What's in the upcoming free Burnout Paradise patch?
by Andrew Yoon 
{ Jan 23rd 2009 at 11:00AM }
Click for high-resolution image.
- In-Game Store (PS3/PC only) - An in-game browser will connect to the "Criterion Games Network." From here, you'll be able to see all the game's updates and purchase any of the upcoming premium DLC.
- Tweaked vehicle handling - The earlier cars are now tweaked to be easier for newcomers to use. "These cars are now slower, harder to crash and less likely to spin out at low speeds."
- Junkyard sorting - You'll be able to compare the stats of cars, and you'll be able to filter out cars, bikes, and upcoming DLC vehicles.
- Stunt Run timer changed - Stunt Run will now have a different timer that starts much slower than before. This allows beginners more wiggle room to start a combo. Experts will still be challenged: the larger your combo, the faster the timer runs out.
- Events rebalanced - All events have been modified to accommodate the new car speeds.
- Road Rage tweaked - Players no longer get additional time once they reach the target score. This is great, because we usually intentionally crash in order to end this mode.
- Enhanced visuals - In-game items, like billboards and smashes, are now easier to spot. The lighting has been tweaked to be "more vibrant." Driving at night will be easier.
- Restart - Yes, you can restart races now.
- Easier barrel rolls - Barrel rolls are now automatic. However, to do more than one at a time, you'll have to use the analog sticks.
Gallery: Burnout Paradise - Feb 2009 update
Silver Trophies
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Every player succeeds in every Party Game Awarded upon completing a Party in which every player successfully completes every Game of every Round. |
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Complete a Small Party Awarded when 2-4 players have completed a Party. |
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Complete a Big Party Awarded when 5-7 players have completed a Party. |
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Complete a Massive Party Awarded when 8 players have completed an 8 Round Party. |
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Survive a Marked Man in the Extreme Hot Rod Awarded for winning any Offline Marked Man driving the Extreme Hot Rod |
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Complete a Timed Challenge using all 3 Boost types in the Hawker Mech Awarded when you complete any Timed Challenge driving the Hawker Mech having used all 3 boost types |
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Win a Race in a Toy Car Awarded for winning any Offline Race driving any of the Toy Cars |
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Complete a Bike Timed Challenge using the Toy Bike Awarded when you complete any Timed Challenge using the Toy Bike |
Bronze Trophies
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Every player succeeds in a Party Round Awarded when every player successfully completes a Party Round. |
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Complete your 1st Party Round Awarded when you complete the 1st Round of your 1st Party. |
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Every player take a photo for a Party Awarded when every player in a Party takes a photo of themselves. Requires a USB camera to be connected. |
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Win a Stunt Run in the P12 88 Special Awarded for winning any Offline Stunt Run driving the P12 88 Special |
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Light up the Manhattan Spirit during an Online Challenge Awarded for using the flashing lights of the Manhattan Spirit during an Online Freeburn Challenge or Timed Challenge |
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Score a Boost Chain of x3 in the GT Nighthawk Awarded for achieving a Boost Chain of x3 driving the GT Nighhawk |
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Sound the horn on a Silver Lake Super Jump in the Cavalry Bootlegger Awarded for sounding the horn and successfully landing a Super Jump in Silver Lake driving the Cavalry Bootlegger |
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Barrel Roll a Toy Car in the Airfield Awarded for successfully landing a Barrel Roll in the Airfield driving any of the Toy Cars |
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
jmyb17 @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:05AM
restart?!?!
time to buy it now.. for $30 only
should tide my over 'till KILLZOWNE 2
Pumapayam @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:16AM
Actually, most places have it for $20 now, new, like Amazon and Best Buy. Circuit City is marking everything down 20%, and I am sure Gamestop has it used for less.
Pumapayam @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:05AM
Just picked up a copy new at Circuit City for $16 yesterday. Looking forward to this.
Daniel @ Jan 23rd 2009 1:48PM
Glad I saw your post, I didn't realize it had gotten that cheap. I don't have a CC by me, so I had to hit up the Gamestopo, still about $17
JB @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:10AM
oh great,they're ruining the game.
way to go criterion...
Nathan @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:19AM
No. They're not "ruining" the game. They're tweaking it so it's more accessible for newbies while still providing challenges for experts. Criterion have supported this game more than any other game (at least console game) and you're complaining?
Gonzo @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:34AM
I'm with JB. Glad I sold this one.
