Burnout Paradise: Bikes Pack DLC Review

Bikes are fun to drive, but not much fun to crash...

• Game: Burnout Paradise (Buy it)
• DLC Pack: Bikes Pack
• Developer: Criterion Games
• Price: Free (yes, free!)
• Release Date: 9/18/2009

It's nighttime and we've got motorcycles prowling down the street. Sounds so very cool (doesn't it), but I find myself rather disappointed with the new Bikes DLC for Burnout Paradise. I feel that "disappointed" may be too strong of a word since the pack is 100% free, but at the same time I don't find the game any more enjoyable with the added content.

My biggest initial complaint with the bikes is the fact that there really isn't an emphasis on the crashes. Many times you don't even see the bike crash after a wreck; the screens just goes black for a second and then jumps back to you on the bike. It makes racing with bikes easier because they lack the penalty of actually crashing. Another big difference is the fact that bikes don't have any boost at all. I understand the reasoning due to their already insane speeds, but it just makes the bikes feel even more out of place.

They give you a lot to do with your new wheels and you can play as a woman, but that just means you like pink bikes with rabbits on them. You start out with 2 bikes and two more available to unlock later, as well as 70 bike-specific challenges. Sadly I find all the races to be extremely easy and not challenging in any way. You could crash a dozen times during each race and still have plenty of time to finish. Bikes aren't the only addition however; Day/Night cycles have been added and can be adjusted from 24 minute days all the way up to a real-time cycle. Playing during the night sounds cool, but it's relatively boring because the city is practically dead; leaving you with a bunch of empty streets.

There is no reason for you to skip downloading this new pack, but you shouldn't be expecting anything extraordinary. Though I may be disappointed with the new pack, I will never say no to "free".