Burnout Paradise Remastered Review – Welcome To Paradise City (Again)

You get two options: enter Paradise City or start a party. Upon entering Paradise City, you’re thrust into the open road where the grass is green and the girls are pretty. Maybe not that last part, but the grass is a bit greener and the graphics are beautiful. You will not mistake the game for a current gen title; however, Burnout Paradise Remastered makes great use of the power provided by current generation consoles.

Burnout Paradise Remastered Review

If you’re like me, then it’s probably been awhile since you stepped behind the wheel of any Burnout game. You’ll be happy to know Criterion did not disappoint. Burnout Paradise Remastered comes with all the bells and whistles of the original. In addition, the game is packed with all the additional downloadable content made for the original game.

Graphics and Performance

Out of the box, you’ll immediately notice the upscale in graphics. The cars are given great details and the environments are well polished. As I mentioned before, no one will mistake this for a current generation game. However, it still looks phenomenal for its age. Criterion put the available resources of current consoles to very good use. Whether you’re going 10 or 110 miles an hours, the game holds up in performance.

While I did not have an exact frames count, I can say that it does maintain consistent rates through the modes of play. Even with fast pace action and debris caused in crashes, Burnout Paradise Remastered has no stutters and looks amazing. The same goes for the audio. Featuring all the tracks from the base game including Guns n’ Roses and Killswitch Engage, the soundtracks mix very well with the sound FX for copious amounts of high velocity entertainment.

Burnout Paradise Remastered is slated to run with 4K 60fps support for Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro. While I played on a first generation Xbox One, I can confidently say Criterion will deliver on those specs.

Hitting the roads of Paradise City

Burnout Paradise Remastered includes all downloadable content made for the original game excluding the Time Savers Pack. So, you’ll have to actually play to unlock everything. However, it is completely worth it to get the full experience of the remastered game.

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran looking to brush up or new to the game, Burnout Paradise Remastered takes the time to explain itself thoroughly. The first few minutes of the game are something of a tutorial, but you’re pretty much dropped into the thick of things from the start. You have the option to turn off tips at any time but if you’re new, I highly suggest leaving them on at least for the first game session. The game has a slight learning curve as it distinguishes itself from other racers in typical Burnout fashion. Most notably, newcomers may be thrown off by the lack of track boundaries when competing in races. You’ll need to master paying attention to the UI while driving to win.

Those familiar with the game will be happy to know the open world is still in tact. Entering races, gas stations and auto shops can be done without skipping a beat. At the start of the single player campaign, you’ll have options to partake in a few races after getting your ride fixed. These include Race, Marked Man, Burning Route and Road Rage.

Race

This race type is essentially a sprint from point A to point B. Simple. However, you can get there anyway you want. You just need to be first.

Marked Man

A solid mix of Race and Road Rage, Marked Man is a race to the finish line while avoiding being wrecked by four rivals.

Burning Route

Engaging in this race type requires players to use a specific car to race against time to a specific destination.

Road Rage

No doubt a favorite in the Burnout series, Road Rage is a timed race where you’ll take down targets any way you can to meet a target number.

There are more races to be encountered as you progress. In addition, each has its own online equivalent with team-based variations.

In a nutshell, Burnout Paradise Remastered is just that, a remastered version of a series favorite. It has a little bit of something for everyone including fast paced races and miles worth of mayhem. The graphics are a huge improvement, the controls are intuitive and the cars handle great. Criterion nailed this remaster.

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