Criterion's first truly next-gen Burnout game is set to radically change the way we perceive the series...

So far, the only Burnout title to see the light of day on a next-gen machine is Burnout Revenge on the Xbox 360. While it was arguably the superior version of the fourth Burnout game (not least because Criterion got rid of the Crash event start meter), it was still at its heart a previous-gen title that had found its way onto a next-gen machine. Since then, Criterion has developed one further Burnout game, Burnout Dominator, for Sony's PSP and PS2 systems. In many ways, this title was a swansong for Burnout on the PlayStation 2, a console which has been so good to the series since its 2001 beginnings.

And it's perhaps here that the story starts for Criterion's first true next-generation Burnout incarnation. While many multi-format games releases these days are built for the Xbox 360 and then "poured" onto the PlayStation 3, Criterion are making no secret of the fact that Burnout Paradise has been developed first and foremost on Sony's PS3. While there is obviously an Xbox 360 version of the game, it's still nice to see a developer which is loyal to a brand that has served it well in the past. Likewise, we're also looking forward to seeing how far Criterion can stretch the PS3's impressive (but largely underused) Cell processor.

A Whole New World

When Criterion says that this is a whole new Burnout game, built specifically for the next-gen consoles, they certainly mean it. This could possibly be the biggest leap-forward in Burnout's history, even more so than the leap from Burnout 2 to Burnout 3: Takedown following EA's acquisition of the Criterion label. So, there's absolutely no code whatsoever from previous Burnout games in Paradise and it's based on an entirely new game engine that provides 60 frames per second. A bigger deal than this, though, is the fact that Burnout Paradise is set in an entirely open game world, which can be compared to the likes of those seen in Rockstar Games' previous Midnight Club games.

However unlike previous Midnight Club games, the open game world of Paradise City has absolutely no front-end whatsoever and as many loading screens as I've had dates with Claudia Schiffer (zero, shockingly). It's even open to the point that you can go from an offline Paradise City to an online one with seamless continuity. In an offline game you can opt to go online via an in-game menu. When you do, it almost feels as if your attempt to go online has failed because there's no loading screen; you're in the same part of the city, in the same car. However, nothing has gone wrong; it really is that smooth a transition. As Senior Producer Nick Channon says, "It's probably the first game where you'll get online by mistake."

Where The Grass Is Green, And The Girls Are Pretty

There'll be more about the online game later though; first let's deal with how this open world is going to affect Burnout's core gameplay. Firstly, there will be roughly 120 events across Paradise City (with further progression unlocking harder events) and we're assured that this is the largest amount of events in a Burnout game to date.

The pre-existing events that we know and love will take on an entirely new feel. Race and Road Rage are the only events that have been transferred relatively unscathed from previous Burnout titles. The concepts are the same: racing against other cars from one point to another, or taking out as many cars as possible before your car gets wrecked or time runs out. However, setting these events in an open world will change how you'll approach them completely.

For example, the race events perhaps have the most striking similarities to Midnight Club games. You're given a finish line but exactly how you get there is completely up to you. Paradise City's main structure is, obviously, a system of main roads. These are based loosely around a grid system in the centre of the city, but become a lot more winding and unpredictable in the outskirts.

Between these main roads are literally hundreds of shortcuts through back-alleys, dirt tracks, industrial areas - you name it! As a result, the key to winning races is to know the city inside out and take advantage of the shortcuts as much as possible. Burnout Revenge introduced shortcuts to its linear tracks with great effect, but Burnout Paradise is set to take this dynamic to all new levels and expand gameplay in Race events considerably - we can't wait!

The features that are set to open-up the Road Rage experience are the gas stations and garages that are dotted across the map. If you drive through one of these garages, for example, then your car gets repaired, effectively giving it a 'zero hits' status. Petrol stations, on the other hand, fill your car up with boost, which is nice. Anyway, these features (the garages in particular) of Paradise City will be critical to your success in Road Rage events, again stressing the importance of knowing the city. You'll also find wrecking yards (where you can change your car) and paint shops (where you can give your car a new paint job) dotted around the city.

Stunt Car Racer

Indeed, you'll need to change your car a lot throughout the game as the three different types of car (Stunt, Aggression and Speed) all specialise in specific events. Aggression cars are good for Road Rage events due to their high strength ratings and a boost system where you're rewarded for Takedowns etc. Speed cars operate on a chain boosting system similar to the one in Dominator, making them useful for Race events. Finally, Stunt cars have a green nitrous boost system where you're rewarded for big airs and tricks, making them perfect for the all new Stunt events.

These Stunt events certainly are a tricky one to figure out. We spent most of our hands-on time in these Stunt events, burning around Paradise City trying to find big air opportunities and performing 360 spins (the only trick we mastered). Unfortunately, when our time ran out we were disappointed to find that the final score was woefully short of the target. We were still to master a wide range of the tricks on offer though, such as mid-air barrel roles off askew ramps and a liberal use of the all-new handbrake.

And that's not all that the handbrake will come in useful for: throughout Paradise City you'll find Power Park opportunities between parked cars. Approaching these tight parking spots at pace, you have to perform a neat 180 spin into the parking spot by whacking on the handbrake. It's one of a number of mini-games that you'll encounter around Paradise City. If you're the sort of person who likes to complete 100% of a game, almost 600 side-tasks throughout Paradise City should keep you busy for quite a while. There are 400 gates, 120 billboards and 50 jumps that have to be found across the map and smashed through/jumped over. Similarly to Signature Takedowns from previous Burnout games, these side-tasks are set to have gamers searching the streets for that last billboard long after they've completed all of the main events.

