THE SCOREBOARD
Good
| Gameplay |  | "Could Paradise get any better?" |
| Graphics | | |
| Sound | | |
| Value | |
Paradise City is a beautiful place. Beautiful that is if you like the sound of tearing metal, the acrid smell of diesel-fueled fireballs and the anguished cries of broken and humiliated foes. Those cries of course will now be coming from the other end of the couch as you take your friends to school in the new Party Pack modes included in EA's latest release, Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box.
When Burnout Paradise came out this time last year it did a great job of combining all the fun and thrills of the previous Burnout games, while adding to the experience with a fantastic open world environment, a stunning attention to detail and plenty of online options. The online part of the game came to the fore throughout the year as a tasty array of downloadable content was made available.
First up was the Cagney pack that added online Stunt Runs, Road Rage and Marked Man modes. Then came the Bikes pack, complete with night racing and weather. Both packs also included dozens of new online challenges and plenty of new vehicles. Game play, graphics and soundtrack tweaks were also added through online patches until, by the end of the year, Burnout Paradise had had as many new coats of paint as the Hunter Cavalry you get at the beginning of the game. But now, with Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box you get all these additions as well as the sparkling new Party pack. Within the game you can select both the Bike and Party packs from pre-game menus. In fact, both options feel like the add-ons they are rather then as part of the normal playing experience.
Taking a bike onto the streets of Paradise City presents a whole new feel, different to the original game. You are supplied with two bikes to begin with, each representing the typical Burnout choice between durability and weight or speed and agility. While they look great, crashing them does not have the drama of a typical Burnout wreck. Taking the bikes out also means you don’t get the turbo boost or the addictive Showtime crash mode that defines the series. Crash on the bike and you simply slide along the ground for a few meters and then in a flash you are back on and ready to go. That being said, if driving a car in Burnout Paradise is an edge of the seat experience then riding a bike is a definite change of trouser job. It really makes you understand why your mum was never happy about you buying that old TT250 from your crazy Uncle Ken.
Also included as part of Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box, and perhaps the main reason to buy the game, is the Party Pack. From the opening menu you can choose to start a party. From the ensuing menu you get to compete in a pass the controller tournament of various Burnout Paradise mini challenges. You choose the number of players, up to eight, and then the number, and type, of events to take part in. The events can be generated randomly or you can choose from stunt, skill or speed challenges. In essence everyone gets a turn to land a barrel roll, or find and destroy a couple of billboards. While many of the challenges are very simple, wrong way races, where left means right on the controller, are completely mental. But, after a few liquid refreshments it all suddenly seems a little bit easier, and a whole lot funnier.
Still, driving on the streets of Paradise City is as fun, and as insane, as ever. There’s just so much going on. Lights flash, street signs come and go, and now fog rolls in and night falls. Even though all the short cuts, breakable billboards and jumps are now marked in bright primary colours, and consequently far easier to find, there is just so much to take in, it’s dizzying. The greatest achievement of Burnout Paradise is that amidst all the glorious, sparkling clutter, you are still able to play, and play effectively, by clamping down on both the accelerator and boost buttons and barreling headfirst towards the finish line. While nuance, technique and experience cannot be entirely discounted Burnout Paradise, like all its predecessors, is an unashamed, foot to the floor, arcade racer.
That said, there is nothing here that you won't have already if you bought the original game a year ago and have invested the time, and your broadband cap, to download all the patches and packs available online. So if you loved Burnout Paradise, you probably have it all already, and if you didn’t bother getting it then, then maybe you won’t be tempted now.
However, the game is still the ultimate arcade thrill ride. Its online elements, packed with an ever-growing list of features, are still perfectly integrated into the off-line experience. Criterion Games really should be commended for putting so much effort into making it as good a game online as off, a balance that seems to have eluded many game developers recently.
Although as a social experience, Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box still seems to be lacking something (perhaps all it needs is a feature where you have to sing in time to the soundtrack as you smash headfirst into an oncoming bus – but perhaps not), it still has the thrills, it still has the spills and now it offers the opportunity to cast scorn, ridicule and abuse at your closest friends, down there at the other end of the couch. What more could you want from a video game?
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COMMENTS (6)
Yeah but I realy want this game.
I was late to Burnout Paradise, only buying it about a month ago. Picked up for only $20 at Harvey Norman brand new and still sealed. Have since added all the updates and addon's etc and it's a great game!
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