Dave's Den

Burnout Paradise Is A Blast

I've been playing Burnout Paradise on my Xbox 360 for a week now, and I have to say it's the most fun I've had playing a game in quite a while. They've completely opened-up the game, so instead of just competing in various events as in prior versions, you can drive around a fully imagined city at your leisure. It's totally up to you if you'd like to slow down and explore the city, or participate in one of the defined events available at each intersection. If you choose the "explore" route, there are lots of shortcuts, alleys, railroad tracks, billboards and jumps to find. The real action though is in the events. Each intersection makes available it own unique event, either Road Rage, Race, Marked Man, Burning Route or Stunt Run. My favorite has to be Road Rage, where you buzz the streets trying to takedown the target number of cars before you're smashed to smithereens. It's a real rush.

The Good Stuff:

• The graphics and frame rate are top notch, fully immersing you in the surroundings and providing a real sense of speed.
• You have to hunt down and take out a car before you can add it to you arsenal. My 4 year old son loves spotting them on the streets and pointing them out to me.
• There are a number of "drive-thrus" that repair your vehicle, restore your boost, or apply a paint job.
• The AI is much improved. Wins are no longer guaranteed, and events get harder as you progress.

The Not-So-Good Stuff:

• By far my biggest beef with the game is with the map. It's way too easy to miss a critical turn during a race. They try to give you an indication of where to turn, but when you're at top speed, there's just not enough prior notice that your turn is coming up. Missing a turn usually means you're going to lose the race.
• Crash mode has been replaced by "Showtime", where you can roll your car down the street trying to smash as many cars as possible. A good effort, but not in the same league as Crash mode in previous versions.
• The music is truly awful, but thankfully you can do a custom soundtrack on the Xbox 360. I stream MP3s from my computer.