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Burnout Paradise
Developer(s)	Criterion Games
Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts
Designer(s)	Alex Ward (Creative director)
Engine	RenderWare
Version	1.90 (PS3 & Xbox 360) 1.1.0.0 (PC)
Platform(s)	PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
Release date(s)	Retail PS3, Xbox 360 NA January 22, 2008 EU January 25, 2008[1] Download PS3 INT September 25, 2008 Ultimate Box PC NA February 5, 2009[2] EU February 6, 2009[2] PS3, Xbox 360 EU February 5, 2009[2]
Genre(s)	Racing, Sandbox
Mode(s)	Single-player, Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: E10+ PEGI: 3+ (original rating) 7+ (re-rating) OFLC: M
Media	Blu-ray Disc, DVD, Download
System requirements	See Ultimate Box
Input methods	USB Steering Wheel, Dual Analogue Gamepad, Keyboard, Mouse

Burnout Paradise (formerly known as Burnout 5) by Criterion Games is the seventh game in the Burnout video game series. It was released in January 2008^[1] for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and on February 5, 2009 on Microsoft Windows. It was also released on the PlayStation Store in September 2008^[3] and via Xbox Live Marketplace's Games on Demand in August 2009. It has an open world set in the fictional Paradise City. The song "Paradise City" by Guns N' Roses is the game's title music and also featured on the in-game soundtrack.

Contents 1 Gameplay 1.1 Boroughs and Neighborhoods of Paradise City 1.2 Car boost types 1.3 Vehicle ratings 1.4 Event types 1.5 Mugshots 2 Demo 3 Download 4 Free expansion packages 4.1 Codename: Bogart 4.2 Codename: Cagney 4.3 Bikes Pack 4.4 Trophies Pack 4.5 Software updates 5 Premium Downloadable Content (DLC) 5.1 Party Pack 5.2 Legendary Cars 5.3 Toy Cars 5.4 Boost Specials 5.5 Big Surf Island 5.6 Cops and Robbers 6 Criterion Games Network 7 Ultimate Box 7.1 PC release 8 In-game advertising 9 Reception 10 References 11 External links

[edit] Gameplay

According to Alex Ward, creative director of the game at developer Criterion Games, this game is a "complete reinvention" of the Burnout series.^[4] He also said "To create truly next-generation gameplay, we needed to create a truly next-generation game, from the ground up". The game is set in an open-world environment (like the Midnight Club series), and still retains the 60 frames-per-second frame rate that most Burnout games have been able to utilize.^[5] Initially day and night cycles were not included in the game but a software update entitled "Davis" added this element to the game. Records will now be kept on players' drivers licenses and there will be statistics such as fastest time and biggest crash for every street in the game. Unlike in previous Burnout games, Crash Mode, now called Showtime, can now be started at any time and place in the game; though Showtime mode is rather different from the usual Crash Mode.^[6] Also, for races, players may now take any route to get to the destination. Races and other events are simply started by stopping at any of the 120 traffic lights around Paradise City and applying the accelerator and brake at the same time. Multiple settings have been confirmed to be fully customisable^[7][8] such as:

• "Boost Rules", where the player may choose cars that use the boost styles from previous Burnout games.
• Whether or not there is traffic in an online event.
• Start and finish points for online events with up to 15 checkpoints.

The damage system has also been reworked. There are now two different types of crash based on the car's condition after the crash.^[9] If the player's car manages to retain all four wheels, and not break its chassis, the player may drive out of the crash and continue playing; this is called a "driveaway". If a player's car loses any of its wheels, has the engine damaged too much from an impact, or winds up outside of the game's map, the car is in a "wrecked" state and the player will have to wait until his car is reset. Cars can also be torn into several pieces, be compressed and deform around objects as you crash into them. However, Alex Ward confirmed in the Official Crash FM podcast that cars may not be ripped in half, as concept pictures and early information had stated. There are also other cars which can be obtained by typing in a sponsor code. These only work for certain regions. One of these sponsor code cars is the Steel Wheels version of the Carson GT concept car, which features the car with an armor plate and supercharger. The code for this car could be obtained from pre-ordering the game from certain retailers. When starting the single player mode you are assigned with a learner's permit and a single car.

