We're still amazed at the incredible amount of content Criterion is adding to Burnout Paradise ... for FREE. The PS3-loving guys at Criterion uploaded new shots to the PlayStation.blog, and boy does this FREE update look incredible. This is the first time bikes have been implemented in the Burnout series ... and did we mention this content will be FREE?
The developers promise that the bike pack will add about 9-10 hours of gameplay, and 70 new challenges. Other games barely include that much content out of the box. More exciting however: "every new pack we build for Burnout Paradise is grander than the last." And we know that they're not going to just stop at bikes ...
The next free DLC involving motorcycles for Burnout Paradise formerly known as Davis has been aptly renamed Burnout Bikes. MTV Multiplayer had a chance to try out the update and has the following details to share with us:
Unlike cars who smash into bits during crashes, motorcycles are basically indestructible. However, when the driver flies off a bike, the driver will disappear on impact. This allows the game to maintain a Teen rating with the ESRB.
You can choose the gender of your rider.
You can perform wheelies, and it is "measured for duration in real-time just like drifting is for the game's cars."
A motorcycle-license career path will be added.
The new content will add about 15 hours of playtime.
A day-night cycle and weather will be introduced.
Motorcycle vs. car not in this expansion, but planned for the future
No specific release date has been announced, but it should be "in the next couple of months."
It's time to dust off your copy of Burnout Paradise today as the latest update, codenamed "Cagney," is now available for download. Simply stick the game in and boot it up and you'll be welcomed by an update screen asking you to download the almost 400mb patch. This latest patch adds a further 70 Freeburn challenges to complete online, improved SD rendering, custom soundtracks, new cars and more. Best of all? It's completely free.
Criterion will continue to add to the Burnout Paradise experience this year with further updates which will include trophies, motorbikes and ... planes? If you haven't yet picked up Burnout Paradise, then now's a great time to do so. With it selling for only $40 everywhere, you really have no excuse.
Have you heard the news that Burnout Paradise's update known as Cagney has been delayed? Fear not, PS3 fans! While we've become fairly accepting of delays and assume any game or update getting delayed is due to the PS3, this way of thinking is incorrect in this case. The PS3 update is still scheduled to go for July 10, but the 360 version has unfortunately been pushed back a few days. All is not sunshine and rainbows, though. Sony Korea has yet to approve the update, so until they do, this won't get released. It's still expected by July 10, but if not, we know which Sony headquarters to give the hairy eyeball.
How did we miss this news? Thankfully, reader Simstim sent us a tip about the esteemed Criterion Collection moving to Blu-ray. Film buffs know the Criterion Collection houses some of the most treasured films, and each volume in the collection is handled with meticulous care. The quality of the packaging and video transfer is something true videophiles can appreciate.
Expect the first discs to begin rolling out in October:
The huge update everyone with a copy of Burnout Paradise has been waiting for will finally hit this July 10. The update with custom soundtracks and added game modes will be available for download at 9 am GMT. That's 4 am EST for us Americans.
Cagney comes out roughly over two months after the Bogart release gave players some nice incentives. You'd think that for content as good as this, you'd be paying for it; luckily, you won't have to pay a cent. It's completely free. Check out the official website for more details.
There's a hidden feature buried deep down in Burnout Paradise's Bogart update that wasn't mentioned previously. It's called the "Burnout Paradise Save Game Analyzer," and what it does is paints out a map of all the things you've missed. So, if you're on the hunt to collect everything and do everything, this will surely help you accomplish all.
The way this works exactly is that you need to import save game data via USB drive or memory stick. You'll take your data to Criterion's website for analysis. Then, based on the info on your save, an interactive map will be created so you can view all incomplete tasks. Criterion says "technicians are just putting the final touches to this feature – we expect it to go live [on our site] imminently!" Also, just as a reminder, this is PS3-only.
Criterion Games has ambitious plans for Burnout Paradise, promising updates to the game for a full year after the game's release. They've revealed the release schedule of their upcoming updates: "Cagney" will be available at the end of June. "Davis" will follow sometime in August. "Eastwood" will be next, in Fall. ("Bogart" is less than a day away for PS3 owners.)
The "Cagney" update will introduce a new vehicle: a SUV that's without boost (a first in the Burnout franchise). Custom soundtracks are also planned for that release.
However, we're most excited for August's "Davis" update, which adds two new features: a nighttime mode, and motorcycles. The darkened skies of Paradise City will clear up traffic, allowing players to race in the streets with less threat of crashes. Adding motorcycles to the mix is a great idea, but we're wondering if the crashes will look even more brutal than those featured in Motorstorm.
While we're still waiting on the Bogart update, we're already hearing good things about the future Cagney update. One such major inclusion in Cagney is the ability to play custom soundtracks while cruising Paradise City.