Another interesting mini-game is instigated whenever you unlock a new car. Unlocked cars won't appear in your garage instantaneously. Instead, once you've unlocked a car, you'll then see it cruising around the city, at which point you'll have to catch up with it and Takedown the car in order to make it available in the garage.

Getting back to the new main events, another one of the entirely new event types for Paradise is Marked Man. It's essentially the opposite of Road Rage. Instead of pursuing other cars for Takedowns, you're pursued by an entourage of black cars who'll make scrap metal of you given the chance. The challenge is to avoid these black cars, and the best way to do that is by sticking to shortcuts and staying off the main road. This is because the black cars can only stick to the main roads and don't know the shortcuts. This new event will effectively flip the standard Burnout gameplay on its head, making you feel like the hunted rather than the hunter. It's certainly original and provides the usual frenzy and addiction levels of any Burnout event.

It's Showtime

Another new event type that's original is Showtime, although we're not so sure that it's going to be quite as addictive. Showtime is basically a re-jig of the Crash events from previous Burnout games. In order to stay consistent with the open world of Paradise City, Criterion has done away with the huge set-pieces that Crash events used to be made up of. Gone are the vast freeway intersections with rush-hour traffic just begging for a huge pile-up, and gone are the puzzle elements of figuring out how to get multipliers or hit target cars. In fact, from the limited amount of hands-on time we've had at this early stage, much of the fun also seems to have disappeared with the introduction of Showtime.

At any point, players can initiate Showtime by simultaneously tapping a couple of buttons (R1 and L1 on the PS3). This sends your car into a role and the camera into slow-motion. The traffic is then bumped-up a little bit in your immediate surroundings. Your task is to hit as many cars as possible (as usual), but you do this with repeated button taps to make you car flip and continue crashing. Each time you flip the car it depletes your remaining boost for further flips, which effectively acts as a time limit. However, the more cars you take out, the more your boost is replenished. You'll also have to watch out for busses, as they are the vessels for multipliers to your final score.

The resulting gameplay felt a little bland unfortunately. The beauty of Crash events in previous Burnout games was the puzzle of getting that Gold medal. You had to figure out where the traffic came from, catapult yourself off a ramp into exactly the right place and use Aftertouch/Crashbreaker to mop up remaining vehicles. All of this is gone and we can't say that it's for the better at this stage. The phrase, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it,' comes to mind.

Speaking of Aftertouch and Crashbreaker, they won't be featuring in Paradise either. This also seems like a bit of a shame because Criterion had done such a good job of integrating these features into Road Rage and Race events in Burnout Revenge. We're certainly going to miss these features when the game comes out on January 25th, but the myriad of other new additions to the series should help to quell our Aftertouch and Crashbreaker withdrawal symptoms.

Traffic Checking has been kept in though. Whether or not you were a Traffic Checking fan in Revenge was quite a divisive issue. Nevertheless, Criterion has added depth to the feature because your ability to traffic check varies according to the strength of the car you're in.

Bring It On... Line

Criterion has completely changed their focus for online play with Burnout Paradise. Previous games in the series have suffered a bit in this area by pandering to the hardcore player. In Burnout Revenge on the PS2, for example, you could only play online with cars that you'd unlocked in the single-player game. This meant that if you hadn't completed the game, there was little point in playing online because you tended to get match-ups against much faster cars.

Paradise is set to change all of this because Criterion has built their online play around the casual Burnout gamer. Online option menus, leaderboards and event types will have a strong focus on the player's PSN or Live friends list. In other words, Paradise's online game has been built around playing with friends for a laugh, rather than playing against 'TakedownKing38' and subsequently getting trounced.

Freeburn - where you just cruise around Paradise City - is where it all starts. Here you can invite friends to join your game, or perhaps just attempt to beat some of the Road Rules records that have been set. These Road Rules consist of Showtime high scores for a particular stretch of road, as well as timed records for racing through a part of the city. You'll also come across other online records throughout your travels such as 'Today's Best Drift', for example.

On top of this, there will also be a wide range of mode options, from traditionally styled events of the single-player game, to those built specifically for the online experience. We didn't see much of these online events during our hands-on time, but we've been told that they have been designed to account for different party sizes. So, there will be event types that cater well for 2 player games, while others will better suit 4 or 8 player groups.

Crumple Zones

In keeping with the next-gen feel of the gameplay and online experience, the graphics also look the part as well. Paradise City itself has all the trimmings of a next-gen environment, with silky smooth textures and glistening lighting effects. Where the graphics really come into their own, though, is with the infamous car crashes that the series is famed for.

Cars crumple and disintegrate in strikingly detailed fashions. Granted, much of this is down to the impressive physics provided by the all-new game engine. Nevertheless, it's still quite stunning to see the shockwave of a shunt pass through a car and the metal bodywork concertina like a Spanish fan. These really are the best looking car crashes in a computer game.

Sound wise, fans of the SSX games will be interested to know that DJ Atomica is set to feature in Burnout Paradise as a tutorial aid. Fans of Burnout, on the other hand, will be relieved that it's not DJ Striker from Burnout 3. Other than that, the usual sound effects of twisted metal and screeching tyres are as good as ever.