Everything you need to know about our FREE 6th Feb updateFri, 23 Jan 2009 14:19:52 GMTHere are the full details of the FREE pack we're releasing on 6th Feb. Look out for this week's Crash TV. The team are on hand to talk through all these changes.
The release of this free pack co-incides with the release of our first paid-for pack (Burnout Paradise Party Pack), which will also be available on the 5th from our sparkling new in-game store.
But, if you’re not ready to splash the cash just yet, here’s the definitive list of everything that’s just been added to the game for FREE.
We can’t resist improving Burnout Paradise.
In-Game StoreThe first change you'll notice (if you're on Playstation 3 or PC) is that we're now using in-game browser to bring something we're calling the Criterion Games Network. More on this next week!
The next major addition is our in-game store. You'll be able to easily buy new content, like the Party Pack, without leaving the comfort of Burnout Paradise. Just head for either the Main Menu or the Easydrive Menu. We'll add the Legendary Cars, Boost Specials, Toy Cars, Island and more (!), as they become available.
Vehicle dynamicsThe vehicle handling has undergone it's most substantial overhaul since Burnout Paradise was first released. We’ve tweaked the handling on the first available cars, like the Hunter Cavalry, to make the game easier and more accessible.
Hunter Cavalry
These cars are now slower, harder to crash and less likely to spin out at low speeds. This’ll help any newcomers get into the game, but it also delivers greater variety between the early cars to the faster, more challenging later ones.
Burnout Paradise – easy to play but hard to master!We’ve changed the way we display the performance of the cars in the junkyard. You can now easily compare cars and see that with the rebalanced handling, they’re more varied across the whole range. Again, we’re aiming for a more fun and accessible experience. And on the subject of the junkyard, you can now filter what you see there. Pick between cars or bikes and when our Legendary Cars, Toy Cars and Boost Specials arrive in the near future they’ll also be easier to pick out.
Junkyard Stats Display
Stunt RunFans of Stunt Run will now appreciate that the countdown timer now starts to count down more slowly. If you’ve never played before, it’ll be easier to pick up. For experts, it’ll counts down faster depending on how many multipliers you’ve earned.
It’s just one of a stack of minor changes designed to rebalance and tweak the game for your enjoyment.
Events Rebalanced
Burnout Paradise EventsWe’ve modified the difficulty of all events. The speeds of the rival cars and Burning Route times have been changed to accommodate new car speeds.
Road RageWe’ve changed the way the timer works in Road Rage– you no longer get time added when you’ve hit the target number of cars. This means the game has a clearer end point and restricts crazy scores to later Road Rages, making it more challenging for experts – see if you can reach 100+ now! It’s been streamlined.
VisualsParadise City is filled with a whole world of objects waiting to be discovered. We wanted to make it a little easier to spot them, so we’ve modified the colours of the Billboards (red) and Smashes (yellow) and Super Jumps (blue). They also now pulse for added visibility.
We’ve also overhauled the lighting to bring you more vibrant visuals. We wanted to make it easier to see at night and give everything a more vibrant feel with brighter, more saturated Burnout color.
RestartYou ask – we deliver. Restart is in! You can now quit or fail an event and choose to restart it.
You’ll be transferred to the start location ready for action. We’ve always enjoyed the feeling of freedom that Paradise City’s open world delivers, but we appreciate that as you run low on events towards the end of the game, you can spend a little too long in transit.
Barrel RollsAnd last but not least, we’ve transformed the way barrel rolls work in Burnout Paradise. Hit a split-ramp and barrel rolls now automatically right themselves. It means new players can pull off flash moves immediately, but nothing changes for all you experts out there. You can still risk multiple rolls by pushing the right stick in the direction of the roll.
That's all folks!
To get this FREE update, just play take Burnout Paradise online anytime on or after 6th February.
This update does not include the Party Pack, which is our first ever paid-for content - a premium pack that turns Burnout Paradise into a fun party game for when you've got your friends round and you all want to play on the same TV. Party will also be available on 5th February.
Click through for more details on Party and Ultimate.
Coming soon to pc. 
Those cars are ruthless also. Put fear in you and make you draw up like a scared child as you inch your way to the finish line. Think of it as a game where bullies try to stop you from getting to a safe spot. You either try to outrun them (not happening when you get higher licenses), or you fight back. Which leads me to the next event.
(Image made for 9/16/08)
