Burnout Paradise Remastered

Look, it's really simple, Burnout Paradise Remastered is essential for fans of racing games everywhere. They just don't make them like this anymore (but they really, really should).

So, should you buy Burnout Paradise Remastered? Of course you should, unless you’ve played so much of the original that it just doesn’t entice you anymore. There’s nothing here that fans of the game won’t have seen or played before, but it’s still one of the best arcade racers around – and considering that it’s now ten years old, it speaks volumes. Burnout Paradise may not have been the best Burnout game but it’s still evidently a timeless classic, and now you can play it in 4K with tidied-up visuals and a solid 60 frames-per-second framerate. What’s not to like about that?

Burnout Paradise is one of the greatest racing games ever made, and time has done little to dull its beauty.

Burnout Paradise Remastered isn’t really worth grabbing if you already have the original. Hell, said original is even backward compatible on the Xbox One right now. Without any prior experience though I would absolutely give Paradise City a spin — even with its faults, it’s still one of the most memorable and mild open worlds in existence.

Burnout Paradise Remastered is well worth the return trip, if only as a reminder of what a real arcade racing game feels like. Still, its open world design and the slew of experimental DLC additions overload the experience and prove that cruising the city is no substitute for a good Takedown.

PS. Because EA are just colossally stupid, this is currently only available on Origin. However, if you already own Burnout Paradise in there, there's an option to upgrade it to this new version for £4.50, which is an awful lot less than the full £18 a new copy will cost you (which itself is significantly less than the £35 it'd cost you on Xbox, but more than the £12 it's currently discounted to on PS4.)

Criterion's classic racing series is back with an enhanced version of its latest installment. However, does Burnout Paradise hold up over a decade after its initial release? Of course it does, so put the pedal to the metal and let's race!

We live in a time in which looking at anything Electronic Arts does is viewed with a pinch of skepticism. They haven’t had a very good track record over the past few years. But you have to remember that they didn’t become a giant company from out of nowhere. There was a time in which a new EA release was a cause for celebration, especially during the seventh generation of consoles. Some of their best games released during their period were The Beatles: Rock Band, Brütal Legend, Battlefie...

It may a look a little basic compared to recent titles, but when it comes to gameplay Burnout Paradise still thrashes the competition. The racing is sublime, the stunts are spectacular, and there’s always something to do round the next corner. It has one of the best soundtracks of any game – and yes that includes Avril – it’s just a shame that some of the mechanics are dated and clunky.

Elements of Burnout Paradise are starting to show their age now, but nobody can argue with the quality of its actual racing action. If you can put up with its various niggles and quirks and don’t mind the astronomical price (relative to other systems), it’s easily one of the most entertaining – and certainly one of the fastest – racing games on the Switch.

Burnout Paradise Remastered for the Nintendo Switch comes with its fair share of issues. You’ll experience a lot of blurriness playing it handheld, and might struggle making out what's what at high speeds even when playing it docked. Plus, there’s that big $50 price tag for a 2008 game. Yet, included in the remaster is eight of the nine premium DLC, which comes with nearly all the vehicles unlocked, as well as one of the best racing soundtracks to ever exist.

As a final consideration, let’s discuss the pricing: $39,99 is maybe an investment I wouldn’t do and most probably the biggest part of you are afraid of. It’s something between “it’s a simple remaster”, “it’ll be much cheaper in a couple of months” and “March is going to be a living hell in terms of releases.” So, do you want my suggestion? Play the 10-hour EA Access trial if you have an Xbox One, or do the same when it drops on PC with Origin Access: this playtime will ...