Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box

 PC
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 608 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 390 out of 608
  2. Mixed: 158 out of 608
  3. Negative: 60 out of 608
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  1. MichalA
    Feb 9, 2009
    2
    This game is nothing, that wasted developer's time and EA's money of course. It has absolutely not to offer in PC world. Race Driver Grid is not about demolition like Burnout, but it has better destruction model, actualy it has better everything. When I played this kind of sh*t called in civilised society a "Burnout" I had no idea, how long it will stay on my harddrive. 15This game is nothing, that wasted developer's time and EA's money of course. It has absolutely not to offer in PC world. Race Driver Grid is not about demolition like Burnout, but it has better destruction model, actualy it has better everything. When I played this kind of sh*t called in civilised society a "Burnout" I had no idea, how long it will stay on my harddrive. 15 minutes? Wasted money. Big city, nothing to do. Car's behavior is so weird. It!s like you ride a horse or something, but not car. Please, don't buy this game!… Expand
  2. MicahA.
    Feb 6, 2009
    3
    The game makes heavy use of the song Welcome to the Junge by Guns N' Roses. I mention this because practically the entire song plays out as the game loads after you launch it. I would say that the loading takes at least two minutes for me, then there's some strange problems I won't even bother to discuss in detail, and then the game starts -- kind of. Usually I have to sit The game makes heavy use of the song Welcome to the Junge by Guns N' Roses. I mention this because practically the entire song plays out as the game loads after you launch it. I would say that the loading takes at least two minutes for me, then there's some strange problems I won't even bother to discuss in detail, and then the game starts -- kind of. Usually I have to sit and watch some kind of video about different vehicles. Keyboard controls aren't terribly good, and whoever wrote the in-game tutorial seemingly got the order of the brake and afterburner buttons switched around. Oh, and it requires that you create an account before you can play. More tedium. And it has crashed my PC one of the two times I've had enough downtime to play it. And now I'm trying to uninstall it (sigh) and it can't even do that in a timely manner. And it installs some EA Download manager that runs when Windows boots. And ... the list goes on. It might be a fine console game, but the port seems terrible.… Expand
  3. Bucketh34d
    Sep 8, 2013
    3
    Very disappointing. The game looks good enough, especially with ENB, but that's about all it has going for it. Criterion purport the idea of race events on a free roam map as something new, "unlike any other driving experience", even though Need for Speed Underground 2 and Test Drive Unlimited had both done similar things prior to its release. All events are extremely easy, and with noVery disappointing. The game looks good enough, especially with ENB, but that's about all it has going for it. Criterion purport the idea of race events on a free roam map as something new, "unlike any other driving experience", even though Need for Speed Underground 2 and Test Drive Unlimited had both done similar things prior to its release. All events are extremely easy, and with no difficulty option (at least not one I could find in the ill-conceived labyrinthine menu system), the game soon becomes very dull.

    In-game advertisements are a spit in the face from the developers. Perhaps it would be understandable if the game were free to play, or if it were trying to emulate a "real world", but it's not. These were clearly only put in for profit, not an attempt at realism, since the game is set in a fictional city and none of the cars are licensed. I paid for the game I don't want to see Burger King and EVGA advertisements while playing it.

    Various elements of the game are at cross-purposes with each other. Events are put at every intersection, supposedly to cut down on monotony and so there's never an event too far away, but the races aren't gated and the route isn't highlighted on the map as with other arcade racers, which means you have to open your map at the beginning of each race and spend time planning your route. You can't jump to events either, which, in the case of Burning Route events, often means you have to drive halfway across the map just to begin a race.

    On the topic of Burning Route events; the game boasts a range of 75 cars, when in actuality, in terms of unique vehicles there is about half that, with the other half being practically carbon-copies with different paint jobs which are rewarded after completing time trials. By the end of the game, you'll only be using about 3 of the cars anyway (the best in each category; stunt, aggression and speed), since the others are relatively useless.

    The soundtrack is awful. For reasons unknown to anyone but the developers, there are 3 different styles of music in this game; pop/rock songs, instrumental songs from the three previous Burnout games, and classical compositions. The loudness levels are not normalized either, which means that some songs are barely audible while others are quite loud. The "CrashFM" DJ is obnoxious and detestable.

    There are many other annoyances, but I think I've made my point already. Does this game deserve a rating of 3/10? No, but it doesn't deserve the inflated rating of 7.6/10 either.    … Collapse
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Awards & Rankings

11
#11 Best PC Game of 2009
28
#28 Most Discussed PC Game of 2009
31
#31 Most Shared PC Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    90
    First ever PC version of Burnout is a perfect example of a modern racing game in an open world with all the essentials that players want. No need for C-grade actresses at all. [Issue#174, Jan 2009]
  2. VideoGamer
    90
    For true next-gen arcade racing thrills Burnout Paradise is most definitely your best option, and on PC your only option.
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  3. IGN
    84
    If you're willing to put in the time, there's plenty of content here to enjoy, including getting a handle on how all the various car models control and boost. For gamers looking for a different kind of high-speed racer or anyone's who has yet to experience the thrill Criterion's Burnout series provides, this is a solid choice.
    Read full review
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