Burnout Paradise is not your average racing game. Having never played a Burnout before this one I was expecting something along the lines of Need for Speed, or Blur, or Dirt. Burnout Paradise features an open world filled with insane opportunities for stunts and outrageous chases, there's no linear progression through the races and challenges. Open-world gameplay is not really as groundbreaking as it was 10 years ago, but when applied to Burnout it enhances the feeling of adventure.
There are loads of different cars to choose from and different challenges such as 'Marked Man', 'Stunt Run', 'Cops and Robbers', 'Showtime' and many others. They are all very exciting, and the handing of most of the vehicles is near flawless. The world of Paradise City is scenic and idyllic, it's the perfect setting for mayhem. But I have to be honest, there are negative aspects to the game.
The fact that there is no driver to your car is kinda creepy. It would be so much better to see someone thrown from the windshield every time you crash. The customization of every vehicle is limited. And the mini map really, really could use more detail. But the worst complaint of all is the trophy which require 8 online players to meet in Wildcat Stadium. It is required in order to get the Platinum. I have tried many, many times to get this trophy but finding 7 others to cooperate is impossible. Up until this point the game seemingly gives away trophies for free (there are 98 of them) but sticking this one in there was pure evil on behalf of the programmers.
However, the most appealing aspect of the game is the custom soundtrack option, in which you can play your own tunes from your PS3 over the gameplay without losing sound effects. Why don't more games support this? Why???
Still, it's an amazing game with breathtaking visuals.
Graphics A Sound A Gameplay A Lasting Appeal A