The continued absence of crash junctions (no Showtime doesn't even come close to making up for it) made me wary of this in the first place. They didn't craft the races with the open world in mind (or the other way around) so the only things I really enjoyed were Marked Man and Road Rage. The potential for an unending road rage was always fun for me, was it really annoying for everyone else for some reason. It's not like there were tons of road rage events.
Plus when I tried using the my saved file (and I tried both from backup utility and manually saved on a thumb drive) it wouldn't recognize me and I had to start a new game. After finding all those gates & billboards once, I was done. Since selling it I've been kind of relieved to not see anything in the updates to make me regret it.
why not the LS2LS7? @ Jan 23rd 2009 1:00PM
How are the races not suited to the open world?
raindogtoo23 @ Jan 23rd 2009 2:48PM
The problem with the races is that (especially for people just starting the game) one missed/wrong turn can send you waay off course. It's fine that they have the flashing streetsign at the top of the screen but that's probably the worst place they could've put it. Most open world games with racing give directions in a place on the screen where your eyes should already be focused. I'm not saying they had to copy GTA's road bubbles but I kept pausing Burnout's races to check the map to make sure I was still going in the right direction, and I never had to do that before. It wouldn't have been a big deal really if they didn't make 95% of the events races and burning laps. I could get that crap out of any racing game.
It worked really well for road rage (where you didn't have to go in any particular direction at all) but there was only a handful of those. I admire them for trying something new but I just really wish they would stop beating this dead horse and get working on a new one already. One with proper crash junctions; showtime was cute for a little while but not nearly as cool as the explosive crash junctions of Burnouts past.
Gonzo @ Jan 23rd 2009 2:48PM
The problem with the races is that (especially for people just starting the game) one missed/wrong turn can send you waay off course. It's fine that they have the flashing streetsign at the top of the screen but that's probably the worst place they could've put it. Most open world games with racing give directions in a place on the screen where your eyes should already be focused. I'm not saying they had to copy GTA's road bubbles but I kept pausing Burnout's races to check the map to make sure I was still going in the right direction, and I never had to do that before. It wouldn't have been a big deal really if they didn't make 95% of the events races and burning laps. I could get that crap out of any racing game.
It worked really well for road rage (where you didn't have to go in any particular direction at all) but there was only a handful of those. I admire them for trying something new but I just really wish they would stop beating this dead horse and get working on a new one already. One with proper crash junctions; showtime was cute for a little while but not nearly as cool as the explosive crash junctions of Burnouts past.
devilmaker @ Jan 23rd 2009 3:37PM
I solved that problem... I memorised nearly every street name in the city for the time that I used to play it alot, always knew the quickest route.
Brandon @ Jan 23rd 2009 6:40PM
I'm with raindog, the races are not in any way intuitive, it can be a good thing because of the many different ways to beat a race but it is also very frustrating... especially with burning routes because you may not know the quickest way and many times the route will be impossible to beat until you figure out your going the wrong way. But at least we get a restart now! that will definately relieve these frustrations. And everybody quit groaning about the cars, its probably gonna be the first 2 or 3 cars in the game that they tweak.... no big deal
HeavyToka @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:10AM
Another Amazing Update!
rohan @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:13AM
i think i might jump back in, (T___T i still need 2 trophies, find all events and get a pic in the camera and i don't have one)
Sauvage @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:31AM
Just buy a second hand EyeToy ( PS2 ) and plug it in. It works as both Camera and Mic ( though not as good as a dedicated Bluetooth mic ).
robert @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:16AM
Hawker Mech, what's that?
sithdawg @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:21AM
What the heck man?! Cutting off Road rage and dumbing down the cars?! This is STUPID! They can KEEP it.
Gonzo @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:39AM
Yea!
The more I think about it, the more I think about how annoying it would be to have to disconnect from the internet, every time I want to play.
Glad I ditched this Burnout on amazon.
It's time they make a new one to bring back Crash Junctions and allow us to backup our savegames.
iamkid @ Jan 23rd 2009 4:24PM
notice where it says 'earlier cars?' that means that its only affecting the crappy cars for it to be more noob friendly. they never said anything about changing the good cars. this update looks great
CJLopez @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:27AM
Pretty nice tweks really, specially the restart one, how could they missed this one since launch!!!!!
