Burnout Paradise - Review

Title: Burnout Paradise
Format: Xbox 360 (Version Reviewed)/PS3
Price: £39.99
Release Date: Out Now
Published: Leeds Student, 22/2/08

The Burnout series has always been a law unto itself; its own subsection of the racing game genre. Getting to the finish line is important, but not as important as how much carnage you cause along the way.

Plenty has changed in this iteration. Gone is the standard trickle of events and locales present in most racing games, replaced instead with just one city. And it really is a city; it feels vibrant, alive and most importantly, real. Every set of lights is the starting line for an event, which consist of Races and Burning Routes, the trick based Stunt Run and the vicious Road Rage and Marked Man modes. Most importantly, every event is available from the off, so you can carve your own path through the world, but the sheer amount of events can be overwhelming at first.

The freeform nature of the city really comes into its own in the events. Events may start anywhere, but finish lines are in one of eight fixed locations. It’s up to you to find the best route from start to end. The in-game compass points you along the suggested route, but if you think you know a better one, there is nothing to stop you taking it.

Taking the game online couldn’t be easier, and there is plenty of fun to be had ‘freeburning’ around Paradise with some friends. You can take part in custom races, engage in various challenges or just compete with each other to get high scores in various categories.

Overall, opinion will be divided on the direction Criterion has taken the series, but I believe that this is the greatest Burnout to date, and it’s hard to see how Criterion will top it for the next instalment.

~ by Seniath on February 22, 2008.