Fanpoll: Burnout Paradise and Crash Mode

by Richard Mitchell { Jan 25th 2008 at 2:15PM }

Alright, now that Burnout Paradise has made the rounds and has been in gamers hot little hands for a few days, we've got a question. The biggest change made to the Burnout series in Paradise is definitely the new free roaming aspect. Rather than have separate modes, players activate different events at traffic signals. However, instead of incorporating Crash Mode into this system, Burnout Paradise uses a new feature called Showtime, which allows players to turn any crash into an impromptu Crash Mode. As evidenced in the video above, some epic crashes are still possible, but many will undoubtedly miss the meticulously crafted crash courses present in previous iterations of the series. So, here's your question: how do you feel about Showtime in Burnout Paradise? Place your vote in the poll below and make your feelings known in the comments. We'll take a look at the results next Friday.

Tags: burnout-paradise, criterion, ea, electronic-arts

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

ridestowe @ Jan 25th 2008 2:21PM

showtime feels way too random, and i really miss crashmode :( but that british criterion guy is lame and doesn't like american gamers(if you dont know what i'm talking about, look it up)

i'm gonna beat his game.

CB @ Jan 25th 2008 3:31PM

Here it is!
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/14/alex-ward-flips-out-during-mtv-interview/

Chester @ Jan 25th 2008 2:25PM

I was gonna buy this game til I heard there is no crash mode! That was my favorite part in the entire series!

Sinnix @ Jan 25th 2008 2:34PM

I would have preferred to have both!!

JakubK666 @ Jan 25th 2008 2:38PM

I was going to buy the game until I heard there was a free roam. That's not a Burnout Sequel...in fact it's more like Burnout:Most Wanted.

MrMuggs @ Jan 25th 2008 2:48PM

I bought the game and the crash mode is horrible. Rolling and flipping endlessly for what feels like miles on end has such an artificial feel to it that it's corny and stupid. Having to press the A button to pop off the ground while rolling is even worse.

I would much prefer if at the lights they had a crash mode. You could choose to do the crash mode at the light and then barrel into an intersection and you would need to total a certain amount of points. The way it is now with the mechanics of the crashing is horrible. It's even worse than the terrible map when you're trying to race through a huge city...ugh.

Modeps @ Jan 25th 2008 2:51PM

I've purchased the game and honestly, I'm pleased with Showtime. I have no problem with it. In general, Paradise is a great step in the franchise (I've played them all)

PeacefulOutrage @ Jan 27th 2008 2:09AM

I own 5 Burnout console games. While this game is indeed fun, it is nowhere near the level it should be. Unfortunately, this may be my last Burnout purchase.

While the showtime mode seemed comical to me since it was so over-the-top, the biggest detractor for me was lack of a local two player mode. Not only can you not race against someone on the same system, you can't compete via system link either. Some of you may ask why would system link matter if you can go online? This is EA. In a year, maybe 16 months the next Burnout will be released and they will shut the crap EA servers down for this game, and no more multiplayer period. Even if you and friends own the game and still want to race each other. People are still playing Halo 2 four years after release, but not EA games. They force you to buy the new version.

That coupled with other small niggles in the game that add up make me wonder how great the game would be if EA wasn't involved at all. I hate how ther is no option that I saw to turn off the takedown camera, no more indicators for computer racers, having to go back to the garage for burning routes, etc. I'm still going to play through the game, but I am glad I still own the other 4 Burnout games to play through.

Consequence @ Jan 25th 2008 2:56PM

I wasn't sure about showtime mode going in, but I am now convinced. While I would prefer specific Crash Intersections like any self-respecting Burnout fan, Showtime is a blast! Yesterday I got a 300+ car pile-up on that I-88 section 4 they showed in the video! Freakin' nuts man! It made me $51.5 million! Now theres a record I want someone to beat. (I'm certain it can be done, but it'll be a while...)

DjDATZ @ Jan 25th 2008 3:19PM

wow...that's ridiculous! i haven't played around with it much...but its still an awesome feature...plus i love the racing more than crashing...but i'll do every showtime rule cuz i want the achievement.

