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Burnout Paradise [ M ]
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Release: 07/Feb/2008
Platform: Playstation 3
Rating: M
Genre: Racing
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With Burnout Paradise, publisher EA and developer Criterion have again produced an eyelid-ripping car game for gamers who don’t like car games. Finicky tuning, realistic physics and real-world locales have all been hoisted onto an altar and sacrificed in the name of maniacal kicks. If you’re a racing elitist who worships sports cars, you’ll deem the smash-and-tumble action here blasphemous. For sane folk, on the other hand, who play games purely for the visceral smack, Burnout Paradise is set to blitz its way onto your most wanted list.
It carries with it some bold changes, too. First and foremost, all four-wheeled antics take place throughout Paradise City, an interconnected virtual highway. There are no native chequered flags here, just scores of events that can be tackled by stopping at any of the city’s countless traffic lights and revving your engine. There are point-to-point suicide runs with no set path, custom circuit marathons, stunt challenges and a slew of other objectives on hand to keep the racing bowl punchy.
The second big addition to Burnout Paradise is its seamless integration with online play. Simply tapping the digital pad will bring up a host of online options that allow racers across the globe to burn about together on the same virtual acreage – the same Paradise City. There’s even an option for players to quickly see if anyone on their friends list is playing Burnout Paradise at that moment, and if so, to immediately warp into each other’s gaming world. It works flawlessly and eradicates the annoyance of restarting games when one of your buddies jumps online and wants to join you for a race.
Despite these new additions, the red hot adrenaline that the series is known for is still here in full form. Hooning throughout Paradise City with a bar full of boost is enough to raise any car fiend’s blood pressure; the sensation of speed it offers will likely not be matched for some time.
Burnout Paradise set out to be about fast thrills, online mayhem and the usual gorgeous looks the series is known for. It delivers on all counts. |
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