14 DAY TRIAL // The racing game genre hasn't always been one of the most innovative ones out there, as most gamers would tend to identify it with Electronic Arts' Need For Speed franchise, which has really shaped the way we play racing games. But, as time passed, the yearly development cycle began to take its toll and ideas were running out. So the company decided to task another studio with the development of a brand new racing game.
The chosen company was Criterion, and its Burnout franchise took racing and crashing to dazzling new heights. This was especially true with the latest Burnout Paradise game, which, despite having been launched almost a year ago, is still being played by gamers across the world. The wide variety of races, combined with the fact that the Criterion team launched new content every few months, made it a fan favorite on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Now, with the PC version getting ready to start racing on that platform, the developers tweaked and tuned it a bit in order to make it easier for new players. But they have already decided to take these tweaks and implement them in the console versions, as a free update. As such, these new features and improvements will be launched on February 6, when the Burnout Paradise Party Pack will also be unveiled, the latter being available for a low cost.
Among other things, this free update will include an in-game store, in which players can browse all of the add-ons and content packages made available for this game, and buy those that they don't already own. The first cars made available to players, like the Hunter Cavalry, have received a handling overhaul, making them much easier to drive than when the game was first launched. Moreover, the performance display that appears in the garage has also been revamped, allowing for players to easily compare their cars.
Other tweaks include revamped stunt run and road rage timers, but beginners will now also be able to spot special objects, like Billboards, Smashes and Super Jumps more easily, as their colors have been upgraded and will pulse in order to give players some new great thrills. Last but not least, the option to restart a race will be available with this update, making racing much easier.
All in all, these tweaks and improvements are more than welcomed and will certainly make a lot of players go behind the wheel of their favorite cars and start racing through Paradise City once again. Look forward to the update and new paid DLC at the beginning of February.