Criterions racer returns with Burnout Paradise Remastered on current gen consoles. Check out Kidzworld for our thoughts on EAs remaster.
By: Max Cannon
Older gamers which were fortunate enough to enjoy the original Burnout Paradise back in the PS3/360 era of games are certain to appreciate this return trip to Paradise City with better visuals, smoother performance, and the same gameplay that made Burnout a household name. While players that are new to the franchise are sure to have a great time they'll have to look past some dated late 2000's aesthetics that won't be for everyone.
You'll get very familiar with the streets of Paradise City.Courtesy of EA
A Prettier Paradise
Burnout Paradise Remastered takes players down to the Paradise City, a playground perfect for racing, crashing, and collecting new vehicles. The sun-soaked streets make for a memorable place to play with new challenges available at every intersection in town. And things look better than before with a new coat of paint that boosts resolution to a solid 1080p on base consoles (and 4K with PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X) with 60fps across all platforms. Though it's obviously better than ever visually, it's sometimes clear that this is a game from an earlier era and the saturated colors won't leave a style beloved by everyone.
Burnout Paradise Remastered - The Race Is On Trailer | PS4
A big part of Paradise's charm doesn't come just from the sights but also the unapologetically 2000's inspired soundtrack. Of course, the cars sound great, especially when you turn over the engine for the first time, but the game's soundtrack is made up of tunes that haven't always aged well but somehow give the game even more charm. When Avril Lavigne's girlfriend plays as you smash another racer off the road you can't help but smile at the absurdity of the moment. But the biggest element of the original game that thrilled me in this remaster was the returning DJ Atomika who I'll always remember from SSX 3.
Crashes are still a main element of Burnout's gameplay.Courtesy of EA
Hitting the Road
There's no story to slow things down in Burnout Paradise, the game quickly puts you into the driver's seat and then sends you off on your way. Your goal is to cruise the city by smashing through obstacles, winning challenges, and upgrading your license to unlock new cars. By holding down both triggers at any intersection you'll participate in one of Burnout's many challenges, which could be a race, a takedown event where you'll smash other cars off the road, or a survival event in which you'll need to avoid getting attacked yourself as you race to a finish line. Then there are the Showtime events. Every street has a time for the best offline and online time to get from one end to the other and there's also an online and offline score for causing the biggest crash.
Paradise City is both gorgeous and dated looking with this remaster of a decade old game.Courtesy of EA
If it hasn't been made clear, there is a lot to do in Paradise City and this remastered package includes all of the DLC from the first release which includes new cars, game modes, and even locations that were unavailable in the base game. The only disappointing piece of content missing from the first release is the social use of your console's camera. Though my PlayStation Camera would snap an image whenever I completed a challenge, the original game would take a picture whenever you took down or were taken down by another player. It's disappointing to miss that satisfying picture of a disappointed player or the knowledge that you got to show off in front of a foe you've taken down but if this is the only notable piece of content that's missing, I'd say we're still pretty well off.
Burnout Paradise Remastered Comparison: Then vs. Now Official Trailer
Final Thoughts
New players are sure to have a great time with Burnout Paradise Remastered but the returning players of yesteryear are likely to have a nostalgia trip with both the gameplay and late 2000's style. Visuals can often swing between beautiful and modern to dated and over saturated, all within a matter of minutes but what really matters here is the gameplay that delivers just as well now as it did then.
Pros
- Visuals and Performance
- Style
- Fast and Fun Gameplay
Cons
- Some Dated Textures
- Missing an Awesome Social Feature
Burnout Paradise Remastered Game Rating:
Burnout Paradise Remastered PS4 Box ArtCourtesy of EA
Available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
Have Your Say!
Have you played the original Burnout Paradise? Will you be taking the trip to Paradise City or skipping this release? Share your thoughts on this remaster!
