Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 55 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 336 Ratings

  • Summary: Burnout Paradise proves that crashing is awesome! Next generation technology has enabled an unprecedented level of crash deformation allowing you to experience the most explosive pile-ups in the series’ history. Now the development team can realize their original vision for the Burnout francnchise: an open world environment where you can do anything, anywhere, anytime. Feel the adrenaline course through your veins as you take to the road for the first time in Paradise City, where the action is all around you. Explore the city, discover events, and look for the best opportunities to crash, jump and pull signature takedowns. In Burnout Paradise you're given the keys to the city, but it's up to you to earn the keys to the meanest and most dangerous cars on the street, and earn your Burnout license. [Electronic Arts] Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 53 out of 55
  2. Negative: 0 out of 55
  1. The group co-op challenges alone are some of the most fun we've had playing online in years. [Feb 2008, p.76]
  2. The team at Criterion took a big chance and it’s paid off very well. The game revamps the stock formula in major ways without losing most of the high-speed racing flavor that you hope to see from something with Burnout in the title.
  3. What's here is nothing short of amazing, but I can't help but wonder what could have been. [Feb 2008, p.94]
  4. 74
    A polished, high-quality product, but its repetitiveness makes it less than compelling. Criterion seems to have lost sight of the high-adrenaline dynamic that makes Burnout exciting. [Issue#162, p.74]

See all 55 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 60 out of 113
  2. Negative: 25 out of 113
  1. Trevor
    10
    There have been very few games that I've played and enjoyed as much as Burnout Paradise. I have long been a fan of the Burnout series, but I can honestly say, this is my favorite. Yes, crash is gone, but it has been replaced with showtime, which is similar but less boring and repetitive (albeit overdone). But the real beauty is the freedom and how the driving itself becomes the interface to the game. This keeps you constantly engaged and always driving. Sure, you may be stuck at the end of a race after failing, having to drive back to the start, but why not pick up another race on the way? And if you wreck your car on the way, no worries. You'll enjoy the incredibly detailed crash sequence that results. Expand
  2. DaveN.
    8
    Burnout on a large scale - yeah there are a few minor problems with the game but between the offline and online play there's enough here for everybody. Expand
  3. JohnC.
    7
    Not quite as good as it could have been. I think the best Burbouts may well be behind us. Takedown was great but since then the series seems to have lost it's way. Talking of losing you way, the nav in this is pretty bad. Starting a race means going all the way back to tyhe beginning too which seems a very odd decision. There is showtime in this version which is , is all honesty, a poor mans crash. Flawed in many little ways this is not quite what I'd hoped it would have been. Expand
  4. This game is awful compare to Burnout 3: Takedown or Revenge. This game plays more like a modern racing game instead of a burnout game and don't have the feel of a burnout game. What made me most annoyed was the races has been slowed down as a normal racing game. I remember burnout to be the super fast racing game, that actually was and felt fast in comparison to something like Need For Speed. Another thing that's annoying is the open world, it's like comparing Need For Speed Underground with Underground 2. Open-world racing games gets extremely BORING after a while (it's fun in the beginning). Then on top of all, you can't not restart a race in burnout paradise WTF.


    This is the WORST in the series, hands down. a SHAME.
    Expand

See all 113 User Reviews