Burnout Paradise

by Electronic Arts

Product Features

• Rock Paradise City—Shred your way across more than 250 miles of open road discovering jumps, stunts, and shortcuts.
• Infinite Possibilities—Blaze your path to glory in 120 unique events, using your knowledge of the city to find the fastest routes and get the drop on rivals.
• Team Up or Takedown—Battle friends online and grab their mugshots, or join forces to complete more than 300 online challenges.
• Showtime: Crash Anywhere, Any Time—Send your car wrecking, spinning and scraping down the road, smashing through traffic and leaving a trail of expensive wreckage in your wake.
• Road Rules—Make and break the rules of each road by setting speed and destruction records all over town. Track how many you own against your friends!

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000MUW98O
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches ; 4 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: January 22, 2008
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (184 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,004 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #20 in Video Games > PlayStation 3 > Racing
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Platform: PLAYSTATION 3

Amazon.com

In Burnout Paradise players are treated to a rarity in the video games universe: a complete reinvention of an established franchise that equals, if not betters any of the previous games in the series. Yes, this is a large claim, but one that can be explained in a single phrase: Next-Gen Freedom.

Driver's heaven is a wide open world

In Paradise City even cars can fly. View larger.

Go for broke in 'Marked Man' Mode. View larger.

Nothing is off limits, even head-on crashes. View larger.

Start a race any time with 'Easy Drive.' View larger.

Although the Burnout series’ over the top mobile action has been its calling card since it ignited audiences on the PS2 in 2001, and later on the first generation Xbox console, Burnout Paradise is the first game in the series that has been designed specifically for play on Next Generation consoles. This has allowed game developer Criterion to rip the training wheels off the game and rebuild it from scratch. The result is a new, expansive world that players can roll through at will. And what a world it is.

Enter Paradise City
Heaven on Earth, at least to road-raging, crash-causing Burnout fanatics, Paradise City is your domain and ultimate proving ground in Burnout Paradise. This expansive driver’s playground stretches across 250 miles and encompasses all sorts of road driving conditions, from fun-in-the-sun seaside cruising boulevards, to mountain roads and downtown gridlock. But regardless of what stretch of asphalt you find yourself on, the beauty of this place is that nothing is blocked off and your wits are at least as important as the horsepower under your hood when it comes to racing here. Check out Paradise City’s five sub areas (click the links for sample images):

• Downtown Paradise City
• Harbor Town
• Palm Bay Heights
• Silver Lake
• White Mountain

Burnout Your Way
Unlike in previous Burnout games, Burnout Paradise not only puts the keys to your ride in your hands, but places you squarely in the driver’s seat when it comes to where you can go and what you can do.

Along with wide avenues and crowded highways, the open game design of Paradise City is also jammed full of hidden side streets, back roads and alley ways. These can be used as short cuts in races, that is, if you know where they are. As you explore, commit these potential short cuts to memory because they will definitely come in handy in a tight race. And since we are talking Burnout here, players should not expect uneventful, genteel contests of speed and precision driving. In Paradise City players are always free to slam, shunt and wreck opponents in their bids for supremacy and they will. Also, new to the Burnout series, races can now start anywhere, anytime. Just pull up to a stoplight and spin your wheels to start one in one of five different event classes:

• Classic Race
• Road Rage
• Burning Route
• Stunt Run (new)
• Marked Man (new)

Instant Online
Burnout Paradise also keeps the mobile carnage coming while simultaneously setting the new standard in online social gameplay. With the new ‘Easy Drive’ feature you can find friends online and with the click of a button invite them to a race. Once they’ve accepted the race will start immediately. That's right, no more annoying wait times at online lobbies and servers. And keeping in touch with friends is easier than ever.

Team up or Takedown
In the winner-take-all universe of Burnout teaming up usually isn’t the first option that comes to mind, but on these rough and tumble streets it's a good option to keep in mind. With more than 300 FreeBurn Challenges packed into the game, players always have the choice of going it alone against the field as a whole or joining forces with up to seven of your buddies in user-created race routes. Either way, if you are victorious in your takedown you'll get the chance to talk some trash as you exchange Mugshots with your victim via an optional camera hooked to your gaming system or your gamertag/PSN avatar if you prefer to keep your identity on the down-low.

Showtime: Crash Anywhere, Any Time
And finally since a new Burnout release wouldn't be complete without a little something special in the wreckage department, Burnout Paradise continues the carnage with an update of its familiar 'Crash Mode.' Renamed 'Showtime Mode,' players can now crash, bounce and scatter their ride in any location and replay the wreckage over and over in slow motion. One of the most addictive and down right fun features of the game, players activate the mode by simply pulling both triggers on their controller and if they are good enough can also immortalize their Showtime moments on the leaderboards for all to see.

