When Burnout Paradise first shipped in January of 2008, I skipped out on the game. While I thoroughly enjoy the Burnout Series, I just wasn’t in the mood for another arcade racer at the time. Couple that with no Crash Mode, my favorite from the series, and it didn’t end up in my “to buy” list. Fast forward to Fall 2008 when I picked up a used copy and have played the game almost weekly ever since. The amount of support and quality that Criterion Games puts into Burnout Paradise definitely shows. The first premium DLC, Big Surf Island, expands the game with an entirely new area and will give you hours of fun.

Big Surf Island is much smaller than Paradise City. If you pull up the game’s map, you’ll notice that it’s not even a quarter of the size of the mainland. However, size doesn’t always matter, as Criterion has gone back to the drawing board with terrific street layouts, well placed Mega Jumps, and a quality landscape. You’ll get 15 new events, 10 new Freeburn challenges, 15 Mega Jumps, 45 Billboards, and a plethora of areas to smash. The new highly visible Checkpoint system in events is a welcome addition that I hope makes it way back into Paradise City via a future patch. You’ll no longer have to worry about looking at the map all the time to see where your next turn will be in a race. My favorite part are the new Mega Jumps, which will get you some huge air. The Ski Jump and hopping through Deese’s Donut will put a smile on your face. The new Dust Storm buggy isn’t the fastest car you’ll use, but it’s nice for drifting. The other 8 new cars you can unlock from the island (four of which are of the Toy variety) will fill out your garage nicely.

There isn’t much wrong with Big Surf Island. My only concern is the price. At $12.99, you’re getting much more content than other add-on packs, without question. However, the amount of content you get pales in comparison to what ships with the full game at $19.99. It seems that for more than half the price of the full game, you’d get even more content. With that said, it’s still a great add-on and worth the price, especially compared to other add-ons on the market. If you’re a Burnout Paradise fan, you’ll want to pick this one up. The 4-6 hours of play time, not including the casual driving and online challenges, is worth the cost of admission.