Burnout Paradise (Xbox 360)

Pros: Great graphics- different enough from other Burnout games to be worth buying

Cons: Annoying announcer- some unlockable cities/bonus streets would be nice

Summary: Other than the Burnout series, I've never been big on racing games, so I was skeptical when I heard the changes that were being made to the series with this release- an "open world" environment where you drove around looking for races sounded like too much of a departure- but now after spending a number of hours playing the game, finding races has become second nature and I can't imagine going back to the system they used on the old games in the series.

Pros: The graphics are great. One of the things I hate about game series is when companies come out with new versions that are essentially the same as the last game in the series and this one has enough changes both in game play and graphics to make it well worth getting. I just got my Xbox 360 about 3 weeks ago and this game has gotten more time from me than any other. If you're a fan of the series and are willing to spend the first hour or two learning what has changed, you'll love this game.

Cons: The in game announcer is helpful when learning the game, but he quickly becomes annoying and there is no way to turn him off. While the city is big, I wish there were some unlockable bonus cities or streets.