Burnout 5 (2007-02-22 build)

Burnout 5 (2007-02-22)
(no disc image available)
Build Info
Platform: Xbox 360
Compilation date: February 22nd, 2007
Also known as: "Feb 22"
Released publically: Yes

An early prototype of Burnout Paradise (then known as Burnout 5), compiled on February 22nd, 2007. Since the Xbox 360 devkit it was stored on had been used after the build's deletion, it was found in a significantly damaged and initially unbootable state. The build's restoration to a bootable state took nine months in total and was completed in December 2019; however, it still has numerous unfixed issues.

Due to the fact that this build is still dysfunctional despite the amount of time it was tended to, a project to restore it to a completely working state is currently underway. See below for all known issues with the build and all major files in need of repair or restoration.

Notable Differences

Like Burnout 3's April 2004 demo, this build is a gateway from one development era to another. It is still Burnout 5 on the surface, but underneath, a product closer to the final game had already taken shape.

Lighting

Lighting seems to be in a complete state, but has very different bloom and lighting effects than presented the final product. A full time cycle is present, though nighttime hours are either not set up properly or not yet developed. This lighting is not seen in any builds beyond April 2007.

UI

Unlike earlier and later versions, the UI carries its own distinct look and has some unique features not used in the final game, including the GPS breaking up when the player is hit. It uses a large amount of blue, red, and white.

Crash Nav

When accessed, the Crash Nav is able to display more information than that of the final game. Each district of the map is highlighted; a filter exists that can display items such as breakables obtained, hidden alloys (rims), and crash blackspots; and hovering over an AI driver provides their details, including their vehicle and location.

Vehicle Designs

While some vehicles are similar to their final designs, others are visibly dated from a development standpoint. Various cars feature early liveries that are not in the final product. Vehicles in this build are split into 3 pieces, but it is unknown if they were intended to break at this point in development.

Traffic Spawns

Traffic in this build has a different spawn pool per region than what is in the final game. Semis and larger vehicles are present in this build, and through certain options in the debug menu, the player can force any vehicle into the spawn pool.

Map Design

The map seen here is closer to final but is still marginally different in some areas. The extended Motor City Waterfront still features an oval track, but with an updated model compared to earlier builds. Much of the map, especially the eastern half, still looks more industrial than the final game and features less points where the player is cut off. The entire railway can be driven on, with no blockades present. The country club driveway is not gated off. The Lawrence tunnel does not exist yet, so the player must access the countryside by means of the highway or the roads to the north and south. The drivethrus were split into multiple parts, with paint shops changing the player's paint, body shops repairing the player's mechanical damages, and part shops allowing the player to equip any car with traffic checking.

Progression

On top of extended progression with more collectibles present, including hidden alloys and Speed Traps, the player would unlock licenses by completing Moving Violations, a form of per-vehicle progression in which the player would have to complete a series of violations. In a similar fashion to the shutdown system, drivers would periodically appear throughout Paradise City and the player would have to beat up a certain rival until they are afraid of the player, at which point the player initiates a pursuit to obtain their car. Very little progression in this build is in the final game.

Game Modes

This early on, classic style crash mode was still present in the form of Blackspots, although none are present on the map. Pursuit mode is also present in this build and can be started by shunting a rival while holding RB. The player is able to spin their tires anywhere, starting a race to a random landmark, with other drivers progressively joining in the race as it continues. Road Rage was started by beating up the AI drivers, but could not be started if the player's car has withstood too much damage without going to a repair shop.

Damage

It is currently unknown what the damage model of February 22 is supposed to look like, but it is known that crashes have more particle effects, including the vehicle being able to burst into flames when wrecked. It is likely that every part was able to detach from the car, an aspect which did not make it into the final game.

Known Issues

Inaccurate Collision

  • Caused by: Using the WORLDCOL.BIN (world collision database) of a Burnout 5 build from 2007-01-24; this WORLDCOL uses an older format to the one required by the 2007-02-22 build
  • Affects: Breaks world collision, Road Rules, AI behavior, player/AI respawning, roads and road types

Broken Deformation

  • Caused by: Incorrectly formatted VERLET.RIG
  • Affects: Breaks vehicle body deformation, crash physics, collision during crashes

Delayed World Streaming

  • Caused by: Inefficient world streamer code; likely unfixable without heavy reverse engineering
  • Affects: Significantly delays world load-in times, causing extreme pop-in. World assets take 4-6 seconds to load when respawning or teleporting into an unloaded chunk

Broken/Disabled Progression Elements

  • Caused by: Unknown; these elements are possibly disabled by default
  • Affects: Renders it mostly impossible to progress through the game and unlock events/vehicles

Deactivated/Inaccessible Menus

  • Caused by: These menus are likely disabled via the executable
  • Affects: The Crash Nav, Junkyard wheel/livery selector, and likely more menus are inaccessible under normal circumstances

Other Missing Files

  • The files in question (wheels, textures etc.) were overwritten and made unrecoverable; see below for more information on those.

Overwritten/Modified Files

File Recovery Accuracy Modification Comments
AI.DAT Partial Accurate Repaired based on 2006-11-13 AI file Exact or near-exact accuracy to lost data
B5TRAFFIC.BNDL Full Inaccurate Replaced references to lost vehicles
PVS.BNDL Full Highly accurate Decreased num unsafe neighbors in certain zones Fixes out of memory error
VERLET.RIG Lost Highly inaccurate Made from scratch based on executable data Causes deformation and wrecking issues
WORLDCOL.BIN Lost Highly inaccurate 2007-01-24 file Causes road, Road Rule, AI, and respawn issues
WORLDTEX.BIN Lost Inaccurate Made from scratch based on various builds/assets Causes texture issues
WORLDVAULT.BIN Full Highly accurate 2007-01-24 file 2007-02-22 file exists and is known to be identical
SOUND/STREAMS/STREAMHEADERS.BUNDLE Full Highly accurate Accommodates final WATERFRONT.SNS XMA instead of XAS
SOUND/STREAMS/WATERFRONT.SNS Partial Inaccurate Final file XMA instead of XAS
VEHICLES/VEH_*_AT.BIN Partial N/A No modification Lost: TUSV02
VEHICLES/VEH_*_GR.BIN Partial N/A No modification Lost: TUSLT01, TUSLT02, TUSLT03, TUSLT04, TUSLT07,
TUSLT08, TUSLT09, TUSPK01, TUSPK01B, TUSRV01,
TUSRV02, TUSSL01, TUSSMT01, TUSSMT02, TUSSMT03,
TUSSMT04, TUSSUV01, TUSSUV02, TUSSV01, TUSSW01,
TUST07, TUSTR02, TUSTR03, TUSTR04, TUSTR05,
TUSTR06, TUSV01, TUSV01B, TUSV02, TUSV02B
VEHICLES/VEHICLELIST.BUNDLE Full Inaccurate Removed lost vehicles TODO: Port lost vehicles from other builds
WHEELS/WHE_*_GR.BNDL Lost N/A Ripped from traffic vehicles Lost: All wheels
Traffic wheels identical to would-be assets
WHEELS/WHEELLIST.BUNDLE Lost Highly inaccurate Certain traffic wheels only TODO: Port lost wheels from other builds