MrMuggs @ Jan 25th 2008 3:26PM

I hate to say it but I get bored of Showtime. After rolling around and hitting cars for what feels like 5 minuts I just want it to end. Also, what's the point of getting all of the money and records? Can you use the money to upgrade or buy anything? Other than "bragging rights" it seems pointless.

Consequence @ Jan 25th 2008 3:57PM

I see what you're saying, Muggs but yeah it is basically about bragging rights. I'm cool with that though, and I enjoy holding records in games...

skunkworks @ Jan 25th 2008 2:55PM

I miss crashmode.... and I HATE having to drive to the start point of a race if I need to retry. at least a quick restart option should have been included.

Shape @ Jan 25th 2008 3:01PM

Only 50 cars? WEAK! My best is 94! :-D

DjDATZ @ Jan 25th 2008 3:24PM

My best was somewhere along the lines of 130...with an 11 multiplier...but that was before I accidentally erased my 9 hour 25% completion save file. I was fuckin pissed off.

SirPoonga @ Jan 25th 2008 3:18PM

I like show time. However, with a free roam world they should have allowed you to setup a crash with a sandbox mode. Similar to Crackdown.

ChromaTick @ Jan 25th 2008 3:39PM

Seems like people either love or hate this game. I'm in the love camp. I think Showtime is brilliant, being able to go into it at any time, anywhere in the city. This game is an absolute blast to play. Is it different than Burnout Revenge? Absolutely. Did I love Burnout Revenge? Absolutely. I just look at them as two completely different games and that's fine with me.

jdkay20 @ Jan 25th 2008 4:02PM

showtime is stupid compared to crash. in crash it was tough to get things just right but in showtime you just keep mashing the a button until you get bored.

Diamondxp @ Jan 25th 2008 4:05PM

I love the game it is some new and fresh. I do however Hate driving to events.

Big Filth @ Jan 25th 2008 4:11PM

the game is very fun. I have about 7 hours in and like 13 % complete because I love driving around looking for smashes, billboards, and super jumps.

its really awesome.

road rage is awesome and marked man is awesome.

I do have a question, if someone could answer Id appreciate it.

in showtime mode, is the only way to increase your multiplier by hitting busses??

there has to be another way but I havent seen it yet.

thanks

ChromaTick @ Jan 25th 2008 4:34PM

Hitting busses is the only way.

David @ Feb 2nd 2008 10:10AM

I hate Showtime. I know that crash mode has never really been "realistic" but this is absurd. At least the other iterations of crash mode kinda respected that whole "conservation of momentum" thing. This is more like Katamari than crash mode.

I think what they should have done is keep it setup as it is, start crash mode anywhere with the RB+LB, but instead of controlling a wreck of rolling metal, just have the computer pump up the traffic for 30 seconds and let the mayhem begin. It certainly wouldn't be taxing on the 360 to increase the number of stupid motorists to 100 just to make a pileup. That would be more realistic than this mess.

At least this way the challenge would have shifted to finding the best place to cause a pileup, not rolling retardedly down the street looking for cars to crunch.

Maybe they'll put in a DLC crash mode they way I want it...

MisterSquared @ Jan 25th 2008 4:41PM

Is it just me, or does Showtime feel a lot like the event in Tony Hawks Project 8, where you had to rack up a huge medical bill by rolling and bouncing down a hill?

Big Filth @ Jan 25th 2008 4:47PM

@chromotick

thanks

thats what I was afraid of.

so basically the achievement for getting a 10X multiplier in showtime mode should be, hit 10 busses while in showtime mode.

thats gonna be hard.

man, that game is sweet though. I cant wait to go home and play it.

ChromaTick @ Jan 25th 2008 5:41PM

Oh man, I know! I've hit 9 busses twice now. The second time I was literally laying about 3 feet away from the 10th bus and had no boost left for one more hop. *cries*

Arno @ Jan 25th 2008 6:04PM

Wow that looks really lame!!

