- Guns n`Roses,Paradise City.

Burnout Paradise (BP) is set in a large city, jam-packed with detail and has a real bustling vibe to it. It`s no understatement to say just how organic it all feels, with a city that is going about its business regardless of the player`s direct involvement. Although initially daunting, the layout becomes more familiar as time progresses and you end up with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the city. The player is initially given a basic car and asked to take part in various different events. From straight-forward races, being asked to perform a series of takedowns (which involves ramming another driver off the road and causing them to crash), or a series of stunts which must reach a set target of points. Each successfully completed event will add points to their license and once a set amount are reached, it`ll be upgraded. For every upgrade in license, all events that have been completed will be reset and the player can participate in those events again.

No limitations are placed on what order to do things, and this simplistic, yet fantastic, rule set works well. By playing to a gamer's strength, it builds confidence and allows progress without enforcing a set of events. This excellent, open-ended structure helps to encourage exploration, and manages to distinguish itself from other racing games in the genre. With no day/night cycle, or hang-up on having each area separate, Paradise city manages to convey a wonderful coherence in design.

The real question is what to do next, as the options on offer can be overwhelming to begin with - some stunts, jumps, or take part in a series of takedown challenges? Add to this the various shortcuts that are dotted around the city area, or the stunt jumps which evoke the spirit of Smokey and the Bandit movies with their slow motion freeze frame. The “will he won`t he make it vibe” as confidence that a jump will be made is replaced with trepidation at the outcome, is a joyous experience. With such a varied system in place, it caters for all moods and eventualities, and like all the best games, time dissolves and looking up, bleary-eyed 3 hours later is a distinct possibility.

The cars used throughout are split into 3 classes: Aggression, Speed and Stunt. While none of the vehicles in BP are licensed, there are one or two designs which mimic real-life counterparts. In the beginning the kind of car you drive isn’t such a big deal, but as you progress up the ranks, you find that their different attributes become more important when trying to complete the various missions.

Unlike some racers where it can be hard to tell the difference between one car or another, in BP it`s essential to chose the right car for the right occasion. There is little or no point taking out a stunt car if a takedown mission is on the agenda, as they are so lightweight they won`t last long enough to complete it. Likewise there’s little use for a speed car if you need to survive a takedown event, which requires a strong Aggression class car. Getting used to the various different motors is a lot of fun, and really allows the gamer to decide what to use depending on their mood. Those looking for the kind of depth offered by the likes of the Forza Driving Series in the car department are going to be disappointed though, but what BP offers suits the game just fine.

Luckily changing cars is as easy as driving through a junkyard and selecting a different car from those you`ve unlocked as you’ve progressed. It`s a simplistic yet effective way to handle something that would have been cumbersome in a previous generation. This also extends to garages that refill your boost meter and can repair your vehicle after a few shunts, bringing it back up to spec once again with barely any stop in the action. It`s an elegant solution to an age-old problem and actively encourages you to seek these points out to add them to your map.

All the while this is going on, the game runs at a silky smooth frame rate, with no slow down or obvious graphical issues. Sure, there might be some cars popping in now and then, but it`s a small price to pay for such an ambitious title. Racing headlong into oncoming traffic, playing chicken and trying to keep the multiplier bonus running, which in turn charges your boost meter is exhilarating. The end result is nearly almost always smashing into a barrier or other traffic. While bone-crunching, it doesn`t get old in the slightest.

Races are a mixed bag to say the least. While in previous Burnouts, a large arrow would indicate what direction to go in, now it’s conspicuous by its absence and if you don`t know the layout very well, getting lost is a distinct possibility. Also, the omission of a restart option is a puzzling one, but isn`t a game breaker as there is always something else to do literally around the next corner/junction.

The addition of Showtime, which is instigated by pressing both L1 & R1 together, is a direct replacement for the crash mode seen in previous Burnout games. It`s a nice addition that will satisfy the more destructive gamer out there. A gauge is kept full by smashing into other cars and the distance travelled is combined with the amount of vehicles & multipliers you hit (in the form of buses) to form a final score. Unfortunately it becomes slightly tiring when all you do is press a button and aim in the direction of another car to continue. While fun, it all becomes a tad boring and doesn’t match the unbridled fun that crash mode used to offer.

Online for BP has to be one of the most intuitive systems ever devised. By pressing right on the d-pad a menu will appear that allows the player to join friends in a series of challenges or take on other players from around the world in races or challenges. No confusing menus, no hassle, it flows straight into online from single player and no doubt will be a feature much copied by other developers in future. The ability to create custom challenges, which friends can participate in is welcome and provides a more social online experience than the usual point to point races which driving games get saddled with.

Burnout Paradise is a superb title that offers a glimpse into how the racing genre is evolving. While not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, what it offers is sublime entertainment. Criterion have raised the bar and it`ll be a brave developer that takes them on in trying to better this.