Paradise City Awaits… Again
The Burnout franchise has seen better days. While EA’s racing series was ubiquitous during the Xbox and PlayStation 2 era, its presence has waned over time. Given EA’s history with other dormant IP—it took a decade for a new Skate announcement—Burnout’s future is murky.
This is a shame, considering the strength of its last major entry Burnout Paradise. Released in 2008 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, the game marked the advent of open-world racers like Forza Horizon and The Crew. With its vast map, gorgeous visuals, and unparalleled sense of freedom, Burnout Paradise still remains one of the finest racing games ever.
In 2018, EA released a remaster of the game for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Touting enhanced visuals, 60fps performance, and every DLC pack—including the sizable Big Surf Island expansion—Burnout Paradise Remastered gave hope for the future of the series. Now, in 2020, Burnout Paradise Remastered has made its way to Nintendo Switch. This is very much the Burnout Paradise fans have come to love and expect, with the added benefit of being playable on the go. The result is a much welcome port, albeit one that comes at a hefty price tag.
A Truly Open Road
For those unfamiliar with Burnout Paradise, the game is set in the fictional Paradise City. As you boot up the game for the first time, you’ll be greeted with camera pans of the city, along with the extremely fitting Paradise City by Guns N’ Roses. The setup from there is straightforward. As a new driver to Paradise City, you’re looking to take on various driving and stunt events. Unfortunately, all you have at your disposal is a totaled car.
In the game’s opening tutorial, players are prompted to find a repair shop for their car. Once you have something in working order, you’re free to tackle any of the game’s 100+ events. All you have to do is press ZL and ZR at one of the countless intersections throughout Paradise City.
The sheer freedom of Burnout Paradise was liberating in 2008, and it feels just as gratifying in 2020. There’s nothing quite like rolling up to a stoplight and seamlessly queuing up a race. What’s more, the game’s open design makes it so there’s no set path to your objective. If you see a road or detour, you can take it—no “wrong way” signals here.
This freedom extends to free roaming. When not in an event, players can coast around Paradise City, discovering hidden paths, smashing billboards, and completing stunt jumps. These collectibles are tracked, incentivizing you to find every secret the game has to offer. If that’s not enough, each street also has its own time trial, along with a Burnout-signature road rage event. By tapping both bumpers, you trigger “Showtime Mode,” in which you rack up as much street damage as possible.
As you complete events and track down collectibles, you’re continually rewarded with new cars. However, in a twist unique to Burnout Paradise, you must first find and eliminate these vehicles to add them to your collection. It’s a novel way to handle progression, and one that feels extremely organic within the game’s open world.
The Complete Package
Outside of the main game, Burnout Paradise Remastered also offers eight DLC packs that followed the game’s 2008 release. The meatiest, by far, is Big Surf Island. This expansion adds an additional island to Paradise City, complete with its own events and collectibles to complete. Other DLC packs include Burnout Bikes and Cops and Robbers, both of which add new functionality to the base game.
Online multiplayer has also made the transition to Nintendo Switch. Those familiar with Burnout Paradise’s seamless online experience can expect the same here. Hopping in and out of races is as simple as a few d-pad presses. And while there’s plenty of single-player content to satiate even the hungriest of players, there are plenty of options to flex your skills online.
Of course, all this comes with the usual Switch caveats. Voice chat is non-existent unless you’re willing to use the official Nintendo app or equivalent third-party service. Queuing up with friends is also bound to be a nuisance, given the absence of any real Switch party infrastructure. Still, these are Nintendo problems, not EA or Criterion ones, so it’s hard to be upset.
An Audiovisual Feast
As for its presentation, Burnout Paradise Remastered has aged really well, considering it’s over a decade old. Paradise City is truly a sight to behold, thanks to vibrant colors, breathtaking vistas, and gorgeous city design. While the actual remastering is fairly bare-bones—expect some nicer textures and effects—the game didn’t need much of an upgrade to begin with.
More impressive is the fact that the game’s licensed soundtrack is still intact. From Avril Lavigne’s Girlfriend to Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, there’s plenty of variety on display. And while a common complaint of Burnout Paradise in 2008 was its in-game emcee, DJ Atomika, I found his commentary entertaining, and far from grating.
Final Thoughts
In short, Burnout Paradise Remastered is an example of Switch ports done right. It controls well, bundles all the DLC you might have missed out on in 2008, and performs beautifully on the go. That is, it does everything right, except for one critical thing: price. The Switch port of Burnout Paradise Remastered has an MSRP of $49.99. Keep in mind the following facts: One, the game is 12 years old. Two, the remaster came out for other consoles in 2018. Three, the 2018 remaster was $10 cheaper in 2018, and is dirt cheap now.
No matter how good the game is—and make no mistake, it’s great—it’s hard not to scoff at the price. Yes, if you’re a fan of Burnout Paradise or open-world racers, this remaster is worth a look. But unless you’re craving a handheld experience, it might be wise to grab it elsewhere—or wait for a price drop.
Score: 8.0/10
This Burnout Paradise Remastered (Switch) review originally appeared on DarkStation.com, where the game was awarded 4 out of 5 stars.