The road rage one, i don't mind it, I actually keep on toillering the other cars till runned out of time or be destroyed, xD
Brandon @ Jan 23rd 2009 6:33PM
Why does nobody realize that in order to stop an event you just have to stop your car for about 10 seconds and it will end the event. If you were successful then it will give you credit, it doesnt forfeit the event... only ends it.(just to be clear about that)
SozzlyJoe @ Jan 24th 2009 6:52AM
As another poster says, all you have to do is stop your car dead for a few seconds and the race ends. The reason no one knows this is because the game is hopeless at explaining all these things. Arch-twat DJ Atomica does tell you this nugget of info.. but only AFTER you do it for the first time.
I love this game now, but I spent the first 5 hours hating it and nearly gave up on it. It has a horrible learning curve. The races are punishing and deeply frustrating until you learn the city, the early cars are a bitch to control, and the streets are full of little bollards and protrusions that wreck your car with no chance to avoid them, save learning the whole city. And no restarts. So, to me this looks like a fantastic patch.
CJLopez @ Jan 24th 2009 1:05PM
But i DO enjoy keep on toillering cars
I do know that stopping the car quits the event
rogXue @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:28AM
This will bring me back to Paradise for the restart alone. Thank you Criterion!
flarkle @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:35AM
People are complaining about this now?
Cutting off road rage is a bad thing? It saves time and doesn't have any impact because people still need to achieve a certain score....it just makes it not last forever without having to crash on purpose.
I don't see how this patch is "ruining the game." Maybe people are impossible to please? If a company doesn't patch or add DLC to their game, you complain. If it isn't the exact patch or DLC or price (if it's not free) you want, you complain. Be appreciative (for once) that a company has put this much effort into their game so long after it's initial release instead of rushing sequels out to capitalize on their success.
Not to mention the fact that if you are complaining about this, you probably already have many cars unlocked and so the changing in the cars won't effect you - since the patch notes say it is the earlier cars that are tweaked.
Andrew Yoon @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:47AM
::applause::
Some people are hard to please.
r.crisp @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:47PM
It seems a bit ironic to me that you are complaining about them being upset that a lot of the challenge has been taken out of the game.
You say it makes no difference to them if other people can easily finish the game. However, you're completely ignoring the entire competitive impact this has for competitive players.
Making things easier to achieve allows less skilled people to achieve them. Therefore, if you're the kind of person who likes to compare your awards/achievements in game with your friends/rivals, you may understandably be fairly miffed that they don't have to show the same level of effort to achieve what you have.
Wow, you can tell I wasn't that good at English Language but my point is that you mock these people for not bowing to the will of the casual gamer, whilst simultaneously not acknowledging the will of the hardcore gamer.
Sure there's less of us, but in general most casual gamers couldn't give a toss wether they've completed 100% of the game or not. We hardcore players, however, most certainly do!
flarkle @ Jan 23rd 2009 1:28PM
If it's that big of a deal for the ego of people to make sure they worked harder to get a trophy, they can look at the date the trophy was achieved.
Having the first few cars easier to handle is not the same as handing out free platinums. There is much more to the game than that.
Being able to restart a race does not make said race easier, just faster to restart.
Cutting off the end of Road Rage events does not make them easier, just faster to end once the target is reached. The score still has to be attained.
According to the patch notes, everything that is making the game easier for new people is tuned to where more experienced players will still be challenged while making it easier for new people to get started. Again, the emphasis is to -get started- not complete the game or get their platinum trophy.
Why is it a bad thing for a company to try to appeal to a larger audience, get more revenue, thus providing us with more content? There is too much ego attached to video games. But, as I said, if it hurts your feelings to know someone got something easier than you, look at the date the trophy was acquired, dry your eyes, and keep playing. Not to mention, if it's just about the competition, just hunt them down in game and kick their asses in a race or something so that you will feel better that your trophy is better than theirs.
Trophies really are for your own enjoyment. I'm not sure why someone else having one hurts your feelings so much.
DarthSpooky @ Jan 23rd 2009 1:47PM
Some of us prefer endless road rage and still like our old cars which do not need to be nerfed so some random 5-year-olds can play Burnout... This is the Wii-method. Easier games make wussier gamers. They're killing the skills of the next generation. It's been happening since the beginning. Don't believe me? Try playing Donkey Kong.
master811 @ Jan 23rd 2009 2:37PM
@Flarkle
The point is not that being able to restart makes it any easier, but it takes the pain out of losing, so makes you try harder the first time.
robert @ Jan 23rd 2009 2:43PM
no need to crash to stop the road rage, just stop your car for a few seconds anytime after you achieved the goal and the event ends
flarkle @ Jan 23rd 2009 5:22PM
I just think you guys are taking this a BIT too seriously. I mean really. Burnout was never hard, so it's not like it's going from hard to easy. It's going from easy to easier.
