Impressions: Burnout Paradise and Devil May Cry 4

Gaming in 2008 really kicked off for me on Tuesday with the release of much awaited Burnout Paradise. While the game is multi-platform (PS3/XBOX 360) I decided to go with the PS3 version being as it was the lead platform for the title. That said, having played the demo of both, aside from some very rare framerate drops in the 360 version both games are very much the same.

I won't go into the details too much being as a review will be coming in the very near future but I will say I am having a blast with Burnout Paradise. This iteration takes the series in a whole new direction having the entire game take place in an open world. While that may seem like a drastic turn for a beloved franchise, it actually does work, although not always as well as it was intended and Burnout Paradise is a Burnout game through and through. Insane speed, brutal crashes and an addictive progression scale will keep you playing for a good long while.

There are some problems with the game though. First off the on screen map is at times useless and will sometimes do more harm than help, often at crucial points in a race. The other is the lack of a retry event option. While the design choice makes sense to keep you in the open world, it is quite frustrating to lose a race by a fraction of a second and not have any events doable in the area. Also it is bound to drive perfectionists crazy. All in all though my early impressions of Paradise City are favorable.

That brings me to Devil May Cry 4. The demo was released this week (on both PS3 and 360) and I once again will be deciding to go with the lead platform for the game, the PS3. Over the last month or so I have been hearing some unfavorable news about the loading times on the 360 version due to the lack of an install option. The demo's seem to run at the same clip but both are also installed on the hard drive.

I've played through the demo and am pleased to announce that the game seems to be shaping up nicely. It seems more like the original Devil May Cry than either of the two PS2 sequels were. What I have played of DMC4, which is surely only a small amount of the overall experience is very well crafted. This is one of the best looking games that Capcom has ever done. I am certainly excited for the 5th of February.