To play a custom soundtrack, all a player needs to do is enter the Easydrive menu, go to "Soundtrack," and then hit "Custom." This will bring up an XMB page where they can select songs to play in modes like shuffle, repeat, or by group.
While this feature is a welcomed addition, the Cagney update has yet to find a fixed release date. This means that the ability to play custom music is, well, still a promise that's far off. The Bogart update is only releasing this April 24 but was revealed way back at the beginning of March. If we can expect to see a similar timeframe, Cagney could still be a month or two away.
Criterion's Burnout Paradise is one of the rare breed to continue expanding long after the game's original release. Three new gameplay modes are being prepped for release soon, but it's just the beginning for this open-world racing game. Jino Talens from EA notes that "this is just the start – we aim to bring you many new Freeburn game modes covering different themes and play styles. Over the next 12 months, we're going to transform the Burnout Paradise you know and love into the Burnout Paradise you only ever dreamed of!" That's a rather ambitious promise, but consider our interest piqued.
For details on the three new Freeburn game modes (Road Rage, Marked Man and Stunt Run), check after the break.
Do you remember about a month ago we posted that a Burnout Paradise patch was coming? Back then we didn't have a set date for when the patch would go live; however, we do now. April 24, mark that day off on your calendar Paradise players so you won't be surprised when you need to make an update.
Not much has changed since we first reported it -- save for the patch name changing to codename "Bogart." All the promised fixes are still the same. If you need an extra reminder of what they are, then read them right here.
Criterion Games wants to let everyone know that the company is working on a v1.2 patch for Burnout Paradise. The patch is aimed at fixing a whole slew of glitches, exploits, and game-crashing events, so this must be extremely good news for Burnout Paradise owners. The only downside is that the v1.2 patch is currently not ready and Criterion has yet to schedule a final release date. We are, however, pretty sure that it shouldn't be too far off before this baby becomes available.
The patch will most notable fix issues regarding online multi-player crash errors and hanging. Audio distortion and connection problems will all be addressed as well. Aside from fixing the problem spots, Criterion is also enhancing the gameplay by tweaking things here and there. Drifting and boosting will be slghtly modified for better control, and the Online Takedown logic and physical behavior will be tuned -- just to name a few. To see the entire list of changes, head on over to Criterion's official website.
When Burnout was first released in 2001, it did the amazing feat of instantly re-defining the idea of an arcade racer. Gone were the days where adrenalin junkies looking for their fix had to play yet another Ridge Racer title or suffer through impossibly average games like the Rush series. Burnout introduced a sense of speed, control, and visceral excitement that simply had not been seen in racing games before. Crashes made you physically wince and high speed races would have you sweating like you were actually in the car itself as you hurtled down a busy downtown street going 130 mph. It was one of the most refreshing changes of pace that a stale genre has ever experienced -- and yet few people in America were even aware of this British developed title.
Things would change once Burnout 2 came about though, with its larger variety of cars, tracks, and modes (including the dementedly entertaining party mode called Crash) attracting a much higher level of attention than the previous game. The series' popularity only accelerated once Burnout 3: Takedown came out, with Criterion Games experimenting with more and more ways to jack up the level of adrenalin and carnage with each game. In fact, experimenting with the Burnout franchise would become one of Criterion Games signature traits -- just because a feature was in a previous game, didn't mean it would show up in later games (as Alex Ward once famously said).
Previous Burnout Paradise trailers have failed to show off any of the features that make a Burnout game a Burnout game, i.e., massive crashes with explosions of shrapnel. Criterion has finally given into our ravenous demands for destruction and they have released a new pre-E3 trailer that shows off a ton of sexy vehicular destruction. It also highlights some changes to level design, as it appears that the levels have more huge jumps and vertical pathways than the previous entries in the Burnout series. Though the whole sandbox aspect of the gameplay is still pretty suspicious, the rest of the gameplay is looking fantastic. The graphics look gorgeous and the game moves at the standard blistering pace we'd expect.
With Criterion focusing on the PlayStation 3 version of Burnout, expect some top-notch carnage when the game hits the pavement later this year. Until then, check out the trailer above!
Criterion announced today that the tentatively titled Burnout 5 is now officially called Burnout Paradise. To commemorate the occasion, they've also released a handful of new screenshots and a sexy teaser trailer.
Burnout Paradise is supposed to mix up the Burnout experience by providing a kind of free-roaming gameplay with online integration that sounds similar to Test Drive Unlimited, though not a lot of details have come out yet.
I'm a bit wary about it myself, I rather dislike free-roaming gameplay in racing games. I liked the arcade-y feeling of the earlier Burnout tracks, and I'm worried you're going to lose some of the pacing by making it a sandbox racer. At the same time, Criterion has a fantastic track record and they haven't let me down yet.
What do you guys think? Do you think sandbox style gameplay will be beneficial to the Burnout formula?
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