Burnout Paradise was released early last year and since its arrival has had a number of additions made to the original package. I'm not going to sit here and regurgitate what has already been said in our review of the game which you can take a look at over here. What I will be primarily looking at is the additional content which has now been added to Burnout Paradise Ultimate Box, a stand-alone game that offers all the original and the extras under one roof.

Gameplay:

Ultimate Box's main gameplay addition to the standard game, is the inclusion of our two wheeled friends, the motorbikes. These add a different spin on racing through Paradise City, however, it's not all sleek designs, well curved female riders and scuffed knee pads. Upon selecting the Paradise Bikes option from the main menu, you'll get to choose your rider's sex and some basic colour options for the bike. There are only two vehicles available from the offset, and you'll have to spend quite some time unlocking the rest.

The crux of the inclusion of bikes seems a little flat, and perhaps not as engaging as using the more buffed up cars. The problem lies in the fact that the bikes are only able to compete in time trial events across the city and the road rules (which are also time trial based). Failing that, you'll have to get into the Freeburn (online play) to be able to benefit from the additional challenges that have been added for the bikes.

The game also includes the Cagney expansion which adds more challenges, some more Freeburn modes and a selection of new vehicles. This part of the package is very much online orientated and so to get the most you'll need to spend some hefty time online with your peers. The basic game already has a fair chunk of challenges to work through, so this is really fan service of the highest order. The same can be said of the additional vehicles this mode offers.

Penultimately, the Party Mode, is a multiplayer event mode for offline play where you'll be able to race friends and family across a number of events, such as speed, skill and stunt. This can be accomplished with just the one controller, with the idea that you'll take turns performing the tasks. It's actually a pretty solid mode, however you really would need to have gamers with a certain level of skill to get the most from it. So that means roping mum and dad in on the act is probably not going to appeal as some events still remain pretty tricky.

The game also includes various updates that have improved on the basics. So, things like having night and day cycle adds another layer to proceedings. And in case you were wondering, you'll still be able to race those who do not have the extra content, although this requires quite a heavy 800 odd meg downloadable before you can head off online.

Graphics:

Again, I'm not going to go into any details here, as the game looks and plays pretty much the same as the original. The crash physics are still second to none and if I was to complain then I would argue that the bike crashes are no where near as dramatic as their car counterparts. Which is a shame, as I'd love to have seen the riders fly through the air and land in a crumpled heap. I guess this would have affected the game's relatively low age rating. There's a grand sense of speed when riding a bike and I can't really find any fault in this department.

Audio:

Guns and Roses is all I'm going to say here as far as the music is concerned. The grass is green and the girls are pretty. Well we don't know because the girls are wearing crash helmets... On a more serious note, the bike sound effects are rather excellent and Criterion have really pushed the boat out in their creation.

Longevity:

The basic game is going to take the most determined players a long time to complete, so the inclusion of even more challenges and stuff to do is really adding to an already massive package. So in this regard you'll really get your monies worth if Ultimate Box is your first foray into Paradise City. The game offers quite a vague approach, so you'll also be spending a lot of time just merely driving around for the sake of it, and not to knock it, but this in itself can be quite entertaining.

Overall:

Now I'm left wondering what reason EA have had for producing the Ultimate Box. Sure, it's a neat package, but the way I see it, is fans of the original will have already purchased the extra content when it was made available. So therefore the game can't really be aimed at them. The other side of the coin points to a game that is well-suited to those who have not purchased the additional content, maybe due to not having Xbox Live or Internet connections to download them. But again, it would seem weird to purchase the same game all over again, with the inclusion of some new features. The last trail of thought suggests that the game is really aimed at enticing newcomers into the fold by offering the most up to date package available. I guess in this respect that's a commendable act on EA's part, to reinvent an older game and shove it in your face as a newer title.

However, once you've invested in the Ultimate Box, you'll find that it's not quite as ultimate as you might be led to believe, because one look at the Burnout Store and you'll see that there's a ton of additional content not included on the disc. You've got the forthcoming Paradise Island, Paradise Toys, Paradise Boost, Time Savers Pack and the Legendary cars to spend your points on. This makes me wonder why EA have not waited a little longer and included these extras in a true ultimate package?

As it stands and I guess not being too greedy, The Ultimate box offers a fair and rounded value for money package for newcomers. Owners of the original should avoid, because the extras are not really worth buying a whole new game for, and if you've got Xbox Live, then at least you can buy the extras individually if you so choose.