Has The Series Burned Out?
By John Walker on November 2nd, 2012.
Rather oddly not we haven’t been given review code by EA, even after it was released in America, but we’ve finally been able to get our hands on Need For Speed: Most Wanted. Criterion’s latest take on the long-running series is a thinly veiled sequel to their classic Burnout: Paradise. Does the arrival of the police make things a riot? Here’s wot I think:
By Nathan Grayson on August 29th, 2012.
When talk of racing games comes up, I’m one of those people. “I DON’T REALLY LIKE RACING GAMES BUT BURNOUT’S GREAT,” I blurt. And then some people sigh dejectedly and resume their debates about cylinders and dinosaur liquids while a precious few join me in discussing rad crashes that mangle metal into fiery explosion pretzels. And that’s how I make friends. So now we arrive at Need For Speed: Most Wanted. Normally, I wouldn’t even give this series the time of day, but apparently, someone forgot to tell Criterion it was making a Need For Speed game. So it made Burnout Paradise 2 instead. And I wept. But just a little. In a cool way. You can do the same with this video of NFSMW’s open world in action. Otherwise, we might not be able to be friends.
By John Walker on August 15th, 2012.
I have drawn a graph to explain how excited I am about Criterion’s Need For Speed: Most Wanted. You can see it below. Up here I’ll instead comment on just how weird it is to be talking positively about Need For Speed. So recently it was the wideboy gaming release, a new copy out every Christmas for people who wear their caps sideways and speak exclusively without consonants. And now look at it – it’s a sequel to what is unquestionably (I’m in charge here) the most fun driving game of all time, Burnout: Paradise.
By Richard Cobbett on July 27th, 2012.
It’s illegal street racing time again, as Criterion revs up for the release of Need For Speed: Most Wanted. It’s about cop chases and carnage, making ridiculous jumps, and exploring the new city of Fairhaven. Ah, my Fairhaven. I hope to explore thee to to a medley of classic musical numbers, including “I’ve Grown Accustomed To This Race”, the pulse-pounding “On The Street Where Your Checkpoint Is” and of course, “Get Me To The Finish Line On Time.”
Want to take a look? We have four minutes and four seconds of video, right here, with the unfortunate name Need For Speed Most Wanted Insider – which sounds like a very unsatisfying date for all concerned. “May contain content inappropriate for children” indeed…
By John Walker on June 5th, 2012.
“Do you have what it takes to become Most Wanted?” asks EA’s press release for Need For Speed: Most Wanted, as they begin their recruitment drive for murderers. Oh! No, wait. This is nonsense marketing speak for “Would you like to play our game?” The very splendid news that Criterion – developers of one of the best games ever, Burnout: Paradise – are remaking the 2005 racer greets us this E3morn, which they promise will embrace the developer’s best skills. And that means… SMASHING THROUGH BARRIERS! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
By John Walker on November 19th, 2010.
Criterion’s approach to the Need For Speed franchise, an all new Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, is out in the UK today. I’ve spent an awful lot of this week racing about its many challenges, and have clocked up enough miles to feel ready to tell you Wot I Think.
By John Walker on August 18th, 2010.
While I’ve not ever been captured by the Need For Speed series, I really am looking forward to Hot Pursuit. Developed by Criterion, they behind my all-time favourite driving game Burnout: Paradise, the footage below shows quite how much it looks like their previous epic. Which certainly makes me extremely happy. The video shows not only quite how lovely it looks (and then imagine it with some anti-aliasing on our magic boxes), but also the way the multiplayer will allow you to taunt other players, and race on the fly.
By John Walker on July 6th, 2009.
400 smashes and 120 billboards smashed, it’s crashed again. And I’m secretly hoping it will have taken my save game with it for a second time. I’ve got a horrible feeling I’ll end up starting a new save game otherwise, just so I can smash everything again. I have a bit of a problem, and it involves Burnout Paradise.
By John Walker on February 5th, 2009.
I can see it in your eyes. You want to download a 2.9GB demo. No, really, you do. Because ta-da, the PC release of Burnout: Paradise goes shopward in the morning, and entire game is available to download, for free, in a time-limited way. Perhaps from Fileshack, perhaps from GamersHell. Or maybe from NVidia. (Actually, the servers are crazy busy at the moment, and hopefully they’ll be echoed in a few more places. Post links below if you find them – but please, no torrents unless officially sanctioned.)
By Kieron Gillen on May 9th, 2008.
Unexpected but not unwelcome, Shacknews are reporting that Criterion are bringing the latest version of their console racer to the PC. More details will be forthcoming, but they’re talking about improved online stuff and community-driven content. The last one strikes me as the interesting on. Burnout Paradise, in its open city with seamless multi-player play, is an interesting space for the community to create.
And before anyone who hasn’t heard of Burnout start googling and panics about the game’s apparent stability, the crashes Burnout specialises in are the good kind.
