For racing fans eager to obliterate their motors, the Burnout series has always been the way to go. To begin with it was all about dangerous driving, but recent incarnations focused on “Takeouts” where you’re rewarded for actively bashing your opponents into the scenery.
Many critics baulked at the change, but that hasn’t stopped every single Burnout release heading to the top of the charts. The question is though how many times can you tweak odd bit here and there and still expect gamers to fork out for what’s essentially the same title?
Burnout’s developers at Criterion have obviously asked themselves the same question and come up with a pretty compelling answer. This release sees the most radical changes yet as the track is replaced by an “open world” environment.
Not many saw that coming. A big gun strapped to your bonnet yes, but not a swerve away from structured racing.
They say:
Gamespot: “If you have any affection for the series, you really owe it to yourself to give the full game a look.”
Official Xbox Magazine: “As long as you’re willing to explore the city’s nooks and crannies, drive offensively, and take a hell of a lot of risks, you’ll find it supremely rewarding.”
Eurogamer: “Burnout Paradise isn't everything it could have been, but what's here is still worthy of serious consideration for anyone hell bent on demented arcade thrills.”
We say:
If you’ve ever played the sublime Test Drive Unlimited then you’ll know what to expect here. Never played it? You’re missing out. Test Drive allowed you to motor around at will and pick the challenges you liked. Its sales success proved that racing on rails wasn’t the be all and end all of the genre.
Another likeness – and perhaps even closer – is the awe inspiring Xbox 360 stunner, Crackdown. Burnout Paradise follows hot on the heels of Realtime Worlds’ smash by providing a huge play area to buzz around in with various rewards to be gained simply by having fun.
Want to bash through billboards? Fine. Paradise will keep a tally of that for you allowing you to simply have as much riotous fun as possible.
Not that the races themselves aren’t up to it. Line up against a few competitors and it’s back to the Burnout gameplay of old – points for driving recklessly and smashing the guy in the next car off the track – and it looks gorgeous on an HD screen.
Stunt runs are a particular favourite of ours. Picture a cross between James Bond’s crazy river jump in The Man With The Golden Gun and The Dukes of Hazzard’s General Lee leaping various chasms and you won’t be far off. You may tire of the racing, but you won’t get bored of this.
Sadly, Burnout’s good old Crash mode doesn’t make an appearance. Earlier titles encouraged you to cause as much damage as possible in one single crash and it’s a shame that particular bit of code has been left out this time round.
Paradise comes up short in a couple of other areas too. The ability to restart a race has been ripped out completely, leaving you floundering if you fail to achieve a goal. It’s astonishingly frustrating to schlep back to the start for another go, when a simple button press could have done the same job.
The music and hyperactive ‘DJ’ on offer are just as tiresome. Some of the tracks can really get you in the mood, but Avril Lavigne? Why bother with that rubbish when you could have crammed in another absolute classic track? And the DJ’s banter grates within thirty seconds of booting up your machine.
Having said all that, there’s still plenty to rave about. The graphics in particular are something else. Our still shots may look impressive, but they simply don’t do this game justice. Try it on an HD screen and you’ll see what we mean. Paradise has to be one of the best looking games on any console.
A brand new direction this may be, but it’s one that delivers plenty of driving thrills. Yes the lack of instant restarts is annoying and the DJ is a joke but, out on the road, Burnout Paradise bashes all its opponents into submission.
Like this? Try these:
Crackdown – Xbox 360
Test Drive Unlimited – Xbox 360, PS2, PSP, PC
Project Gotham Racing 4 – Xbox 360
FORMAT REVIEWED
Xbox 360
OTHER FORMATS
PS3
POSTED...
Tue 11 Mar at 10:35am