Driving fans this is Next-Gen at its best and definitely the Burnout title you have been waiting for.

Product Description

In Burnout Paradise players are treated to a rarity in the video games universe: a complete reinvention of an established franchise that equals, if not betters any of the previous games in the series. Yes, this is a large claim, but one that can be explained in a single phrase: Next-Gen Freedom. Although the Burnout series’ over the top mobile action has been its calling card since it ignited audiences on the PS2 in 2001, and later on the first generation Xbox console, Burnout Paradise is the first game in the series that has been designed specifically for play on Next Generation consoles. This has allowed game developer Criterion to rip the training wheels off the game and rebuild it from scratch. The result is a new, expansive world that players can roll through at will. And what a world it is.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Yeeeeha, what a ride!, February 7, 2008

By 

M. Edgar "linksman5" (KCMO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Burnout Paradise (Video Game)

Ok, My background in racing.. Need 4 Speed all games. GTA III on up. Gran Tourismo all. Many more earlier, but mostly these for the sake of my review... meaning I never played the previous Burnout series.

Feel for the racing menu is much like GTA to me. Free form racing around the city is superb. There is a new race or even on just about every corner. Awesome! The feel of the city and surroundings is very good. Just as in GTA, you find secret billboards and unique jumps along with the racing. The way they have the level upgrade to your license is fun and keeps you going. Many a time, I have been close to the next level and refused to get off the game. Addictive.

There are tons of races, events, records to beat, too many to list actually. Some have complained about the Showtime event. I LOVE this event. It's a crack up (pun) and when you get good at it, setting the record in this event for every street in the game is really fun.

Ok.. if the game ended there, it would still be a great game. It doesnt.

Multiplayer. Online racing and entrance is seamless. You just basically hit the right button and you are in a game online. I always go in wanting to work on the online events you can do by teaming up with other players and doing jumps and stuff together, but I end up getting wrapped up in the Takedown with others and pretty soon, time has gone by without notice. It's almost too fun really. I'd probably buy this game if all it had was multiplayer takedown and no other options. Gladly, that's not needed. lol

There are many cars in the game and getting them is pretty straight forward. No garage or home here, just a junkyard where all your cars are kept. I've seen complaints about having to repair cars and such.. well, that just takes about 5 seconds, since all you do is drive your car through a repair shop which is always just down the street from the junkyard. Not sure why the problems with this feature. Basically you get your car from disabling it from somebody else, so the repair feature makes sense to me.

.....

Ok, so I gave the game 4.5 stars. Why the .5 down? The voice settings in the game are really bad. You have to turn your system music and game noise way down and keep voip on max to even hear the other players and then it's usually muffled. I use a PS2 USB cable headset which has no volume control, so some bluetooth sets may have better luck with this. However, it's the poor settings that make the problem, not the headset. I guess they are worried people would up the volume too much and damage ears or something. Still.. it's a minus for me.

Other down.. no split screen racing for offline multiplayer. This is a must have really for me. I like to race family memebers offline in racing games and wish Burnout had this feature.


Those two minor things aside, the game is flawless really. The graphics are superb and the framerate is better than any game I've seen on the PS3 to date.

Buy it. You won't regret it if you like racing. I am hopeful for GTAIV and GT5, but for now, this ones the king of the heep.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great arcade racer, August 28, 2009

By 

Jonathan M. Leack "Jleack" (Murrieta, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Burnout Paradise (Video Game)

Pros:
- Great replay value
- Intense racing experience
- Brilliant online execution
- Constant patching is a huge plus

Cons:
- Only 8 racing designations
- Map layout could use some work
- Races become insanely difficult

Gameplay:
At its core, Burnout Paradise is a traditional arcade racing game. You can expect to drive your car at insanely fast speeds, launch off dozens of jumps, and crash frequently. However, from there the similarities quickly vanish. Burnout Paradise is one of the first racing games to feature a fully rendered sandbox environment. From the start you are allowed to drive up to any of the games many intersections and hold down both the throttle and brake buttons simultaneously to enter one of the several events that the game offers. There is a traditional race mode, a stunt mode, several crash related modes as well as an individual race designated to every car. Unfortunately, the crash related modes become boring quite quickly, and only the racing and trick modes really remain enjoyable.

