Burnout: Paradise

Preview

More then just racing, this one's new and improved

January 7th, 2008 by Howie Howard

previewed on PS3

Another Blockbuster

Burnout Paradise is the fifth entry in the Burnout series from developer Criterion Games. Electronic Arts will publish this one for the Play Station 3 and Xbox 360 on January 22 of 2008. The excitement and anticipation of another blockbuster Burnout game is beginning to build as evidenced by all of the chatter on the net. Recently I had the opportunity to take a closer look at the newest addition to this very popular game franchise and I would like to share with you the insights that I have come away with.

More then just Racing

The Burnout series is an exciting action arcade racing game that is in fact much more then just a mere racing game. I have played every conceivable racing game in the past, starting with that venerable old motorcycle racing game Road Rash. In this one you would desperately try to knock your opponent off of their bike while attempting to finish first in the races. Eventually I progressed to the Need for Speed games and raced through the streets of a bustling city desperately trying to get away from the cops, and yes, you again tried to finish in first place. The main goal in life in these games was to unlock new areas on the map.

Burnout Paradise is similar to these in that you need to win events in order to unlock the better vehicles. However that�s where the similarities end. Burnout Paradise allows the player full access to the entire map from the beginning and that�s a good thing. No more wondering about what is beyond the mysterious invisible roadblock you keep smashing into while trying to escape from another police chase.

Explore

There aren�t any cop chases in Paradise City and I�m relieved. I have run from so many cops in my time as a racecar driver that I just can�t take it any more. Gone are the nasty cops trying to box you in or trying to run me off of the road. In Paradise City you are encouraged to smash things up. In fact they reward you with points for smashing up vehicles in their road rage challenge. The more vehicles you can trash the more points you get. Everything in Burnout Paradise is a challenge. In fact that�s what they call their races or events. As you drive around Paradise City the various challenges will appear on your mini map. All you need to do to get into a challenge is to stop at an intersection and perform a burnout. If you don�t like the smell of burning rubber then press the LT or RT keys simultaneously.

I wouldn�t consider trying the challenges at the very beginning. In fact the first part of Burnout Paradise is simply driving around the immense city map. You need to familiarize yourself with the layout of the land and find the various important areas on the map. There are garages that offer vehicle repairs, areas of roadway that might offer short cuts, gas stations that provide power ups, a shop that allows you to paint your car a different color and secret areas that need to be driven through in order to discover them. By having the first part of the game act as a familiarization period it allows the player time to enjoy the sites and to prepare for the action to come. This initialization period is also fun because simply put, the sites are marvelous to behold and to look at. It�s that good