It’s worth pointing out that the 360 version was my first experience of the game. I liked it a lot. Although I’ve always loved the idea of racing games I’ve never been any good at them. Burnout Paradise was different. Here it didn’t matter whether I crashed or not. In fact, a lot of the time it was encouraged. I also didn’t run up against the same gameplay brick walls that I hit in other titles. There’s always that one race which stops me from progressing any further. Here, I could choose my own path. I could do the events that I was good at. It didn’t really matter that I wasn’t any good at racing.

Burnout Paradise was a revelation, a title that I totally enjoyed and kept going back to. I even spent quite a bit of time playing online, something that’s very unusual for me. The whole way that my offline world seamlessly transitioned into a multiplayer experience, and back out again to my own personal game world if necessary, removed a lot of the barriers that usually prevent me from venturing online.

Many months later, when I purchased my PS3, my love of the game encouraged me to purchase a copy from the Playstation Network store. At the time the price was about the same as it would’ve cost me in the shops and I liked the idea of the additional convenience of having it on the hard drive. I also wanted something to play on my nice shiny new console.

I honestly didn’t expect to spend as much time playing it on the PS3 as I ended up doing, though. It was devoured hungrily, as though it was a completely new game that I’d never experience before. Even when I bought other PS3 games, Burnout Paradise was the title I kept going back to again and again.

Why was this? Well, it undoubtedly helped that I’d already played, and improved my skills, on the Xbox 360 version. This meant that I instantly knew what I was doing and sailed through the early challenges in the game. Even so, this was a title I’d already spent weeks playing on another console. Why was I really enjoying it so much?

Trophies. Much has been written about the achievement systems on the 360 and PS3. I’m a big fan of the way they allow me to build up a record of all the games I’ve played and also the way in which they drip feed you rewards and motivate you to experience a title fully. In general, aside from those games that just copy the achievements from the 360 version, I’ve found that the PS3 accomplishments are trickier to get and not always as well designed. It’s just what you’d expect really with developers getting used to a new system. (There was a similar problem when the 360 launched with achievements)

In Burnout Paradise, though, because Criterion Games were having to keep an existing group of players happy, who hadn’t had access to the rewards on launch, they adapted the criteria used in the Xbox 360 version of the game. They also had access to the Xbox Live statistics. They knew exactly how many players had obtained each of the goals in the 360 version and could adjust things accordingly. As a result the trophies, on the PS3 are a lot more, well… achievable.

The PS3 trophies are also better because they cover the new content, developed after the release of the game. This is something that the 360 achievements don’t do. On the Playstation there are rewards for the bike side of things and for completing the newer online timed challenges. You are also encouraged to try out the online marked man and road rage events.

The more open nature of Sony’s trophy system means that it’s also been really easy for Criterion to drop in additional rewards related to the new party mode and also all of the car packs. Traditionally, on the 360, developers have been limited to 250 extra achievement points for DLC. Criterion have used 50 points of this to reward Party Pack purchasers. You’d imagine that the rest is reserved for The Island content with maybe a few nods to the car packs when that bigger expansion hits.

Of course, Microsoft have relaxed their rules for DLC achievements in a few notable cases, namely Halo 3 and Fallout 3, so perhaps they’ll give Criterion more points to play with at a later date. At the moment, though, it’s the PS3 version that continues to reward the gamer for playing with all the DLC they’ve downloaded. Which is what I want. If I’m going to spend money on DLC then I want to get a little bit back in terms of trophies or achievements. They might not have any real-world value but I like adding to my gaming progress record.

So, for me, yes, Burnout Paradise is better on the PS3. There are other reasons why it wins, for example the way the more open system allows you to export and analyse your save game to find jumps and smashes you may have missed, but I’ve enjoyed the Playstation edition more simply because of the better designed reward system.

