Burnout Paradise PC is free (well, sort of)

Criterion haven’t finished with the free stuff, after all. The PC version of the acclaimed racer Burnout Paradise, due for release in February 2009, will be released completely free for a trial period (although there is no word on how long you’ll be able to play). Not happy with a demo, Criterion have decided that they “want all [their] PC players to be sure it runs perfectly on their system, before they commit to buying it. [They] also love the game and feel confident that if you try it, you’ll want to sign up for more.”

The trial is pretty much the whole game on a timer, although there are obviously a few cutbacks to save for the full game. However, the game does feature the 8-player “Freeburn” multiplayer mode and around 120 races and events. Perhaps “Paradise” was a better name choice than we first anticipated.