Burnout Paradise (Xbox 360) Preview
Posted by Ramon Aranda on 01.06.2008
Vitals
Genre
Racing
System
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Release Date
Q0 0000
Drivin' through Paradise City.
With the upcoming release of EA's "Burnout Paradise", I took my Mustang for a spin in Paradise City. This newest Burnout aims to do something it hasn't before. Rather than being placed in various locals with specific tracks, the developers instead decided to throw gamers into Paradise City. The city is divided into five different sections, each with their own unique challenges and races. What this installment does different is that it gives you the option to drive around wherever you want and enter different races. It's a sort of cross between Burnout Revenge and Atari's Test Drive Unlimited.
You're free to drive around and get to know the area without having to jump into random races though you'll have to compete in order to unlock new cars, areas and challenges. The online mode looks to make things easier as you'll have access to your friends list so that you may invite them to join you in-game in a variety of race modes. You're also given the freedom to create your own races which gives this game some legs to stand on for quite a while. There are also specific places you'll need to visit such as the repair shop which is necessary to drop in on if your vehicle has sustained significant damage. Unlike the previous Burnout's, your car's status isn't reset at the start of a new race or challenge since you are continuously driving around the city. A quick pit stop will take care of your damages and you'll be free to look for the next challenge. You can also visit gas stations to refuel your boost gauge.
The Xbox LIVE camera is also used here as you can take your picture to be used for your DMV licenses which is a nice touch. The game appears to be a notch over Revenge in the graphical department with excellent lighting and reflections coming off the vehicles. The city looks tremendous and the particle effects from crashes and collisions appear to be well done.
Veterans of the series should have no problem picking this up and playing from the get go as the game controls just as Revenge does. Though my time with the game was limited, I've come away pretty excited from what I've seen. The game runs smoothly, looks great and has a ton of options putting this game on my wish list for January titles to pick up. Xbox 360 and PS3 owners can currently download the demo online which features two different races though only one car.
Stay tuned for our full review once the game hits shelves on January 22nd.
