Restarts Finally Coming to Burnout Paradise February 6th!

There may be a lot of talk about the industry leaning too heavily on sequels, remakes, and dupes of last year’s best sellers, but there are some really miraculous things going on in this burgeoning age of gaming.Way back in December of 2007 Criterion Games released the demo for Burnout Paradise and I completely loved it. The open world, the crossroads that held seemingly impromptu events, and the multiplayer Freeride mode were like a hairpin turn for the series that slid it into exciting new territory. By January, however, it was spinning in my Xbox and as I ticked off more and more challenges and rose through the ranks, the game’s design really began to test my patience.

The uncanny ability of computer cars to never fall far behind and being required to drive all the way back to a race’s starting point when I failed in the last second really turned me off. I put the game down and continued to hope that the updates and free packs would address my hangups but was always disappointed. Heartbroken and a little pissed, I haven’t touched the game in nearly six months and was ready to trade it in, but you can’t even count on a game to stay broken in these always-connected days we live in.

Criterion Games has continued to explore what’s possible with software updates and downloadable content and have announced a major overhaul coming February 6th, for free. The changes are numerous and will completely change the player experience, especially for new users. For starters, there will be an in-game Store that lets users on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC browse for new content without ever having to leave the game.

— Several of the initially available vehicles have been retuned to make the early portion of the game slower and easier for first time players while making the entire production line more diverse and interesting. You’ll also be able to choose and compare vehicles, finally letting you see how the stats stack up.

— Many of the game’s race types have been retouched with timers and countdowns in Stunt Run and Marked Man being tweaked to make things easier in the beginning but just as challenging for experts. In fact, every single race event has been touched up with A.I. car speeds and target times adjusted for new vehicle speeds.

— Even the visuals are getting enhanced with new players in mind. The game’s many hidden billboards, smash gates, and super jumps now glow more vibrantly and the overall lighting and saturation has been enhanced to make Paradise City feel like a whole new place.

But by far the greatest addition, the one that fans have bellyached and begged for the longest, is the ability to simply restart an event at any point. No more driving for ten minutes to find the starting point again, it’s now as simple as a couple button clicks. This feature alone should let me finally pick the game up again and enjoy myself like I did when I first started.

I commend Criterion Games for listening to their fans and sticking with a product when traditional game design says it’s time to work on a sequel. In this day of skyrocketing budgets and economic crisis, prolonging and expanding a game — keeping it new and relevant — may be the first page in the new video game design document.

And if this post wasn’t long enough for you, check out Criterion Games’ blog and video podcast for even more.