It’s certainly a good value collection, especially when you factor in the cost of some of the titles that have already been released separately on the XBLM. Yes, there are some duds on the compilation but with 42 games you’re bound to find more than a few gems to justify the purchase. There are certainly a lot of side scrolling beat ‘em ‘ups on the disc, like the Streets of Rage games and Shinobi III, which take me back to days spent in arcades as a youth.

One title I was particularly impressed by was Comix Zone. Although it’s similar to those aforementioned games I loved the whole idea of controlling a super-hero as he physically moves through the pages of a comic book. The idea of using comic panels to switch between the different areas is very clever, as is the way the “artist” draws in extra enemies. It’d be nice to see a remake of this title or somebody using some of the concepts in a modern super-hero game.

Burnout Paradise went back in my consoles this week due to the release of the Legendary Cars pack.
These new vehicles are lots of fun, especially the “DeLorean” which barrel rolls like mad. I’ve mostly been using them in the PS3 version as there are trophies associated with them. I have also been playing the 360 version of Paradise, though, because I was lucky enough to have bought the other two car packs when they were accidently put on the XBLM early.

The toy cars weren’t what I expected. I thought they’d be really small and I’d be racing along at pavement level for some reason! What you actually get is squashed down, reduced wheel base, caricatured versions of some of the vehicles from the main game. They remind me a lot of the pull-back cars I had as a kid that you used to pop a penny in the back to do wheelies. They handle very differently in game. To me they seem a lot more responsive… you feel like they’re running off electric batteries rather than petrol. I’m not sure people will want to buy all of them but I think it’ll be worth picking and choosing your favourites.

The two boost specials are interesting in different ways. I’m not that good at controlling my car under boost but if you are the you’ll love these. The first one is more of a dragster. When you hit boost it locks on and you’re stuck going very (very) fast until you either crash or make a pretty violent turn.

The second car is an “alien” hybrid that features all three boost types (stunt, aggro and speed) and allows you to instantly switch between them with the click of a thumbstick. It seems a great, flexible ride to choose if you want to go around paradise doing different events without having to go and swap cars in the junkyard.

Coming from the creator of Katamari, it’s no real surprise that Noby Noby Boy is such a strange game. Priced appropriately, for what seems little more than a doodle of a game idea brought to life, it’s a bizarre, fun, colourful little toy. It’s mostly up to you to make your own entertainment, with only the trophies providing any real goals, and so it will depend completely on the player as to whether this is money well spent or money totally wasted. The main thing stopping me from enjoying the game, as much as I might otherwise, is the pretty awful camera system.

I had two PS3 rentals arrive from LOVEFiLM this week to take over from Uncharted which I completed (great game, bit short, want to play the sequel now). Street Fighter IV was the first title (not bad to get it the day after release).

Although I enjoy playing fighting games such as Dead or Alive, Tekken, Soul Calibur and Virtual Fighter, I’ve never really played that much Street Fighter. I thought, perhaps, that this would be the game that would get me hooked on the series. How wrong I was…

I just can’t see any way into it for a “newcomer” like me. I’m not completely rubbish at fighting games but I can’t cope with something like this that requires intricate knowledge of super and ultra moves. I mean, I’m used to totally cheap boss characters on the last level of these games but I can’t even bash my way past Seth on the “easiest” setting. Come on Capcom. I know you have legions of fans that know these combos and controls like the back of their hands but easy should mean easy and be a way for new players to learn the ropes!

If you love Street Fighter, though, there’s no doubt you’ll love Street Fighter IV. I guess I’m just no good at really technical fighting games.

You can tell how frustrated I got with Street Fighter IV. I ended up loading up my other rental of the week, which was Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe. I never thought I’d be playing a Mortal Kombat game (it’s just not me) and I never thought I’d be enjoying it more than Street Fighter IV. It’s still pretty trashy rubbish but at least it’s fun trashy rubbish.

