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.