Criterion softens PC 'Paradise' with ambient occlusion

When Criterion Games announced that it was building a version of Burnout Paradise "specifically" for the PC, our minds raced with ideas of what the devs might have in store of armchair racers unable to break away from their keyboard and mouse. While we're still in the dark concerning the port's "expanded multiplayer, enhanced online features, and community driven content," Criterion has softened those shadows by announcing that the PC version will support some fancy techno-babble known as 'ambient occlusion.'

Wondering what this will mean for you as you're barreling down the streets of Paradise City? We'll let Criterion explain: "It's an effect that uses soft shadows to add extra depth. Enclosed spaces naturally receive less light than open spaces and look darker – that helps us to see how close objects are to each other." We'll be honest, just judging by the above comparison shot it's difficult for our eyeballs to tell much of a difference, though admittedly Burnout Paradise was already easy on the eyes. Besides, shadows are the last thing on our mind as we smash headlong into the concrete median.