THEVIGODA @ Jan 25th 2008 7:59PM

That's why I won't be buying this game. The previous crash mode involved strategy.

Macroy @ Jan 25th 2008 9:18PM

Crash mode was my least favorite part of the Burnout series.

There, I said it.

George Arauz @ Jan 26th 2008 11:18AM

No crashmode = no buy

Noxat @ Jan 26th 2008 4:08PM

Showtime isn't terrible. In fact its a pretty fun diversion from the rest of the game, but therein lies the problem; its just a fun diversion, not its own robust, fully featured play mode. I don't see why they couldn't have done this: Tap up or left or some direction on the d-pad, and crash mode is activated: Every intersection is replaced with a crash objective instead of race/marked man/etc.

As it stands I just don't take any pride in my street-to-street high score for Showtime, whereas in Burnout 2 me and friends spent untold hours trying to one-up each other to land on the top 5 high scores for each intersection. No other crash mode, not even Burnout 3's, has managed to top the involvement we had in B2's measly 15 intersections.

Bobicus @ Jan 26th 2008 5:04PM

what is really funny is that the people complaining about having to go back and drive to restart....SUCK for the most part on all the burnouts that i have played you can ace(first place) the first time you try it oh what a concept and anyone complain more than like hasnt played it i have about 50% through and it is great the cars are more like real world cars and the no load screens guess what that is the future just imagine if mass effect was in the same vain and had no loading times it would be perfect so go buy burnout and just play and have fun that is all

klitorisaurus @ Feb 1st 2008 12:45AM

Maybe if you spent less time playing Burnout and a little more time in English class you wouldn't sound like such a tool.

And please, unless your an autistic savant (which may be the case considering you've yet to discover punctuation) there's no way you've made it 50% without ever having to restart.

Never taken a wrong turn on a burning lap? Never nailed a wall right at the end of a race? Sure... we all believe you.

John @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:49PM

I think most players are missing the sheer brilliance of Showtime.

First of all, I rented this game to see if it was worth buying. The manual was not included so I had no idea about Showtime. I saw there was no Crash mode, and I was very disappointed. Although it had its entertainment values, I was not convinced to pay $60 for the game.

But I kept thinking about Road Rage and the free roam play, and I decided I would give $30 for it on eBay. So I got the game, this time with the manual, and discovered Showtime. It took me several tries to get the hang of what I was supposed to do, but when I did, Showtime was all I was playing on the game. It would have been well worth $60!

I'm not going to elaborate on how Showtime is better/ not better than Crash mode, although I personally like it much better. But I would like to elaborate on its sheer brilliance:

When you go into Showtime, the game visual changes. There's sort of a grainy, real old film look to it, and at certain angles the color is almost washed out to black and white. The movement of the other vehicles is the most realistic I've seen in a game, and they will even attempt to swerve and miss your rolling wreck. I used to wonder why the cars didn't roll in Revenge. Well, they do in Paradise, and then some. The pileups and mayhem can get so intense that the "camera" actually shakes as if it were truly filming the total destruction. The sound is genuinely thrilling and even a bit disturbing as the cars pile up. Shrapnel and tires can be seen flying through the air and overhead signs come crashing down as your car hurtles through them.

It also helps to have some choice music tracks playing during Showtime. Some seem to be made for it, such as Metallica's "Battery," and "Master of Puppets," Megadeth's "Wake Up Dead," Motley Crue's "Wild Side," and "Primal Scream," Ozzy's "Crazy Train." The list could go on and go on.

There's a record of 54m mentioned on Youtube. I reached 51m without a lot of effort, so I have a feeling a true record is going to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 500m. Strategy? There can be strategy in Showtime. It's all about location and multipliers.

The only complaint I have about Showtime -- and I've not seen this mentioned anywhere else -- is the lack of 18-wheeler trucks, like was seen in Revenge. I can only imagine the added mayhem of a jackknifing truck or an overturned log truck with its logs rolling and bouncing through busy intersections.