I have never seen a game so thoroughly debauch a franchise. This is not a burnout game.
so what wasnt god-awful about this game? well
1) the graphics are nice
2) the environment, though poorly set up for racing, is very good looking
3) the fact that you can upload your own MP3s for the radio
thats about it. now its time for the problems
problem #1
the paradise city "sandbox." I dont understand why everyone is trying to be like GTA or Infamous. Not every game has to have an open world to explore. it doesnt work for every series. It is so pointless here. While playing burnout 3 did anything think to themselves
"hey. this game has some great speed, action, destruction, and multiplayer fun. You know what's missing? A giant city to wander around in."
I guess the creators knew this is a popular craze right now, that is a good money maker, and that it would probably be received well by the majority of gullible consumers. As a burnout fan, this does not sit well with me. Racing games do not need this feature. It has NEVER contributed to the overall experience of a racing game. this is the leading problem that leads to most of the others mentioned here.
problem #2
Navigating the city to find challenges. It wouldnt be so bad if, upon beating or finding a challenge, there was some quick menu option to bring you back to it, or if there was some kind of arcade mode where you can just select what kind of challenge you want (like the previous games). but no. you have to painstakingly find your way to whatever challenge you want. frankly, the only two that really kept my attention were the "marked man" and "road rage" challenges. I spent 95% of time looking for these particular challenges, and the whole time i was wishing I was playing burnout 3 instead.
problem #3
the menu system. this game has possibly the most unhelpful, broken, confusing, inconvenient, and just plain abnormal menu systems I have ever seen in a game this gen.
problem #4
travel times. who was playing burnout 3 and said to themselves
"hey! You know what this game needs? Travel times!"
for example, you have to backtrack to junk yards to change your car. why is this necessary? I can understand if there were rules against changing them during events, but why cant I do it in between? When did simple convenience become obsolete and tedium become the norm?
problem #5
There is no innovation whatsoever. This game is more of a step back. It doesn't present anything worthwhile that the other games didn't have. It doesn't deserve to be part of the series. It brings nothing to the table. It is a waste of time and a waste of effort.
problem #6
the racing. they tried to introduce a navigation element in the racing. that would be all fine and good........ if it weren't for all these problems
a) you have a compass which does nothing to help you, for the simple fact that you arent taking a straight path to the finish line. Seriously, why do we have a compass? im not Christopher ******* Columbus.
b) your blinker and little sign indicators at the top of the screen are not very reliable. Turns are sometimes 90 degree angles and sometimes they are 20 degree angles (or something in between). These turns come up on you very quickly and the turning indicators do little to guide you.
c) its hard to see things coming up at you, even with a 1080p tv and HDMI cable. These cities just don't feel like they are meant for racing through. There is too much crap in the road and too many 90 degree turns.
d) you are forced to focus on navigation instead of pulse-pounding racing. This is not what burnout is supposed to be like. It is supposed to be straight to the point, intense, and fun.
e) this entire concept falls apart for 1 simple reason above all others. Navigating this city is only advantageous if you have the layout memorized. And that is just not possible. Who has the patience for that? That would take hours upon hours. Why would I want to go through all that? It's a waste of time. I want to play a racing game to race. Not to memorize the layout of some virtual city.
f) even if you master the sub-par navigation system. even if you memorize the city. all it means is that you will be bypassing the races and comeing in little to no contact with the other racers whatsoever. Does that sound like fun to you? does that sound like a burnout game to you?
g) the worst part about all of this is that there is a way to combat it all. and that is, to take your time. dont rush. the races are easy if you dont get up to full speed and if you massively slow down before every turn. The only way you could possibly lose to the enemy AI is if you crash a few too many times. the kicker is that, in order to avoid crashing (on the 90 degree turns and random BS they throw in the road) and in order to win, you simply have to sacrifice speed and intensity. in other words, you have to sacrifice the fun.
Problem #7
There is no splitscreen. All the multiplayer is online-based (unless you have all the good cars, you will get utterly destroyed online). They completely ruined the multiplayer. This, in particular, really kills the game for me. Burnout without split-screen is like goldeneye 007 without splitscreen. The thought is just depressing.
Problem #8
They shove the DLC in your face. DLC that I am NEVER going to buy. Im not going to pay real money for cars that only exist in a video game world and im certainly not going to invest massive amounts of money in a game that I despise. When I say they shove it in your face, I mean it. When the game loads up, it takes you to the PS store automatically. What kind of game does that?? Also, at practically every menu and pause screen there are ways to get to the PS store. It makes me think that this game exists for the sole purpose of raking DLC profits. of course, that would just be absurd, right?
problem #9
bad level design. yes it all looks like a real city, but that does not make it a good city to race in. Like I touched upon earlier, there is tons of junk in the road which you cant even see until its too late
problem #10
no crash mode. that is UNFORGIVABLE. the showtime mode the present is no replacement. not even close
Am I alone here? I dont see how I can be. I have seen this game get ratings from 8.5 to 9.5 and Im not surprised, really. When developers spoon-feed BS sandbox games to the mainstream gaming community, they lap it up hungrily. I dont care if im the only person on the planet who hates this game. I stand by it. I am 100% sure that this game is the worst of the burnout series. I give it a 6/10. that is being generous