Burnout Paradise Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)My credentials: long-time gamer, played many a game, many a racer, have my Burnout license and nearing the Elite license. Burnout, in my opinion, has always been the most fun and easiest racer to pick up and play. It's not a SIM and of course isn't trying to be...So here's the pros and cons vs other racers, other arcade racers, other Burnout franchise releases and the 360 vs PS3 versions.

PROS
- Burnout is easy to pick up, easy to understand, easy to play...obviously there is some challenge.
- open-world racing is the future and it is a much better presentation
- ROAD RAGE takedowns are easier and more fun
- realism of the textures, physics and the environment seem to have been improved. The attempt here is for a real city, not fake arcade racer routes with the gigantic "for dummies" lighted arrows telling you where to go
- they've added some more things to do such as parking, jumps, crash through billboards and gates, etc...there are tons of these.
- it wipes the mat with other "fun" racers like Flatout, which can be so difficult and frustrating (for some) the fun is simply turned down to zero...
- racing games are probably the most frustrating of any gaming genre (RPG, FPS, whatever). Burnout is the least frustrating of any racer ever.
- crashing into things doesn't (always) crash your car as per previous Burnout installments
- achievements (360-only) are no longer impossible, as it was with Burnout Revenge...
- popping in-and-out online is easy
- you can put your own face on your license if you have a cam. Mine has my middle finger.
- helpful "turn indicators" letting you know when you need to turn (because you are flying at a million miles an hour - you'll need `em)

NEUTRAL
- open-world racing isn't new. Criterion seems to think they have created some kind of next-gen revolution here. Test Drive Unlimited did this already and did so successfully (and technically so has Grand Theft Auto if you allow it to partially be in the genre). TDU clearly isn't as much fun as Burnout, but it isn't supposed to be. Criterion could learn some things from Eden games and vice versa.
- no upgrades. TDU has a tinge of SIMs flavor where you collect money, properties and cars. Win more races, collect more cars, upgrade upgrade upgrade. Upgrades give you more to do. Sort of like an RPG. Burnout has none. You just get a new car, done, that's it.
- TRAFFIC ATTACK has been removed, but in REVENGE, the dollars would pop-up blocking your view making that event difficult and annoying anyway
- ELIMINATOR is gone, but I don't miss it that much
- TAKEDOWN REVENGE is gone. Whatev.
- PS3 vs 360 versions: barely a discernable difference and hat's off to Criterion for caring about both platforms. 360 gets achievements; PS3 gets sixaxis (which could be a blessing or a curse if they don't know what they are doing...see LAIR). Whatev.

CONS
- some idiot thought it was a good idea to remove one of the most fun things in the most fun racer of all time: CRASH MODE. They replaced it with this horrible Katamari-esk "SHOWTIME" thing where you just perpetually roll and bounce off of cars because that's definitely more realistic and fun... This is unforgivable. CRASH events were formerly an integral (AND FUN) part of Burnout in which you couldn't progress through the game without completing them. I could giggle for hours doing these events where you cause millions of dollars of damage by slamming into huge tanker trunks. Now, you don't need to even do them at all, and why would you, since they're no longer fun whatsoever. They had a great opportunity to create some epic accident scenes here where hilarity would ensue. This is like playing HALO and discovering they took out plasma grenades...EPIC FAIL!!!!!!!!
- AFTERTOUCH is gone. Another one of the most innovative, cool and fun things to do...GONE. FAIL!
- CRASHBREAKER is gone. Yet another EPIC FAIL! This was incredibly fun to both do and watch...
- the little trophies for performing this or that trick are gone.
- the BURNING ROUTE events which are supposed to give you better versions of your vehicle often give you equal or even worse versions...
- stats for some vehicles don't seem to make sense. The 4x4 truck is supposed to be as tough, but faster than the van, but I've played with both for quite awhile and there's simply no way in h*ll the truck is faster than the van.
- no instant retry/restart race. What? Why? You have to drive all the way back to restart...
- no split-screen vs. Huh? What's that about? I can't have a buddy sitting right next to me play with me? WTF?
- DJ Atomica is a massive tool. I have nothing against his sexual preference. Frankly, I think it's none of our business. I fully support gay rights 100%. But aside from all that, this guy is completely annoying.

END RESULT: Criterion has given with one hand but taken with the other. Open-world is a nice and pleasing presentation and takedowns are as fun as ever, but the removal of MANY of the things that made game fun to play in the first place is puzzling...

Click Here to see more reviews about: Burnout Paradise

Product Description:
Burnout Paradise X360

Get 1% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Burnout Paradise now ?