So what? As I said before, if this patch bothers you, that means you are already experienced at the game, so most of the changes won't even impact you because you aren't using the early cars (which, again, the patch notes say are the only ones affected).
As for the Road Rage, I suppose I can understand the people that want to see how many they can get, and maybe it should be made optional to have the timer change or not.
As for the restarts, yes, it takes the pain out of losing, because the pain is having to get all the way to the end of a race to get it to end, which takes lots of time sometimes, then having to go all the way back to start the race again. The pain you're referring to should still be fun. Like dying repeatedly in a game is still fun if the game is fun. In this instance, the pain isn't fun, it's just time consuming and boring. Losing is not the problem. Having to drive back and forth across the whole town multiple times to get back to the start of the race is the problem. I really don't see how this is not a welcome change.
Personally, I have my platinum and I have the game completely finished. I know I did it when I did it, and that's enough for me because I play the game for myself, not prestige. I could care less what they do to early cars or anything. I welcome the restart, especially with the town growing and some races being even longer in the future.
The game will not be ruined just because more people are getting the platinum a little easier than I did.
John @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:39AM
Will this patch make the F game playable again for users that got the firmware 2.5 glitch? Of course not. Thanks!
Jeoe01 @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:08PM
do I have to restart my game all over again?
Sam @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:46AM
You don't have to crash intentionally. If you stop your car for a few seconds in road rage or any other event, the event ends automatically.
Gho5t @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:55AM
This is great news. I really like the option to restart the races! Can't wait.
required @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:04PM
Please tell me we can finally purge guns n' roses and that announcer.
DarthSpooky @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:09PM
I think DJ Atomica is like the company president's nephew or something, that's the only viable explanation for his continued presence...
mercurywa @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:51PM
You can already purge Guns and Roses (and any other tracks), somewhere in the options menu. Same place you can set them to play on Menus only, In Game only, or not at all.
hpdedriver @ Jan 23rd 2009 1:01PM
Found this: DJ Atomika will gradually comment less and less on one's win/loss status and eventually go silent throughout the the last two licenses.
marty @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:45PM
I can't believe they finally added restarts!
I guess that chicken sacrifice payed off!
osirus824 @ Jan 23rd 2009 1:07PM
I always respected the lack of a restart button as a creative choice; they didn't want to break up the immersion of an open world by allowing you to warp all over the map. So, I do find it a bit annoying that they're backpeddling on that a year later.
Also, as someone who poured lots of blood and tears into 100%ing this game, it bugs me a bit that they're dumbing down things like barrel rolls and time trials.
That said, I appreciate their continued support and will now stop bitching.
devilmaker @ Jan 23rd 2009 3:46PM
Blood and tears? That was the easiest game I've platinumed.
osirus824 @ Jan 26th 2009 12:31PM
@devilmaker
Obviously, you've never played Uncharted.
And I beat it before they added trophies or that game save analyzer to the website, so, no, I would not call finding that one, lingering smash gate easy. More like infuriating.
applekwisp @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:50PM
see now this is a patch. insomniac should take note.
rubAdub72 @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:52PM
Criterion deserves applause for providing so much content and mostly free for BP, which is an awesome game.
I only wish they would announce a patch for my connection problems, i know it affects only a small portion of gamers but it's a very frustrating bug (and before someone asks, i've already opened every damn port on my router and still no soup for me).
super fast @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:53PM
"Easier barrel rolls - Barrel rolls are now automatic. However, to do more than one at a time, you'll have to use the analog sticks."
So does that mean that my car will always be doing barrel rolls?
Maulok @ Jan 23rd 2009 1:06PM
Finally, a restart!! I can go back and finish the game without destroying any more controllers!
CopaceticOpus @ Jan 23rd 2009 2:33PM
I agree, restarts are a great addition. They should be essential for any game, especially an open ended game like this. It would also be nice if you could select any race from the map.
When I have to drive across the map to get to a race, I'm not thinking "Gee, I feel so immersed in the world of Paradise City!" No, I'm thinking, "I bought this game for fun, why am I spending time on this painful chore of commuting?"
jaioxung @ Jan 23rd 2009 1:23PM
What needs to be patched is an option to reconfigure the buttons for gas and break so you aren't forced to use the damn shoulder buttons. I bought the game and don't even play it because of this. I HATE that configuration.