While playing, you race and win events to earn points toward a higher license, from a Learners Permit (E-class), D-class, C-class, B-class, A-class, Burnout Paradise (S-class), Burnout Elite (SS-class) up to Criterion Elite (SSS-class). After earning each new license up to and including A-class every event that you complete is reset so you can replay the event again to earn credit towards a new license. Progression beyond the Burnout Paradise license is achieved by winning previously incomplete races and achieving other targets such as finding all of the game's discoverables and beating road rules.

Cars now have manufacturer and model names, which are loosely based on real-world cars but are mostly fictional (some of the cars are even based on those from a previous Burnout game, e.g. the Hunter Manhattan is the Classic from Burnout 2, and the Kitano Hydros Techno is the Custom Coupe from Burnout 2). Cars may not be "tuned up"^[10] or customized apart from color changes, which may be done in real-time by driving through the forecourt of a blow shop, which will randomly assign a color to the car, or by selecting the color in the Junkyard where you select your vehicle (after taking the car through an Auto Repair drivethru at least once). Other real-time changes include driving through the forecourt of a gas station to automatically refill your Burnout meter, and driving through the forecourt of a repair shop to automatically repair your car, allowing you to extend a Road Rage or Marked Man event beyond the car's damage limits.^[11]

The online lobby system used by most video games has been replaced by a streamlined system known as "Easy Drive". While driving, players simply hit right on the D-Pad and the Easy Drive menu pops up on the bottom left hand corner of their screen. From there, players are able to invite another player from their friends list. Once friends have joined the game, the hosting player is then able to pick from a variety of events to play. There are also special Burnout Racing Team cars that you can get.

[edit] Boroughs and Neighborhoods of Paradise City

The City of Paradise is noted to be around twenty-six square miles in size and consists of five distinct boroughs, each with three to four different neighborhoods or districts, the largest being White Mountain, and the smallest being Harbor Town.

• Downtown Paradise - Southeastern business, financial, and industrial district of the city.
  • Downtown
  • River City
  • Waterfront
  • Motor City
• Palm Bay Heights - Northeastern residential and commercial district of the city.
  • Twin Bridges
  • Ocean View
  • Big Surf Beach
  • West Acres
• Harbor Town - Southern residential and industrial district of the city.
  • Paradise Wharf
  • South Bay
  • Park Vale
  • Rockridge Cliffs
• Silver Lake - Northwestern rural residential district of the city.
  • Eastern Shore
  • Heartbreak Hills
  • Hillside Pass
• White Mountain - Southwestern rural residential and commercial district of the city.
  • Sunset Valley
  • Crystal Summit
  • Lone Peaks

[edit] Car boost types

Cars in Burnout Paradise can have one of four boost types, showing what a player will have to do with the car in order to build up their boost bar; the different boost types are Speed, Stunt, Aggression, and Locked. Some vehicles (such as the two online cars added in the Cagney update or the Bikes) do not have boost at all. The Hawker Mech can freely switch its boost type between the three major types (Speed, Stunt, or Aggression).

• Speed Boost: Driving the car at high speeds through oncoming traffic and/or weaving through traffic (performing a "Near Miss" where the car avoids another by a few inches or less) builds up the boost bar for this class, also performing takedowns, drifting and air time (having all four wheels off the ground at once for as long as possible). This is the only type of boost in which the boost is not available until the meter is completely filled. When it is filled, the boost bar becomes inflamed and the player may use it until they crash, let off of the boost, or run out of boost power. However, the depletion of boost power on a Speed Boost can cause a "Burnout" if the player keeps the boost button pressed after their boost bar is depleted, after which the bar refills allowing the player to continue using their boost (as long as the player has performed sufficient near misses, drifts, oncoming driving, performing takedowns and/or air time during their boost period). As long as the boost is continued to be used and the car is continuing to be driven, the player can create a "Burnout Chain" for as long as the player is able. This is the only standard that allows a Burnout chain.

• Stunt Boost: The player can only accumulate boost with this class by performing stunts with the car (driving through oncoming traffic counts). However, as long as there is boost power stored, the player is able to use it. The Stunt boost is the longest boost bar initially.

• Aggression Boost: The player fills up the boost bar of this class of vehicles by aggressive driving, such as ramming other cars, hitting same-way traffic, and taking down other racers. Initially, the boost bar of these cars shows a "x2" at the end of the bar. If a player performs a takedown, the bar can be extended until the player switches cars (the only boost standard that has this ability), thereby showing a "x3" at the end of the bar instead. When an aggression car crashes, the bar shrinks in size and can go as small as "x1". Like the Stunt standard, boost can be used immediately, regardless of if the player has the bar completely filled. This method was the main method of boosting in Burnout 3: Takedown, Burnout Revenge & Burnout Legends.

