By 2005 the dawning of a new era in gaming was approaching. Microsoft, who a few years earlier entered the console video gaming world, was preparing to release its second video game console hardware – the Xbox 360. But before there was an Xbox 360 in my home, Sony’s Playstation 2 guided my gaming hobby with a plethora of fantastic franchises spanning various genres including racing games like “Midnight Club 2”, “Need for Speed Underground”, “Gran Turismo 4” & “Burnout 3”. The latter proved to be one of the greatest surprises for yours truly during gaming’s sixth generation as “Burnout 3” surpassed its predecessor in almost every way by providing genuine racing action and insane stunts courtesy of the game-defining “Crash Mode”. The same year I purchased an Xbox 360, Criterion finished developing what is at this point the final entry in the “Burnout” franchise with “Burnout Paradise”. Completely changing the dynamic of a “Burnout” game by making it an open world, “Paradise” was everything great about its predecessors while losing some of the options that differentiated the previous offerings from its peers like “Crash Mode”. Another console generation would pass until it was announced another “Burnout” would come to consoles, but not what anyone expected as a remastered version of “Burnout Paradise” was ready to boost the Xbox One & PS4 libraries. As a person who loved “Paradise” on the 360, I was excited about playing one of my favorite games from a generation ago yet again; but still wondered if it was a remaster worth making.
Did I Complete “Burnout Paradise Remastered”?
When “Burnout Paradise” was released in 2008 it stood out amongst its competitors by providing an arcade style racing experience unlike anything else on the market; forgoing the strategy of other racing games that relied more realism with gamers being forced to fine tune cars and learn every nuance of a race track. “Paradise” was and still is rooted in fun by driving around Paradise City and, thanks to every bit of DLC that was released during the game’s initial life cycle being a part of this package, Big Surf Island – a miniature version of Paradise City with more jumps and hidden spots for those specially made vehicles like bikes and small toy cars – while performing stunts, taking down fellow racers, and flying through billboards all while unlocking more events and vehicles. With each cumulative success comes an upgrading of the player’s driver’s license; which also ups the game’s overall difficulty be it having to get higher scores in “Stunt” races or taking on faster cars during regular races. Though I haven’t completed the game 100% (something that could take at least sixty hours to complete if not more thanks to the entirety of the DLC being a part of this remaster), I’ve reached the “Burnout” driver’s license ranking, unlocked a majority of the locked cars, and picked up a slew of trophies including the platinum trophy for completing everything necessary in the base game after little over twenty hours.
Did “Burnout Paradise Remastered” Live Up to the Hype?
The original offering of “Burnout Paradise” shifted the idea of what a “Burnout” game could be by removing the menus and overall world maps seen in previous “Burnout” games by placing the player in the middle of Paradise City with the task of completing races, taking down other cars in high-speed demolition derby fashion, beating other player’s best times when zooming down specific streets, and pulling off stunts courtesy of the ramps strategically placed around the City’s landscape where the player might find a shortcut that takes their car careening over a quarry. The ability to take on players online in races, stunt challenges, or even a game of cops & robbers return here and, thus far, the online connectivity has been flawless; though it might take a little bit of time to get a race or team challenge started while waiting for a “lobby” to get full. Though the standalone “Crash Mode” was removed in “Paradise”, “Showtime” mode somewhat fills the void; taking a page out of the “Insurance Fraud” mini-game from the “Saint’s Row” series where the player will have their vehicle running into traffic and bouncing around even more unrealistically than usual.
The more success a player has the more cars they’ll unlock (all cars are categorized by speed, strength & stunt abilities meaning some vehicles are better made for certain events like an “Aggression” vehicle’s strengths being witnessed during “Road Rage”/takedown events, but is usually at a disadvantage when put in an actual race) and the more difficult the game becomes as the player’s driver’s license goes from “Learner’s Permit” to “Burnout” – meaning the difficulty increase is gradual & player friendly.
The game’s version of collectibles tie into learning the landscape of Paradise City & Big Surf Island as the player can go through a gated area to discover a ramp that will send their car through a billboard with the notification flashing on the screen to inform the player how many gates have been destroyed and how many billboards have been crashed through – a pair of feats that reach well into the triple digits. Everything about the original “Burnout Paradise” offering is here in its original form with a couple of gameplay additions to make things easier for players. By tapping right on the d-pad, the player can restart the most previous event – something that wasn’t in the original version that allows players to restart failed missions without returning to the starting point. Unfortunately not everything that fans were disappointed with in the original iteration was fixed here such as the ability of switching between cars. To change a vehicle, the player must either find one of the few junkyards placed around the map to change vehicles in a relatively laggy manner (switching between cars in the junkyard menu still has a moment of loading that makes the game appear to have momentarily frozen) or back out to the main menu – something that is incredibly frustrating when trying to complete car-specific time trials known as a “Burning Route”. There’s also no ability to put markers on the map or create waypoints. When racing or attempting a time trial, the game has a marker on the compass at the top screen to indicate what direction the player needs to go while the street signs flash either left or right to inform the driver when they should turn. The navigation aspect of “Paradise” can be incredibly frustrating if a turn comes up unexpectedly quick; potentially causing a crash that can ruin an event.
The remastered aspect of “Burnout Paradise Remastered” is a mixed bag. Graphically, the game looks worlds better than the original version on previous generation consoles, but no different than the PC version. Unfortunately there’s a muddying effect went it comes to vehicles moving at night that, at times, can cause rival racers to lose graphical definition. Though the graphics aren’t mind-blowing, the fact this game doesn’t suffer from frame rate drops like the original is the best thing about this remaster. No matter the speed, insane crash that occurred, or failed jump, “Burnout Paradise Remastered” keeps the action going without a hint of slow down. Somehow not tampered with is the soundtrack. Ten years after the original was released, all the licensed tracks including “My Curse” by Killswitch Engage, Soundgarden’s “Rusty Cage”, “Moonlight Sonata” by Beethoven &, of course, Gun & Roses’ “Paradise City” return. The music in this game is a major nostalgia trip for those who played the original, but for new players it might sound like a product of the time it was made for rather than a soundtrack that spans beyond generational barriers. All in all, “Burnout Paradise Remastered” is a serviceable offering when compared to other remasters & remakes recently released as it doesn’t tamper with the formula while delivering a fresh coat of paint & some performance improvements without doing much more. This game is essential for those who are craving an arcade style racer who either never got the chance to experience it the first time or for returning gamers who long for the days where racing games felt like the definition of “high octane”.
Should You Play “Burnout Paradise Remastered”
“Burnout Paradise Remastered”, just like its original iteration, is unlike anything else on the market when it comes to the racing genre while providing everything that eventually made the original a complete package. There are a few changes to fix the game’s overall problems such as frame rate drops and being able to restart failed events without having to return to the starting point. But design issues like switching cars on the fly and finicky AI still exist. The biggest drawback definitely has to be the price point. Considering this is essentially a port of the PC version – which can be purchased for twenty or so dollars cheaper – “Burnout Paradise Remastered” arguably suffers from sticker shock for those who experienced it during the previous gaming generation or even new players who could pick up an original used copy for practically pennies. “Paradise Remastered” stands out amongst its peers just as much now as it did in 2008 by being so fun no matter if you pay full price or get it on sale – it’s definitely worthy of being a part of your gaming library if you enjoy racing games.
