Burnout Paradise for the Xbox 360

Formally known as Burnout 5, this 2008 release of Burnout Paradise for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 will soon be available for the PC. With Burnout Paradise Criteion Games have made a great transition from closed track racing to the open world format and, in my opinion, have produced the best racing game ever. No longer are you restricted to the route you take while racing. With the open world game in Burnout Paradise you are the navigator.

Gameplay

Burnout Paradise, released for the next generation consoles, is truly a next generation blockbuster. Utilizing all that the Xbox360 and Playstation 3 can give, Burnout Paradise has completely revamped the Burnout format. The open world format allows you, the player, to decide what you want to do and when you want to do it. With 120 different events in 5 different classes and 80 different cars to unlock Burnout Paradise can only be described as huge. As you cruise the city admiring the magnificent architecture of Paradise City, you will quickly come across on of the 120 sets of traffic lights. By pressing both the right and left trigger buttons you can enter the event designated to this particular light. The event will be one of the 5 classes; Race, Road Rage, Burning Route, Marked Man and Stunt Run.

Races consist of the player competing against at least one other car, either console generated or another online racer. The player must get to a designated destination, but the route is open and the possibilities are endless. Suggested routes are offered by flashing road names at the top of the screen, but these can be ignored. The first car to arrive at the destination wins and there are no prizes for being second, there is only one winner in Paradise City. The online version of the game also includes check points, locations that the player must pass while still heading for the final destination. The reward for this event is a mark on your license.

Road Rage is a Burnout classic, that made the transition in Burnout Paradise, and lots of fun. Storm through the city taking out your rivals by knocking them into walls, oncoming cars and buses, landing on top of them, t-boning them and generally causing mayhem. The player is given a target takedown number and a certain amount of time achieve this number. More time is added to the clock when a takedown occurs. Obviously the other cars want to take you down too and this causes damage to your car. Depending on the type of car you are driving and it's strength you can take between 3 and 5 takedowns before being wrecked. Repairing your car at an auto repair shop resets your count. The reward for this event is a mark on your license.

In Burnout Paradise's Marked Man the player is given a destination and must reach it before their car is wrecked. Several cars will try and stop you at any cost and they just keep on coming. Again depending on the type of car you are driving you can absorb between 3 and 5 crashes before being eliminated. Repairing your car will reset this count. The reward for this event is a mark on your license.

Burning Route races are player against the clock and each burning route is allocated to a certain type of car. A destination is given and a certain amount of time, to get there. Time is short so you must use your boost effectively to get where you are going and more than one crash will usually lead to you running out of time. The reward for completing the burning route is a mark on your license and an upgrade of the car you are driving.

Stunt Runs are by far the most fun in Burnout Paradise, but also the hardest to complete. There is no set destination, but a certain score must be achieved. Earn points but making jumps, spins, barrel rolls and air time. Stringing together stunts gives modifiers and increases the value considerably. In this event it is important to know where the ramps are and how to get to them fast. If you stop then the combo will be finished and the multipliers will be reset. Using boost will keep the combo going and it is possible to pass from one side of the city to the other performing stunts.

In addition to the various races in Burnout Paradise there is a wide selection of cars. Starting with basic models and building up to formula 1 style racing cars. Cars can be won by completing events and adding marks to your license, gaining a new license, completing set tasks and winning burning routes. The cars in Burnout Paradise have 3 categories; race car, stunt car and aggression. Race cars have a high top speed but a low strength and their boost bars are limited. Stunt cars are light and easy to handle, they have great boost potential and are fast, but have little strength. Aggression cars are designed to cause damage and reflect this in there high strength but reduced speed and boost capabilities. As the player advances through the game the difference between the cars fades and the choice then becomes driving style. Each car handles differently and each has it's plus and minus side making the driving experience unique.

With 5 different types of races and 80 different cars cruising around an open world landscape the possibilities and challenges in Burnout Paradise are endless. The artificial intelligence of the game is amazing and the scenery is breathtaking. But to truly maximize the experience of Burnout Paradise you have to take it online. With over a million people registered and thousands playing at any given time you can compete against complete beginners or extremely advanced players. Compete in races, marked man or road rage events to increase your ranking on the leader board and gain rivals. Burnout Paradise also offers some highly original feature such as "Mugshot" This allows you to capture a live opponents facial expression as you ram him off the road.

Graphics and Audio

Paradise City is a wonder to behold, with it's complex road system running from inner city to rural countryside you will be amazed by the complexity. The 60 frames per second graphics may not be new but they are seamless and there is no loading time at all as you cruise the city or race headlong at top speed. With day and night sequences as well as fog and other weather phenomenon the feeling is that you are truly driving through a city. The soundtrack of Burnout Paradise, presented in dolby stereo is varied and you can personalize it to your taste, but the dominating track is Paradise City by Guns N' Roses. There is also a radio station called "Crash FM" that gives updates and info as well as hints to hidden parts of the game

Overall

Burnout Paradise is utterly amazing and will keep your attention even after 100 hours of gameplay. The controls are simple and easy to handle, but the difficulty increases well as you gain experience and advance in the game. The look and feel of the game is unique and a pleasure to play weather you are a first time player or an experienced Burnout junkie. For further information and upto the minute updates visit the Burnout Paradise website