• Locked Boost: The player always has boost in the bar, and any amount of boost bar will trigger this boost. Once triggered, it boosts nonstop until the player's car slows down beyond the boosting threshold or crash. The only car that currently uses this boost type is the Carson Extreme Hotrod, one of two vehicles in the Boost Specials pack.

• Switchable Boost: The player now has the ability to switch three boost types (Stunt, Speed and Aggression) by pressing the L3 (L) button. This is an ideal choice for players for those who cannot decide which vehicles' boost types to drive with. The only car with that kind of this boost type is known as the Montgomery Hawker Mech, one of two vehicles in the Boost Specials pack.

[edit] Vehicle ratings

Vehicles are rated on three different criteria when viewed at the Junkyard: Speed, Boost, and Strength. The Speed rating shows how fast a car can go. The higher the rating, the higher the top speed in which a car will be able to reach without using boost.

The Boost rating displays the cars boost power. The higher this rating, the faster the car accelerates and reaches top speed in boost.

The Strength rating shows how long a car can go before becoming completely totaled. The higher the rating, the more "health" the car has and the more likely the car will be able to survive a crash or be able to make another car crash instead of them (if a car is stronger than another, it is more likely that it will takedown the other car in a collision). This rating also determines how many crashes a car can withstand in a Road Rage or Marked Man event if the car enters when it is in perfect condition.

[edit] Event types

Races, Marked Man events and Burning Routes can start in any location around Paradise City, but the destination is always one of eight: the Maplemount Country Club, the Coastguard HQ, the Waterfront Plaza, The Wildcats Baseball Stadium, the Fort Lawrence Naval Yard, the Lone Stallion Ranch, The Wind Farm and the Crystal Summit Observatory. Road Rages and Stunt Runs have no set end destination.

• Race: Races consist of the player and at least one other car (races with just one opponent are known as 'Duels'). The player is given a location to race to. The player can take any route through the city to the location, with the aid of a flashing road names at the top of the screen when the player is advised to turn. The first to arrive at the destination wins; there are no points or prizes awarded for placing second or third, unlike most racing games. Online races and races on Big Surf Island can also include checkpoints that need to be crossed before reaching the finish.

• Road Rage: The player is given a target number of takedowns and a time limit. A Road Rage event is won by meeting or exceeding this target in the given time limit. A variant of this event was made available for online play in the "Cagney" update. The rules of this event were slightly modified following the Burnout 1.6 update, changing how the timer counts down after the target takedown number is achieved.

• Marked Man: In this event, the player is given a destination. At least one opponent is trying to stop the player from reaching the destination by scoring takedowns against them. The player must survive from start to finish in order to win (the player can be part of collisions, but loses the event if he/she totals the car). A variant designed for online gameplay was included in the "Cagney" update. The Marked Man events on Big Surf Island are checkpoint-based where the player must clear the checkpoints to achieve victory in the event without being smashed up by the opposing cars.

• Stunt Run: Players are given a target score. They must earn points towards that score by using boosts, jumps, drifts and other such stunt moves, all the while trying to keep their combo alive by not letting a timer count down (or crashing, the timer is extended whenever a stunt move is executed). An online version of this event type was added to the game as part of the "Cagney" update. The rules of this event were modified following the Burnout 1.6 update, making it easier to maintain a combo in the early part of an event by extending the timer used to maintain an active combo (but the timer will gradually count down faster the longer a combo goes).

• Burning Route: Each Burning Route requires the player to use a specific car. Once the player is driving the required car, they race against the clock to a specified location. When a Burning Route is won the player wins an upgraded version of the vehicle they completed it with. The upgraded vehicle can boast extra boost power, more base speed or a stronger body (but usually in exchange for another category being made weaker). This event is unique in that it does not reset when the player earns a new license, because it's tied to the car used to run it rather than the license level the player is presently at.

After the "Burnout Bikes Update" (formerly called "Davis"), two new events were added that are exclusive to the motorcycles:

• Burning Ride: Same as a Burning Route but for the motorcycles. However, some of these are now timed checkpoint events wherein the rider must ride through a set number of checkpoints before the time limit expires. These checkpoint events also do not have to end at one of the predetermined endpoints in Paradise City (they can terminate at intersections).