Fable II – Knothole Island

The undoubted star, of the Fable II DLC pack, is the island itself. Without giving too much away, the whole arc of this expansion is based around the weather and the island’s landscape has been superbly crafted to take advantage of this in clever ways. Considering the visually impressive external location created for the download, it’s a little disappointing that the actual missions are so run of the mill. With just a couple of exceptions, you’ll spend your time encountering the same enemies and doing the same sort of tasks that you did in the main game. Traipsing through generic looking dungeons filled with scores of “flit switches” just isn’t particularly fun.

Completing the new questline gives full access to the island’s Box of Secrets store. If you take part in a little scavenger hunt around the main game world you’ll be rewarded with a nice selection of unique, fairly powerful items. The content also gives players a chance to be reunited with a fallen companion, although they’ll need to be willing to sacrifice more than just their in-game morals.

Fallout 3 – Operation: Anchorage

On downloading this, the first of at least three mission packs for Fallout 3, a new radio message comes through your Pipboy directing you towards a group of renegade Brotherhood of Steel members who are investigating some old technology.

Part of the pack takes place in the main Fallout 3 world but the majority of it is delivered through a series of Virtual Reality missions. This means that you don’t have access to all your existing kit (although your perks and skills still work) but it does take you away from the dreary landscape of the Capital Wasteland.

Not that the frozen expanses of Alaska are particularly more appealing. This pack seems to have been designed for die-hard fans of the Fallout series; those that are really into the game’s lore and actually care about key events in the history, such as the Chinese invasion of Alaska during which these VR missions are set.

Although it’s enjoyable, I personally found the content a little too “shooty” and I guess, from the comments on the interwebs, that these are also not the type of quests that other people wanted either. It’s quite interesting to be working as part of a squad, for sections of the game, rather than alone but pitching it as a shooter just further highlights the shortcomings of the combat system.

Like the Fable 2 content, the Fallout 3 pack probably gives you most value if you’re about midway through your game experience as the best thing about it is the cool kit you’ll receive as a reward. It’s a little bit ironic that the characters who will struggle the most with completing the DLC (those built to avoid conflicts where possible) will actually find one of the rewards really useful for their style of play.

Star Wars The Force Unleashed – The Jedi Temple Mission Pack

I wasn’t a huge fan of The Force Unleashed but, as I felt it was a little short and lacked replayability I thought I’d give the DLC a try. Rather appropriately this DLC pack is also really short and also completely lacking in replayability.

Consisting of a single level set in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, a location dropped from the game in pre-production according to Lucasarts, it does feature some nice puzzle elements. It is, though as I’ve said, extremely short and features the same enemies you’ve spent your time smashing in the main game. There’s no real reason to play it more than once but the developers force you to do so at least four times if you want all the additional Gamerscore on offer.

Considering Lucasarts short-changed us once already on the value front, charging 800 points for a single level is absolutely disgusting.

Burnout Paradise – Party Pack

The Burnout Party Pack is a harder piece of content to appraise. It’s actually little more than a flashy menu system that presents you with carefully selected challenges from the online game.

In many ways this, for me, has the least value of the bunch as I’m unlikely to spend much time playing offline “pass the pad” multiplayer with real-life friends or family.

I think that the Party Pack is overpriced and has been designed mostly to boost the value of the retail re-release for offline users. However, we had so much free content from Criterion last year I don’t mind paying for this first paid release. In fact, I almost feel guilty… like I should buy it. It’s amazing all the good will they generated with last year’s freebies.

But 800 Points.. It’s Too Much for Any of This Stuff, Isn’t It?

Value for money is a very personal thing. In many ways it depends how much you like each of these four games and how much you think it’s fair to pay to extend your gaming experience.

Some might say it’s too much to pay 800 points for this sort of content. Is it? What is 800 points actually worth both on Microsoft’s marketplace and in the real world?

