Burnout Paradise Review

One of the biggest attractions at 2007’s EA Showcase was Burnout Paradise. The company dedicated an entire room, full of alcohol with a mini-bar and large HDTVs. At eight different stations lie four Xbox 360s and four PS3s. Each system was hooked up to the Internet and ready to go. The Xbox 360 Live Vision camera and PlayStation Eye are placed directly in front of the chairs in order to take bragging pictures that can be sent to opponents while playing over the Internet. Too bad I’m not good at bragging. With all of this, it’s clear to me that Burnout Paradise is a big deal to EA.

Whether you are on the Xbox 360 or the PlayStation 3, you will be able to seamlessly switch between offline and online play. It seems to me that Criterion is really pushing online play here by making it so easy to get online and play with your friends. One of the representatives on hand showed me how by using the d-pad on the Six-Axis controller, you can get online and invite a friend to a match (or join one) in three button presses.

Hands down, the PlayStation 3 version of Paradise looks much better than the Xbox 360. That’s not a dig at the 360, it’s just that after having to deal with subpar third-party offerings on the PS3, Criterion finally appears to be stepping up to the plate where others have not to show off the power of this expensive piece of hardware. The lighting in particular is what sets the two apart. Both versions, however, will run at 60 frames per second and have cutting edge physics and handling. If you thought the crashes on PlayStation 2 looked good, wait until you see this.

Going the exact opposite route of Need for Speed, Criterion is trading in their menu-based racing system in favor of an open city environment. The stated goal is to give the gamer as much freedom as possible. They definitely do this and to a fault, in my opinion. Criterion cleverly located races at each and every stoplight in Paradise City. By pressing the gas and brake buttons at the same time, you start a race.

The race, however, is completely open-ended. They leave it up to you as to how you should reach your goal. Your only aid is a compass at the top of the screen showing you which general direction is the right way to go. The map doesn’t even display where exactly you need to go. Unless you have most of the streets memorized, I can see this game starting off pretty frustrating. As with any Burnout game, there are plenty of side streets and shortcuts to be found.

There are many things that I like about Burnout Paradise. The graphics are a step above what I thought was possible at this point in time. The controls are smooth and easy to get used to. The online play seems to be flawlessly integrated. The crashes are as spectacular as ever. The only concern I have remaining is with the races themselves. With no idea of where to go, and no aids to guide you, this is a potentially huge problem that I hope will work out somehow. Look for Burnout Paradise in early 2008.