• Midnight Ride: Same as a Burning Ride but takes place between the in-game hours of 8PM and 8AM.

Following the "Big Surf Island Update" (also known as "Paradise Update 1.9"), a new event for cars was added:

• Island Tour: Takes place exclusively on Big Surf Island. An Island Tour is a checkpoint-based event where a car must clear all the checkpoints in a time limit, passing through various sites on Big Surf Island.

[edit] Mugshots

A "Mugshots" camera feature is available for the PC (using a webcam) PlayStation 3 (using the PlayStation Eye, the PlayStation 2 EyeToy, and other compatible webcams), and Xbox 360 (using the Xbox Live Vision).^[12] When a player is taken down, they have their photo, called a 'Mugshot', taken and shown to the aggressor, and vice versa. These photos can then be saved to the PC or console's hard drive.^[13] You receive "Mugshots" for taking down an opponent, an "Event Mugshot" for taking down an opponent during a "Ranked race" online, a "Smugshot" for beating an opponent's fastest Road Rule time, and "Photo Finish" for winning an Online race. Both versions allow cameraless persons, or those who do not wish to use their real face, to use their Gamerpicture/PSN avatar.

[edit] Demo

A demo featuring a Hunter Cavalry, a Nakamura Ikusa GT^[14] (only available in the Japanese version of the demo, but also available in the full game), a stunt run, a race, a time trial activity, 4 player online capability, and 9 online challenges (three each for 2, 3, and 4 players) was made available on December 13, 2007 for both PlayStation 3 via PlayStation Store and Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Marketplace.^[15][16] On January 4 through January 14, Criterion raised the maximum number of players for the online Freeburn in the Paradise demo to 8 players (which has since returned to 4 players). With it, a total of 13 new Freeburn challenges were made available for players to attempt – 3 challenges in 5, 6 and 7 player sessions, and 4 new challenges for those playing in 8 player sessions.^[17]

[edit] Download

On the 25 September 2008, Criterion announced that Burnout Paradise would be made available for download on the PlayStation Store. Upon installation and first execution, all updates would also be downloaded and installed, allowing the player to have the latest version of Burnout Paradise (version 1.9 at present). It has all normal PlayStation network downloadable content rules present (can only be installed on 5 registered systems etc). And now, on Xbox 360, you can download the Full Entire game for $19.99. and is about 7GB.^[18]

[edit] Free expansion packages

Burnout Paradise has undergone significant changes since its initial release. These have been implemented through several free patches and downloadable packs.

[edit] Codename: Bogart

The first major update, codenamed 'Bogart', fixed several glitches and was scheduled to be released on April 24, 2008.^[19] However, it was made available to Xbox 360 users on April 18, 2008 and to PlayStation 3 users on April 24, 2008.

[edit] Codename: Cagney

The "Cagney" update was released on schedule on July 10, 2008 for PlayStation 3 and on August 4, 2008 for the Xbox 360. The update introduces three new Freeburn multiplayer modes: Online Stunt Run, Marked Man and Road Rage. Online Stunt Run involves up to 8 players simultaneously competing for the highest stunt score within 2 minutes, however this mode can last for much longer, as long as a player is still chaining stunts the run will continue. Road Rage features two teams; One must race to a checkpoint, the blue team, and then to the finish line. Meanwhile the others, red team, try to stop them through takedowns. As long as one blue team member is active then the road rage can still be won for all blue team members. However, in road rage blue team members that have been taken down turn gray, these members can try to take down the red team in order to allow their surviving team mates win. Marked Man is like a game of tag, with one player as the Marked Man who cannot see the other players and has no boost. The Marked Man will get 1 point for survival and the other players 1 point each for taking him or her down. But the Marked Man also gets chaser points; these are awarded in the case that the Marked man fights back with a takedown, and the Marked Man is awarded with 2 points. In addition there are 70 all new online challenges. These new challenges are different from Free Burn challenges, they are Timed challenges. A Timed challenge will feature two parts; first part is usually all players gathering at a point of interest. The second part is usually timed and an objective must be met by all players, like jumping a ramp for instance. Custom soundtracks and 1080i support were added to the PlayStation 3 version.^[20]