800 Points is*…
£6.80 in real money
or
16 x old dashboard themes
8 x iTunes music tracks
5 x Rockband songs
4-8 x “standard” priced picture packs
3 x premium NXE themes
2 x XBLM video rentals (SD)
1.5 x Halo map packs
1.5 x XBLM video rentals (HD)
1 x “standard” XBLM title
1 x “real world” adult cinema ticket
1 x 7” Chicken Feast Pizza from Dominoes UK
½ of Tomb Raider Anniversary (bought as an expansion to Legend)
1/3 of Oblivion’s The Shivering Isles expansion
1/6 of a reasonably priced new retail game
*approximately the same.

So for 800 points I’m personally looking for about the same length of entertainment as I’d get by going to the cinema or for as much enjoyment as I’d get from a dial-a-pizza.

I think, for me, the Fable II and Fallout 3 packs work out as fairly good value. They give you short term entertainment, in the form of new missions that will keep you busy for several hours. But they also give you some long term value through new equipment that you can use in the main game and any further DLC expansions. Which is best value out of those two? I’d personally go for Fallout 3 as I felt the rewards were more interesting and I know that, with more content packs coming, I’m going to be getting plenty of use out of my hard earned (and paid for!) kit.

In some ways I think that people would feel they had got better value out of the Fable II and Fallout 3 content if they’d been packaged up in a bigger collection of material, like Oblivion’s The Shivering Isles. The beauty of smaller packs like this, though, is that you can pick and choose whether you buy these extra missions depending on whether the story or rewards interest you.

The Force Unleashed content feels like a complete and utter rip-off. It’s short enough that it should’ve been completed and included in the retail game, especially as the original campaign was content-light as it was. The only reason to buy this particular DLC is for the extra Gamerscore.

The Burnout Paradise Party Pack works out as being worthwhile if you regularly have friends over to play or if several of your household enjoy going head to head on the same console. It’s not really of that much interest to me but Criterion has plenty of content in the pipeline to keep me happy this year.

Burnout Paradise (PS3)
Burnout Paradise’s open world gameplay was a blast of fresh air for the series and successfully combined a solid solo racing experience with seemless online multiplayer. Initially great value for money, it was the game that just kept on giving. Criterion’s “Year of Paradise” saw the retail offering totally transformed by the addition of new online challenges and events, a day and night cycle and the introduction of motorbikes.

Lost Odyssey (Xbox 360)
This four disk opus was my favourite RPG of the year. Managing to deliver a story both epic and intimate, it’s a game that had grown men weeping over their Xbox controllers. The strong narrative will enable most players, even those usually frustrated by JRPG conventions, to overlook any minor technical niggles and the fairly standard gameplay. Completing this title is forty hours well spent.

Civilization Revolution (Xbox 360)
Achieving the almost impossible challenge of distilling the essential elements of the classic PC strategy game into a cool console cocktail, this release deserves the “Civilization” moniker. Even in its slimmed down form, this turned-based game of world domination is still capable of eating into your free time like a famished piranha. Stock up on the morning coffee. You’ll be spending some late nights with this one.

Professor Layton and the Curious Village (DS)
Although little more than a collection of brainteasers, this story driven package with clever twists on classic challenges kept my wife glued to our DS for a week. With sales figures that prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is a demand for more cerebral entertainment, the game’s greatest puzzle still remains unsolved… Why did it take so long to reach us in Europe?

LittleBigPlanet (PS3)
Forget the locked down, tightly controlled, commercialised world of Playstation Home – nothing showcases the community potential of the PS3 better than LittleBigPlanet. Level design tools and gameplay fuse together to inspire the player to take on the role of creator themselves. It’s one of the few Playstation exclusives this year that managed to both turn the heads of Xbox 360 fanboys and also fully reward those who chose to pledge their allegiance to Sony’s monolithic machine. LittleBigPlanet may have seemed a little forgotten and unloved these past couple of months, pushed aside by noisier releases offering instant gratification, but it’s a game that you’ll potentially be putting back in your console for years to come.