Over a decade ago, the Burnout series was highly regarded as the pinnacle of high speed racing. The unparalleled sense of speed and the thrill of a takedown never got old.
While there hasn’t been a big release in the series for as long as I can remember, it is still a treasured franchise. Burnout Paradise Remastered proves that there is still life left in this style of a racing game and hopefully a sign that we might see more from the franchise in the near future.
While open world racing games are extremely common nowadays, they were a rarity when Burnout Paradise was originally released in 2008. It successfully integrated open world activities with the takedown and boost mechanics of Burnout, resulting in an all-out chaotic affair where every second spent driving is a blast.
Paradise City acts as your playground, and you can smash records, go for insane jumps, take part in its multiple activities or simply race at your leisure. Cars feel fast and taking down opponents feels extremely satisfying. With the move towards simulation or a mixture of arcade and sim, Burnout Paradise is a reminder that a straight up arcade racer can be just as engaging.
As expected, the remaster includes all of the DLC but apart from small enhancements, there aren’t many visual overhauls. The game despite looking quite revolutionary back in its day does feel rather dated this time around. The game looks passable, but its clear that not much time has been spent on upgrading the look of the game. The console versions run at 60 fps with 4k support on PS4 Pro and Xbox One X.
Burnout Paradise Remastered is essentially the same game that’s back on newer consoles to test the waters with a once popular franchise. There are no major upgrades, additions, or changes. The core game is still fun, and the sense of speed is still fantastic. As this genre has been lacking for many years now, newcomers and fans can pick this up without hesitation.