[edit] Bikes Pack

On April 23, 2008 it was announced that motorbikes and night-day cycles would appear in the Bikes Pack (formerly known as the "Davis" update), along with tailored locations, challenges and game modes.^[21] Criterion Games announced on August 5, 2008 that the update would also feature a new dynamic weather system, two starter bikes in the player's junkyard, 70 new bike-only challenges, and special "Midnight Rides" challenges that appear only at night.^[22] The Bikes pack was released on 18 September on both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

[edit] Trophies Pack

On September 25, 2008 another update was made available which introduced support for the PlayStation 3 trophies system. Criterion Games originally stated that the trophies could be awarded retroactively to players who had already made certain achievements. However when the update was released they stated that this had proved to be impossible and that users would have to start a new game in order to achieve some of the goals.^[23]

[edit] Software updates

On February 5, 2009, Criterion released the free 1.6 update. The update includes the addition of an in-game browser for the PC and PlayStation 3 versions, which will allow users to access the Criterion Games Network. An in-game store will be added to all versions allowing users to purchase DLC from within the game.^[24]

In addition to these interface changes, alterations have also been made to the gameplay including the "most substantial overhaul [to vehicle handling] since Burnout Paradise was first released".^[24] Various tweaks have been applied to vehicle dynamics and challenges to make them better balanced and more accessible to new players. Visuals have also been modified to make certain goals and targets more vibrant and easier to spot. Cars have also been made slower to accommodate the new vehicles (see the DLC below) and to make the game easier for beginners.

Despite earlier statements by developers that the game would not include a restart option, because it would mean introducing loading screens to the game, due to extremely high user demand^{[citation needed]}, users are now able to quickly restart an event if they fail or quit.^[24]

Two weeks later, another patch was released to add the three downloadable car packs (Legendary Cars, Toy Cars, and Boost Special Cars), along with new trophies on the PS3. This update was Burnout 1.7 on the consoles, and was later added as Burnout 1.1.0.0 on the PC.

On April 30, patch 1.8 was made available to accompany the release of Cops and Robbers. The update includes the new game mode, assorted fixes for minor problems in the main game, and new trophies and Achievements on the PS3 and 360, respectively. It is known as Burnout 1.8 on the consoles.

On June 11, update 1.9 was released along with the Big Surf Island expansion pack.

[edit] Premium Downloadable Content (DLC)

In addition to the free updates, Criterion is releasing several optional, premium packs that add content like new cars, areas and modes.

[edit] Party Pack

The first update was announced as the "Burnout Party Pack" and launched on February 5, 2009 in North America and the United Kingdom respectively.^[25] It focuses on single-console multiplayer gameplay, offering a Freeburn Challenge-like setting but for people playing on the same console, passing the controller around to complete challenges. The challenges are split into 'Speed', 'Stunt' and 'Skill' with up to 8 rounds and up to 8 players playing at once. Criterion in addition also announced the combo pack "Burnout Paradise - The Ultimate Box" that launched around the same time which contains the original game, plus the Cagney, Bikes, Party pack and Update pack all in the same package which contained "a mountain of new refinements".^[26]

[edit] Legendary Cars

On November 7, 2008 an announcement was made through the Crash TV podcast about a new pack called "Legendary Cars". The pack features four brand new cars available through the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live as paid for downloadable content.^[27]

• The Jansen P12 88 Special, based on the DeLorean from the Back to the Future films, leaves flaming tire tracks along the ground while boosting and is also able to hover.
• The Hunter Manhattan Spirit is based on the Ecto-1 from the Ghostbusters films and features 2 sirens and lightbars on the roof.
• The Carson GT Nighthawk is based on KITT from the television series, Knight Rider and features the iconic swooping light bar both in the rear bumper and the grill and the rear spoiler popping out.
• Hunter Cavalry Bootlegger is loosely based on The General Lee from the TV series The Dukes of Hazzard and features the distinctive horn.^[28]

On February 17, 2009, Criterion games announced via their website that the Legendary Cars pack is to be released on February 19, 2009 on the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360, as well as on the PC at a later date. Each car needs to be bought through the in-game store or the Xbox Live Marketplace or the PlayStation Store before it can be accessed. The cars are also available to purchase in a bundle.^[29] On February 23, 2009, Criterion announced via their website that specific PlayStation 3 Trophies could be earned by using the Legendary Cars in certain ways.^[30]

