new challenges, and a day and night cycle. More game modes and an entire new island of content can be brought for a few extra pounds, and it doesn't look like support for this game will be ending any time soon.
Presentation
I can think of racing games that look better than this, or at least have more detailed car models. But the look of Burnout Paradise makes you feel happy. Lots of bright colours, blur effects, sparks and mangled metal flying all over the place combined with some jaw dropping moments as you make jumps off and between mountains ensures you wont be left wanting in the graphics department. The sound is similarly well done, with plenty of music available for background play ranging from Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend" to Mozart's "Air on a G String", a simple tap of the R1 button will skip tracks until you find one you like. Also in the background is the charismatic "DJ Atomika", you're guide to Paradise City who'll be there with plenty of helpful tips and information.
Conclusion
Overall then, Burnout Paradise gives you much more for your money than you could ever ask for. It looks great, it plays great, there's a ton of fantastic downloadable content and online multiplayer support. If not for the frustration of constant wrecking and navigation issues, this would be an absolute must-buy. As it stands, it isn't quite Paradise, but you're still in for one heck of a ride.
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...
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...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: Out of stock
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: Fantastic city environment; seamless online; online co-op challenges; well balanced cars Disadvantages: Some bad EA Trax; Sat Nav and map are hard to read.
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.
Aug 3rd, 2009
(Aug 4th, 2009)
very helpful by (100%):
