"This is the true Racing Paradise"

I have played other Burnout games such as Burnout 3, which compared to this game, is nothing (Sorry if I compare Burnout Paradise with Burnout 3). Burnout Paradise is most likely the best game to come out on the PC. Burnout has been a great series and I want to thank Criterion Games for making a better game compared to the prequels in the series. Burnout Paradise may be one of my favorite games on the PC. Burnout Paradise is a very fun racing game. I tried Burnout 3 and I was just amused and not quite into the game, but when I tried Burnout Paradise, I was thrilled. Burnout 3 has other vehicles, like any other Burnout game, but it is also confined, like the other Burnout games except Burnout Paradise. Burnout Paradise makes the world of Burnout more accessible or you can take a shortcut to the finish and there are no laps like Burnout 3. Burnout Paradise is better than any other racing game that I have ever played. Burnout Paradise is the racing game I would suggest to anyone who wants to play a racing game but wants something better than going in laps and collecting cars like that. With Burnout Paradise, there are events you need to find and you need to win those events to upgrade your license to get more cars and take down cars at certain times to gain them. Two types of the events that make Burnout Paradise not like any other racing game are Stunt Run and Road Rage. You have to play Burnout Paradise to play these events. There are also certain tasks you need to do in order to unlock more cars, but I am not going to spoil that feature because it is not in the instruction manual.

Controls - 9/10
I am a little wiry on the controls because I never played a racing game on a PC with just the Keyboard. I know that there are controllers out there but I need to find a good gaming controller first. I already got by the first of what seems of many tasks of Burnout Paradise for the PC. I guess to get past this is to either buy a gaming controller or just bear with the keyboard configuration. After a few hours, I have gotten used to the keyboard configuration of Burnout Paradise and I have started to not need a gaming controller, even though this port of Burnout Paradise is compatible with the Xbox 360 controller. I have been used to playing with the controller at a friend's house but the keyboard configuration is nice for a change from the controllers on the console.

Graphics - 10/10
The graphics are awesome. Especially across three screens (on the video of the three screen Test). Looking across three screens would be awesome. But I need to figure out how to do that and I would be in all the glory of Burnout Paradise. Yet again I only have one PC screen so I have to bear with Burnout Paradise yet again. Burnout Paradise graphics seem to be better than some of the graphics of games released today. I am not mentioning any of them but with the right monitor[s], you can have the ride of your life in Burnout Paradise. The graphics are better than any racing game that I have played. You can see many of the details on the cars and bikes as well as in the menus and the surroundings in Burnout Paradise.

Sound - 10/10
Everything sounds great. With the right speakers, you may have yourself an outstanding amount of feelings from the game. Many people have two speakers for their computers while others have surround sound. Having surround sound and spanning the game across three computers would be the ultimate ride of this game and any gaming experience. Some of the music is appealing but with the selection I like, I prefer listening to my own music with the game music turned way down low and off. The sound from the cars and bikes are so realistic that, when I turn to the nose view (car) or the wheel view (bike), it feels like I am actually there (almost). I would imagine that surround sound would be much better but if you have to deal with two speakers (stereo), then that is ok as well because I only have stereo and Burnout Paradise sounds fine.

Gameplay - 10/10
The gameplay of the bikes and vehicles in one game is outstanding. This is what I call racing. Having two different licenses for both is great seeing that once both are at 101% (I have been reviewing the FAQ on the console ports and my friend completed the game), you can brag to your friends that you got 202% on this one game that is called Burnout Paradise. Seeing the vehicle list, some of the vehicles that are going to be unlocked seem to be interesting to use in the game. Many of the cars are fun to use, some are funny to use while others are fun and funny at the same time when you use certain cars. I did not mention bikes because there are only 4 bikes.

Replay - 8/10
Giving it a good amount of thought, I would like (not love) to replay this game but why replay it when the game is already completed? Well I would start a new game just for someone else but personally, I would really feel in between wanting to complete it and awkward (for starting a new game when I already completed it). But on the other hand, if I do start a new game I could go through all the joys of getting new cars, licenses, and getting the paint jobs at the end of the game. Also, with starting a new game, you could get through the game a different way of how you first finished it to make the game even better.

Bottom Line:
So with the right modifications on a computer as well as the right equipment, you might as well place a sticker saying, "Burnout Paradise is a True Gamers Game." When I was playing this with a friend, I was addicted to this game. My friend owns two of the same consoles with two Burnout Paradises, and I have played Burnout Paradise with him every so often and I have been addicted to Burnout Paradise since I started playing the game. Thinking about it, Burnout Paradise should have an expansion pack (excluding all the packs that are on the game already) and it should start in a brand new city, totally different to the current one, with all of the vehicles you already unlocked plus even MORE vehicles to use in both versions (Fire Truck, Ambulance, Oscar Myer Wiener Car just to name a few). This is to keep away boredom away when people actually DO finish the game and are bored with just going around the city with all the events completed and nothing else to do. I would suggest this game to anyone who does not like racing games because Burnout Paradise is not just another racing game; Burnout Paradise is the Destruction Racing Game. 'Destruction' is not a word that is usually combined with 'Racing' but Burnout Paradise molds them together like they were made for each other.

Overall - 9.4/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/05/09, Updated 02/12/09

Game Release: Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box (US, 02/05/09)