[edit] Toy Cars

On March 5, 2009, Criterion announced the release of this pack. It features a collection of new vehicles designed with a "toy car" aesthetic, although modelled as full-size cars. The Toy Cars pack has been released in three packs. The full pack offering all toy cars and also the Nakamura Firehawk; a toy motorcycle, the second offering the Hunter Cavalry, Hunter Manhattan, Krieger WTR and the Jansen P12, and the final one offering the Takedown 4x4, Inferno Van, GT Concept and Hunter Citizen.^[31]

[edit] Boost Specials

On November 21, 2008 Criterion announced via their website the next item available for download in 2009 - the Carson Extreme Hotrod. The car was described as the fastest car in the game and has the benefit of 'locked' boost; this means once the boost button is pressed, the car will not stop boosting until it is brought to a standstill, either performing a 180-degree turn, slowing down with the handbrake or by crashing into traffic or a wall. The article also stated that the vehicle dynamics system had been rewired so that the new car handles, boosts, and drifts more realistically than any other car in the game. The article mentioned that this car was the first to accommodate the re-imagined Burnout Boost system, this is shown off by the blue flames in the pictures of the car. The other car in the Boost Specials pack is the Montgomery Hawker Mech, and allows the player to willingly switch between the three different boost types at the touch of a button (L3/L button).^[32] On March 12, 2009, the Boost Specials pack was released on the in-game store, the PlayStation Store, and the Xbox Live Marketplace. The cars were released separately or available to purchase as part of a pack. Unlike all the other packs so far, this pack had no set release date and was just released on the day the stores get updated. Usually Criterion's website posts a news story confirming the next pack and its release date, but that was not the case with the Boost Specials pack.^[33]

[edit] Big Surf Island

Originally announced as the Eastwood pack coming in "Fall 2008",^[34] the island expansion for Burnout Paradise has since grown considerably. On November 28, 2008, Criterion announced on their website^[35] and in their video podcast^[36] more details about the new island. Design for the island was guided by the principle of "If you can see it, you can drive it". The island puts emphasis on the playground aspect of Burnout. The developers mentioned that in their telemetry they noticed that players congregate in areas of Paradise City that lend themselves to stunt-driving, and so the idea was to create an entire island similar in gameplay to the Quarry, the Airfield, or Big Surf Beach. Further they stated that most of the material they had back in April, when the island was first announced, has since been discarded and the island has been rebuilt from scratch. As a result of this, the island grew beyond Criterion's original expectations until they felt that they could no longer offer the island free of charge, as originally planned. They confirmed that the island will be "premium content". On May 22, 2009, it was officially announced by Criterion Games on their website that Big Surf Island would be released June 11, 2009. A trailer for the new pack was also released showing the multitude of large jumps on the Island, the Carson Dust Storm buggy, 9 new vehicles, and also more Freeburn Challenges and Events. The Island includes 45 billboards, 75 smash gates, 15 events including 'Island Tours', 10 freeburn challenges, 15 mega jumps, and 12 new roads to rule. New Trophies and Achievements have also been added as well as a new 'Big Surf Island License' to obtain.^[37] A trailer showed the release date to be June 11 2009.^[38]

The Carson "Dust Storm" buggy, a car tailor-made for stunts and "flying about the place" is included with the purchase of the "Big Surf Island" add-on, in addition to two new cars, the Hunter Olympus "Governor" with a stunt boost system (although it is not intended for use of Stunt Run events) and the Carson Annihilator Street Rod with a speed boost system and a wheelie when the boost is disengaged. The unlockable cars also include toy versions of all four legendary cars (Toy 88 Special, Toy Bootlegger, Toy Nighthawk and Toy Spirit) and a special Jansen P12 Diamond awarded for completing all 500 freeburn challenges.^[39]

[edit] Cops and Robbers

The official release date is April 30, 2009. On February 6, 2009, via the Criterion Games Network, Criterion announced that a new "Cops & Robbers" pack will be released for the game. The pack is set to be released on April 30 2009.^[40] The pack is being compared to other Freeburn modes such as Marked Man and Stunt Run; it will not involve AI Police Cars patrolling the streets but more like the Cops and Robbers modes of older Burnout games, notably Burnout 2: Point of Impact where players chase each other; one team the Cops and one team the Robbers.^[41] Also, every Paradise Car (except Carbon cars and Premium DLC cars) will have a Police livery.^[42]

The pack was released on April 30 as announced; however the PC version has been omitted from the release, without official word yet from Criterion Games.