The sandbox environment and intersection concept are very interesting, but unfortunately contain flaws. First off, it is impossible to retry the race without driving back to the starting location which leads to frustration. Secondly, since all races end at one of the 8 corners of the map, you'll find yourself driving on a few of the roads in every race, and will almost never see more than half of the map. Also, many of the turns on the map are very difficult to navigate, especially when you factor in that you'll be driving upward of 200mph with boost on, and there is lots of traffic. However, the game is still very enjoyable and the presentation is very commendable.

Controls:
Inputs in Burnout Paradise are very responsive and each car has a completely unique feel. Some of the heavier cars are very slow to turn, but are also very durable. However, some of the faster cars with low durability contain some of the best controls of any cars in any racing game to date. Racing is as simple as using R2 to accelerate and L2 to brake/reverse, but learning to drift around corners takes some practice. With that said, the controls in Burnout Paradise are great and are right where they need to be.

Graphics:
Although the game features a very expansive map, the graphics haven't been compromised. Burnout Paradise is a very pretty looking game, and the car models are very well-done. The shading and filters used give the game a very next-generation look and each of the main areas of the game have a unique design to them. The most impressive thing about the visuals is that at times you will be driving at nearly 250mph and the game is able to keep the framerate and visuals without degradation.

Sound:
The game features pretty standard sound effects but each of the dozens of cars has their own engine sounds. The soundtrack for Burnout Paradise doesn't have any big hits, but there are over 90 tracks ranging from opera to songs from the previous Burnout games. The announcer is very repetitive to listen to but the detailed sound effects more than make up for it.

Replay Value:
Burnout Paradise features hundreds of intersections each with their own race which can take upward of 20 hours to complete. There are also 400 yellow gates which typically lead to shortcuts as well as 50 super jumps and 120 red billboards to collect. To top that off, the online mode is a blast to play. The online mode includes all of the single-player event modes as well as many challenges to complete cooperatively in groups of between 2-8. Most importantly, Burnout Paradise has easily had more content added post-release than any other game on the market, and has received not only free patches which add to the game's already flourishing replay value, but there are also plenty of released and soon to be released downloadable content which require small fees to download. Couple that with the nearly 100-trophies available and you have yourself one of the longest lasting racing games on the market.

Rating:
Story: N/A
Gameplay: 9.0
Graphics: 8.5
Controls: 9.0
Sound: 8.5
Replay Value: 9.5
Overall: 9.0

Own, Rent, Avoid:
Own: So far this is the best arcade racing game this generation. Not only is it a very well-polished game but the constant addition of content and the already existing addictive gameplay make it well worth the admission.

Last Thoughts:
Burnout Paradise is one of the first great tastes of what the new-generation of racers have to offer. For such a budget price, there is no reason for anybody who likes racing games to not own Burnout Paradise.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Taking Burnout formula and mixing it with a Sandbox Environment is a Winner!, January 10, 2011

By 

Jason - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Burnout Paradise (Video Game)

Let me say right off the bat that I'm not a simulator racing person. I don't use a driving wheel and I like my driving games to be wild, crazy, fast and full of beautiful, unpredictable racing tracks. My favorite racing game of all time was Star Wars Episode I: Racer until I discovered Burnout 2.

So naturally, when I purchased my PS3, I was very interested in getting the next generation version of Burnout. I found that this Burnout was very different. At first it seemed kind of fun, driving around, smashing things, eventually tried a few races, most were pretty straight forward, not too hard. But it didn't take too long until I was insanely frustrated because one small mistake, one wrong turn can lose you the race, and there is no "start over" button. This is because everything about this game is open world sandbox style. The races are such that you can pick your own route. For me, at first this meant a great amount of frustration, eventually it meant thrills and miles of fun. There is more than racing to be done here, there are stunt runs, marked man runs (you're getting chased by these strong cars that attempt to wreck you), burning routes and more.

The one thing missing from the Burnout series is the incredible crashes where you would drive full speed into an intersection and just watch as your car crashed and caused incalculable damage. While Burnout Paradise has something called "showtime mode" where you basically have a controlled crash mode where you must cause the car to continue to bounce and cause a lot of damage, but it seems somewhat contrived and gets boring quite easily. My only other complaint is the crashing during race like events, you'll be driving and smashing with other racers and causing them to careen off course and crash magnificently, but if you hit some civilian-non-racer you'll end up in a pile of junk on the side of the road before you can say "what the..."

Aside from these two minor complaints there is plenty to love in this innovative arcade racer that allows you to roam the entire city and country side of "Paradise City". There's plenty of signs to smash, parking garages to explore, lots of events scattered around the city, plenty of cars to earn, and races to win, shortcuts to find and lots of fun to be had in this bold take on the Burnout series. This is probably one of the best arcade racers you can find out there.

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