Games

Criterion Launches Cagney Update For Burnout Paradise

By Eli Green
August 5, 2008 - 13:30

Criterion Games released its first content update for Burnout Paradise yesterday. The update, codenamed Cagney, includes a number of major improvements and additions to the game, and best of all, it's free. To start, the entire menu system has been overhauled, so whenever players start the game they will get the latest news surrounding the game, including Criterion updates and in-game stats. The new look is very sleek and, best of all, it doesn't interfere with gameplay. Many of the menu sounds have been changed as well. The Road Rules challenges have been updated as well, with new signs for completion/failure.

The Nakamura Rai-jin Turbo RWD - Image from CriterionGames.com

The pack also includes a number of major additions to the gameplay, like three new Freeburn Game Modes – Road Rage, Stunt Run (vs) and Marked Man – and 70 new Freeburn Challenges. Freeburn Road Rages are up to 8 player team events where one team has to race through a series of checkpoints throughout Paradise City while the other team tries to stop them. Freeburn Stunt Run pits all players against each other in a match to pull the biggest stunts and combos for the biggest total. One interesting thing the development team did for this event is give players the chance to take down their rivals to mess up their score and gain extra multipliers. Finally, Freeburn Marked Man selects a player at random for everyone else to take down while he/she attempts to make it to the goal. It's like Marked Man offline, except the opposition is even more cruel.

New vehicles added with the update include the Nakamura Rai-jin Turbo RWD (Rear Wheel Drive) and the Hunter Olympus (a Hummer like super-high speed SUV). There are also five new liveries (paint jobs) available, including the Rossolini Tempesta Dream, two community created liveries – one for the Oval Racer and another for the Inferno Van – and two secret Criterion liveries.

The Hunter Olympus - Image from CriterionGames.com

Criterion has also made custom soundtracks an option for the Playstation 3 version of the game, and added a number of high-priority fixes and updates, including a huge list of balance changes for Ranked races and more:

• If you're in a 3 or more player challenge and a player drops out, the remaining players can still complete it (subject to it being a challenge that can handle this!)

• "Previously" section on the search games list now displays Challenges, Today's Best and Freeburn game modes, making it loads easier to decide which game you want to join

• You can now view Leaderboards and Options in an online game

• You can now mute other online players in the show players screen

• You can now mute yourself if you have a PS3 Eye/Eye toy

• Increased time-out for online races, and if all players complete the races within the timer, then you go straight to results

• The Airfield has been changed to help with the drivability of the area and make it a little easier to complete the hoop challenges

• Online cars now show damage - roll up to the start in a half-destroyed Hunter Cavalry and everyone else will see it!

• Added a stronger display message if you rule all of Todays Best

• The Easy Drive menu & Challenges page now loops from top to bottom

• Fixed the navigation system so that it takes into account the next check point in a race

• Fixed traffic not reappearing in Freeburn after a no-traffic race

• Fixed online races using Lawrence Road - it's been reporting finish distances with a little inaccuracy

• Revised 30+ car resets following crashes

• All new sound effects added for Easy Drive

• Driving backwards in Road Rage now ends the event as it does in Marked Man

• Option to invert camera axis for the look around camera on right stick

• Online player information made accurate on the instance a player goes through a checkpoint in races

• If you set VOIP mix to zero it is now saved correctly

• 1080i support for "almost HD" sets - PS3 only

• Improved the Standard Definition rendering on PS3

• New highlight to show the player in Today's Best

• Easy Drive fades out if it's unused for 20 seconds

• Boost chaining no longer possible by drifting in open areas

I downloaded the Cagney update yesterday to check it out for myself. I was already pleased with Burnout Paradise as it was, but this update has managed to push the game even further and make it even more enjoyable. Online matches are more fun, the extension of time-out for online races was a great touch, and overall, the game just seems faster. The two new cars are especially interesting to see. N either of them have boost. That's not to say that they are bad cars. In fact, they are both extremely fast. The Rai-jin Turbo shoots off, keeps going and just doesn't stop, unless you hit something of course. Who needs boost when you're that fast? The Olympus is a tad slow out of the starting gate, likely because of its size, but once it gets going, it's tough to slow down.

A bike riding at night from the Davis update - Image from CiterionGames.com

I'm happy to see continuing creativity from the Criterion team. Burnout has been my favourite racing franchise for quite some time, and they keep giving me more reasons to say that with every new offering. I can't wait to see what they come out with their next update, codenamed Davis. This next update, currently scheduled for later this month, is looking to be a very exciting one, as the team is already talking about the addition of a day-night cycle in Burnout Paradise , and bikes! Very cool.

 

 

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12