[edit] Criterion Games Network

The Criterion Games Network is a free service which allows users to access a range of information including gameplay statistics for themselves and their friends. Initially only accessible from within the PlayStation 3 and PC versions of Burnout Paradise, the service was extended and made available from any web browser via the Criterion Games website to any user who has played the PS3, PC or Xbox 360 versions of the game. To access the web browser version, users must log-in with an EA account linked to an Xbox Live, Games for Windows Live or PlayStation Network ID. From the Criterion Games Network users can access news about the game and view information about themselves and their friends including gameplay statistics, online rank and which downloadable content packs have been installed.^[43]

[edit] Ultimate Box

System requirements

Requirements Microsoft Windows Operating System Windows XP Service Pack 2 or Windows Vista CPU Intel Pentium 4 2.8 GHz (XP) Intel Pentium 4 3.2 GHz (Vista) Memory 1 GB (XP) 1.5 GB (Vista) Hard Drive Space 4 GB of free space 8.16 GB for EA Download Manager Users Graphics Hardware DirectX 9.0c compatible 3D accelerated 128 MB Video card with Pixel Shader 3.0 (NVIDIA GeForce 6600 or higher,ATI Radeon X1300 or higher) Sound Hardware DirectX 9.0c Compatible Sound Card

The Burnout Paradise Ultimate Box is a re-release of the game that includes the original game plus all the new free updates and Party.

The game contains:

• The original Burnout Paradise
• Codename: Bogart
• Codename: Cagney
• Bikes Pack
• Trophies Pack (PS3 only)
• Party Pack
• Update 1.6

[edit] PC release

Burnout Paradise is the first game in the Burnout series to be released for the PC. Criterion are making use of high-end graphics cards and have introduced enhanced visuals and the ability to play the game across multiple monitors to enhance widescreen playing. When using three 4:3 monitors allow the player to play in a Polyvision aspect ratio. PC users are also able to download a trial version of the game for free. It includes the whole map and 2 cars but will expire after thirty minutes. All saved data will be carried over if the user decides to purchase the full game.^[44]

[edit] In-game advertising

Burnout Paradise features in-game advertising for a number of brands.(Burger King, JL Audio, Gillette and CompUSA) From October 6, 2008, in-game billboards featured ads for the then United States Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama. Electronic Arts confirmed that the Obama campaign paid for the advertisements, marking the first time that a United States presidential candidate has bought in-game advertising.^[45] The Obama campaign ran only on the Xbox 360 version of the game.

[edit] Reception

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2009)

Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	88/100
Metacritic	88/100
Review scores
Publication	Score
1UP.com	A-
Edge	9/10
Eurogamer	8/10
Famitsu	36/40
Game Informer	8.5/10
GamePro
GameSpot	9/10
GamesTM	7/10
GameTrailers	8.8/10
IGN	8.8/10
Official PlayStation Magazine (US)	5/5
Official Xbox Magazine	9/10
Official Xbox Magazine (UK)	8/10
PSM3	89/100
X-Play	4/5
Awards Entity Award IGN Best Racing/Driving Game (2008) GameSpot Best downloadable content (2008) Best driving game (2008) GameSpy Best driving game (PS3, 2008) Best driving game (Xbox 360, 2008) Spike Best driving game (2008)

Burnout Paradise was well received, earning (among other things) the Editor's Choice in GameSpot. Metacritic has the game calculated at 88 out of 100 for the Xbox 360 release^[46] and 87 for the PS3.^[47] Game Rankings calculated an 88% for the Xbox 360^[48] and an 88% for the PS3 version.^[49] While, on the whole, the game was received well some reviewers suggested that veterans and newcomers to the game may find the large open world "daunting" at first. Another issue raised by reviewers is that there was no option to restart a race or event. Instead one had to either fail the event, or cancel the race by pulling over and stopping for a few seconds, and then return to the specific place on the map to try that particular race or event again (the latter method not being explained at any point in the game or the manual, only in a trailer for the game). Criterion responded to this criticism by stating that they don't feel that this is a problem and that adding a "retry" option would introduce loading screens, which they "hate with a passion".^[50] Despite this, the option to restart an event was later added to the game via a free software update.^[24] Hyper's Daniel Wilks commends the game for its "great sense of speed and things that go boom". However, he criticised it for "unreplayable races, no waypoints and frustrating backtracking".^[51]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Burnout Paradise website
• EA Games Burnout Paradise website
• Criterion Games Network
• Burnout Wiki, an external wiki

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