A Guide to Burnout Shenanigans

Published Febuary 1, 2008

Burnout™ Paradise continues the series' trend of impossible speeds and spectacular crashes, all in the newly minted and densely packed Paradise City. Whether it's earning first place in a race, pounding the competition in Road Rage events, or getting comfy with the tricks required in Stunt challenges, every aspect of Burnout Paradise requires quick-thinking strategy. Use these tips to help you survive the streets of Paradise City.

Every wreck costs precious seconds. Drive fast, not recklessly.

Tool for the Job

Your best bet for success in any event is to choose a car that's well suited to the task at hand. Use Speed cars for standard races, Stunt cars for, well, stunt trials, and Aggressor vehicles for Marked Man and Road Rage challenges. Avoid having to make constant trips to the Junkyard by picking a car and tackling several challenges in a row that fit your chosen car type.

Cut it Short

There is nothing more time consuming than a wreck, so while it may be thrilling to goose the boost button at every opportunity, chances are you'll score faster times and win more races if you pick and choose your boost locations carefully. Focus your boosting primarily on straightaways and shortcuts where traffic is confined solely to your fellow competitors.

It might be easier in online races to use Stunt or Aggressor vehicles instead of Speed cars, which allow you to boost only when you've filled your boost meter.

Racing Takedowns

The standard race may not require you to inflict Takedowns on your competitors, but wrecking the competition can go a long way towards securing victory. It's fairly easy to crash A.I. racers with a simple tap into a guardrail. But don't put yourself in a high risk situation just to smash the enemy.

Avoiding the chaos caused by your competitors is key.

Marked Man Shortcuts

The A.I. proves a great deal more aggressive during Marked Man challenges than even Road Rage events, but you can avoid these pesky drivers for long stretches if you take advantage of shortcuts along the way. They stick only to the main roads, so you should be as safe as can be while driving through alternate paths. Also, check your map to see if there are Garages on the way to your destination, and drop by them for a mid-race repair.

Barrel Roll Twist

Contrary to popular belief, the result of a successful barrel roll isn't just blind luck after hitting the ramp. You can use the left stick to either quicken your rate of rotation by pressing in the direction you're rolling, or slow your roll down by pressing in the opposite direction. You can barrel roll off a standard ramp simply by aligning your tires to the far edge of the ramp.

Parking Garage Billboards

A moment or two of careful study will usually reveal the obvious path to smash through a billboard, but there are several billboards with no obvious means of access. Take a look around for a parking garage, every one of which has at least one ramp on the top floor, and many of which are aimed right at these hard to reach billboards.

Early Flatspin

Successful flatspins can earn you massive points during a stunt run, so it's important to master this technique. First, use a Stunt class car. They are much, much easier to spin. Secondly, hit the e-brake (X button) well before the top of the ramp instead of its apex and crank and hold the left stick to the left or right. After that, your degree of flatspin depends only on how much air time the jump offers.

The rail is your friend, but not his. Hit 'em!

Spotting Shutdowns

You'll add more cars to your junkyard by shutting down unlocked cars with a Takedown as they're roaming freely through Paradise City than by any other means. You can recognize them by the speed they're driving. Normal traffic cars roll slowly through the streets, but unlocked cars blaze by at the same speed you do. If you're passed on the road by an A.I. car, give chase and take him down.

Check Marked

After you've completed an event while working on your current Burnout License, you can no longer get credit for another victory by racing that same event. The event will still show up on your map and mini-map, but if you look closely, you'll see a checkmark inside the event marker. This is the only way to know which events you've completed on your current license, so keep a sharp eye out lest you choose an event you've already completed.

Star Routes

The Burning Route races scattered throughout Paradise City are geared towards individual cars. Beat the race with the required car and you'll unlock an upgraded version of the same vehicle. However, you don't need to scour the map with each car to track down its own Burning Route race. Instead, check the mini-map for a Burning Route icon with a star in the middle. Even if it's not in the immediate vicinity, you should still see the icon on the edge of the mini-map. If there isn't one, that car doesn't have a Burning Route race.

Now it's time to put these suggested tactics to use on the streets of Paradise City. Drive fast, drive aggressively, and good luck.

Article by Ryan Treit