Where the Grass is Green and the Girls are Pretty (Burnout Paradise (Xbox 360))

Member Name: samueltyler

Product:	Burnout Paradise (Xbox 360)
Date:	06/05/08 (95 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Open world, a new bar set for online access

Disadvantages: Samey, the loss of crash mode

As an avid gamer there is really only one genre that I do not enjoy - racing games. I can't see the appeal of an excruciatingly bland game were you go around and around the same tracks infinite amount of times. I also feel that as a genre it has not moved on for many years. A good example is the leading 'Grand Turismo' franchise. This game has been on the past three iterations of the Sony games console and from what I can see the only real difference is the graphics - the actual game is identical. Like many theories there is an exception that proves the rule and in my case this is the 'Burnout' series. Rather than being a straight forward race game this series encouraged a more arcadey style gameplay with crashes being as important as racing. This experience is so different to the usual racing game that I always look forward to the new iteration and in this case the first true next generation version 'Burnout Paradise'.


Gameplay

'Burnout Paradise' takes the successful format of the previous games and adds an open world environment to give it a next generation feel. There are several types of game mode including racing, marked man, and stunt. As the world is open the races and such are not on specific laps but from point A to B. The different game styles are triggered when you drive up to a cross roads, just press both triggers on you controller if you think you are up for the challenge.

In my opinion the offline racing is the weakest game type as it mimics racing games too closely. Also the fact that the world is open means that you often find yourself driving completely the wrong way. This is not an issue with marked man and stunt. Marked man asks you to get to a certain place on the map without being forced of the road by aggressive enemy AI. This is a really intense mode and great fun. Stunt mode asks you to score a certain amount of stunt points in a given time period.

Despite the different game types on offer I found that they lacked variety and that I was soon getting a little bored. Luckily the online aspect of Burnout Paradise sees to this. I will mention online later, but it is so strong that I believe Criterion may have sacrificed single player enjoyment to allow the multiplayer to be better. Traditional Burnout game types such as crash mode have been removed entirely as they would not work online, this means that as a solo experience 'Burnout Paradise' is not the best in the series. (3 out of 5)


Longevity

This is a major sticking point with this game and one that many people disagree on. The open nature of the online mode means that there is potentially 100s of hours of gameplay. This is enhanced further by the recent announcement of new game types and vehicles that is surely going to encourage even more play. However, as mentioned earlier there is no stopping this game from becoming repetitive fast. Even as a fan of the series I soon grew bored of competing in the same game types over and over again and I traded it in earlier than I expected. Perhaps the online aspect of the game will make some people stuck with it longer - for me it was not enough.

One area that is good for extending the life of the game is the achievement points that appear in the 360 version. Alongside the usual complete the game achievements there are many that reward exploration and special tasks. Situated around the open map are many jumps, signs, and shops. To fully complete the game you must find them all - no easy task. It is the unique tasks that are probably the most fun and take an irreverent 'Crackdown' approach. This will see you trying to do double spins and the like. Fear not PS3 owners as both versions have online tasks that you can compete for with over 30 for groups ranging in size from 2 cars through to 8. These will take even the most hardened of gamer a long time to get. (4 out of 5)


Online

Online 'Burnout Paradise' is unlike anything I have played in terms of a racing game. It is probably a cross between 'Test Drive Unlimited's open world racing and 'Crackdown's sense of exploration and fun. The game has one of the easiest methods for getting online and allowing you to jump straight into a game. Press right on your D Pad and choose a game type, you then load yourself onto an online game where up to seven other real life people are driving around the map. What happens next determines the level of enjoyment that the game will bring.

Whoever hosts the online game has the choice of what everyone does. There is straight forward racing, that I felt was a little dull, and challenges. It's these challenges that prove great fun as you all race to a specific part of the map and try and achieve the same goals e.g. do a spin over one another in the airport! I really enjoyed this, especially the times I got people off my friends list together. As much fun as this was I eventually grew tired of it as the same challenges would arise several times. However, if you are looking for an online experience not quite like anything other on the 360 this is a must, (4 out of 5)


Graphics

Graphically 'Burnout Paradise' is beautiful, but not quite stunning. Having an open world in which to drive in with hardly any pop up is a massive achievement for Criterion and for that they should be praised. This is achieved by perhaps using slightly less detailed textures and more base colours to keep it simple. However, this is hardly a criticism as the arcadey nature of the game makes this look seem perfect. (4 out of 5)


Level Design

Personally I think it is the level design of the world that is the greatest achievement of this game (along with the ease of entry to online). The map is designed as on giant playground with a city and a huge lake to explore. As well as what you can see on the map there are loads of hidden places that you discover as you play the game. One major criticism that has arisen, and one which I agree, is the way that races are placed on the map. If you fail a race you finish where you currently are, this means that if you want to retry the same race you would have to travel all the way to the start - not fun. If Criterion can take a similar approach to world design and incorporate a more entertaining style of gameplay they could produce an absolute classic. (4 out of 5)


Sound

The music here all depends on your taste and like in many games that feature music pre-chosen for you, you end up switching it off. For every 'Guns and Roses' or 'Adam and the Ants' there is a track like 'Girlfriend'. To add salt to the wound Criterion have installed the annoying EA DJ that tells you tips about the world. I tell DJ Atomica to bugger off myself! Apart from this the actual sounds of the cars is first rate, its just switching off all the settings to get to this that is annoying. (3 out of 5)


Summary

Is 'Burnout Paradise' a must buy? For the first week I played the game I would have said a resounding yes. However, even after this relatively short time I grew slightly tired of the repetitive gameplay. What this game should be praised for most is its setting of a new bar when it comes to open world racing and ease of access to online. If every game were to copy their online interface I would be very happy (GTA4 has recently done just this). With the game becoming available at a more affordable price and new content being issued soon I would still recommend all 360 owners to get a copy of this, just for the few weeks enjoyment that they will get. (4 out of 5)



Maker: Criterion RRP £50
Amazon uk £39.48
Play.com £39.99

Summary: A great game that is a must for online users