Burnout was first published by Akklaim, after few series EA Games took over and started to publish itself. Thanks to Criterion games for developing such beautiful every time without losing the taste.
So now we have the long waited episode called 'Paradise' which is released only for next-gen consoles. Much more better graphics, higher sound qualities, realistic car damage, better light reflections and shadows etc. There is a huge difference between the previous series.
Not only that but everything is new and different. For the first time, you can free roam around the Paradise City, attend different kinds of races at the traffic lights, the traffic jam varies according to the area, each car has its own characteristics etc. The idea of license is a good idea for gameplay. Each time you finish a certain number of race, your rank rises up and able to drive different cars. On your license card, you can put your own picture via the camera. It adds some taste to the gaming.
The city is huge. It is divided into 8 areas like the Naval Yard, Wildcats Baseball Stadium, Windmill Farm, Observatory Tower etc. Not only that, you can drive inside the metropol, on the highways, the canyons, the countryside etc. There many things to discover in the city like Repair Shops (fixes your car from critical damage), Paint shops (can paint your car in any color with different material like Gloss, Metallic etc.) and Gas Stations (refills up your boost gauge). You can also find variety shortcuts, ramps, billboard and restriction fences (unlocks achievement if you destroy them all). It is fun just cruising around the city at high speed, smashing into traffics and watch how your crumbles in slow motion.
The racing is somehow harder than before. First you have to learn the city by heart. The AI is more aggressive. The traffic is more heavier. You can't just retry the race in the middle. You have the stop your car for 5 seconds, and then come back to the same meeting spot to start the racing again, it is very frustrating actually. There is no more circuit races only sprint races (much better), takedown challenge (my favorite), stunt race (perform stunts to earn score according to the objective) marked man (move from point A to B without being completely totaled by the other two black cars) burning route (each car has its own burning route. If you won, you will get the custom version of that car like stronger performance or visually) and showtime (I haven't performed that event yet, and it is hard to get it). In other, you have plenty of things to do in Paradise. If you are bored, race online with your friends at anytime.
In conclusion, if you are a fan of Burnout series, buy it! If you loved destruction, free roaming, speed, buy it. If you hate cars, give it a try you may like. If you are seriously hate racing games so why are you reading this review.
Pros:
- Stunning visuals, realistic sound effects
- Realistic car damage and physics
- 75 different cars to drive
- The city is huge, detailed and awesome
- Better AI both for the opponents and the traffic
Cons:
- Races can be hard sometimes
- Can't retry the race in the middle of the event
- Can be sometimes frustrating