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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.
Burnout Paradise

Generally favorable reviews
Based on 68 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 139 votes
Read user comments
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Game Info
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Criterion Games
Genre(s): Racing, Driving
Players: 8
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older)
Release Date: January 21, 2008
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 franchise: 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]
Also On Metacritic
GAMES: Burnout Burnout 2: Point of Impact Burnout 3: Takedown Burnout Revenge
Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central GameSpot Hints & Cheats
Also On The Web: Official Website
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
GamePro
Burnout Paradise offers one of the most intense racing experiences around. It won't wow you with a high degree of realism like Gran Turismo will but for pure racing action, it is one of the best titles ever produced.
Read Full Review >GameShark
The City is enormous and beautiful, the cars are amazingly detailed, and the control is divine.
Read Full Review >Giant Bomb
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.
Read Full Review >Game Chronicles
Both of these racers are flawless examples of perfect game design, creativity, fun, and enduring gameplay that will keep you glued to your 360 until the next installment arrives.
Read Full Review >Play Magazine
Instead of a series of self-contained challenges, Paradise offers up an open world where players are free to explore their inner vehicular homocidal maniac to their hearts' content. [Mar 2008, p.56]
Gamer 2.0
While Burnout Paradise is certainly an addictive game that offers a ton of value for anyone to enjoy, it definitely won’t please everyone that gives it a shot.
Read Full Review >DailyGame
Other than the lack of waypoints and some AI-balancing complaints, there's not much to find fault with when it comes to Burnout Paradise.
Read Full Review >MEGamers
The vehicles look fantastic, the crashes painful. All round the graphics are stupendous and never falter.
Read Full Review >Gaming Nexus
Don't be afraid of the different route this sequel took, Burnout Paradise is every bit as exhilarating as you could hope for.
Read Full Review >Talk Xbox
So if you’re a skeptical Burnout fan, there’s nothing to fear. Burnout Paradise is another great edition in an already fantastic series.
Read Full Review >TeamXbox
Whether you are for or against the major changes in Burnout Paradise, there’s no arguing with the fact that Criterion has once again figured out how to create an extreme racing game that, quite simply, has no rivals.
Read Full Review >Xbox World Australia
While the new found liberty is costly, in that there are some issues with the new ‘open nature' of the game, they're only minor, and If you're a fan of arcade racers, or the Burnout series, you won't want to look past this.
Read Full Review >Jolt Online Gaming UK
Burnout Paradise is pretty huge, and hugely pretty. It doesn’t have the diversity in appearance of some open-ended games, but the previously mindless racing of past Burnout games has been brought into sharp and very satisfying focus.
Read Full Review >Extreme Gamer
If you’re in the market for a fun racing game that’ll keep you busy for quite some time, this is your game.
Read Full Review >GotNext
Overall, the direction is very solid and I applaud Criterion's bravery for getting out of their comfort zone to explore a new horizon, instead of pondering what could have been.
Read Full Review >Gamervision
Purists may argue that Forza Motorsport 2 and Dirt are more realistic and offer better customization, but when it comes to being the most complete package with the most polished gameplay; Paradise is a true revolution.
Read Full Review >Computer Games Online RO
Although there are some good racing titles on the Xbox 360, Burnout Paradise entertained me the most.
Read Full Review >Gameplanet
The phenomenal feeling of speed and the freedom to pretty much do what you like has once again taken the Burnout series to another level.
Read Full Review >Gamestyle
Burnout Paradise is an excellent game, but there are one or two blemishes that do tarnish it somewhat. Still, there's something for every Burnout fan here and it will no doubt spark continued debate over whether it's the best in the series.
Read Full Review >Armchair Empire
Despite a somewhat-less-satisfying replacement for previous crash modes, fans of the franchise will find this Burnout to be their idea of paradise, with red-hot racing in a large environment that provides plenty of asphalt-burning events to keep gamers putting the pedal to the metal for mile after scorching mile.
Read Full Review >NZGamer
The car models are fantastic, essentially moving the graphics of the arcade racer into the realm of the driving sims.
Read Full Review >X360 Magazine UK
Repetitive and relatively simple perhaps, but when it's fundamental gratification you're after, Burnout Paradise doesn't go far wrong. A worthy challenger to the likes of "Forza 2," "PGR 4" and "ProStreet." [Issue#29, p.82]
AceGamez
A fully conceived, brilliantly designed, incredibly gorgeous and intricately varied city is yours to roam around at leisure, discovering shortcuts, taking down billboards and landing super jumps, shutting down rival vehicles to own them, revving your engine at junctions to enter a range of challenging events and hopping online for furious racing and co-op challenges with friends and strangers alike, all at the push of a button.
Read Full Review >Game Over Online
By doing what they do best Criterion has made Burnout Paradise one of the most accessible and wildly entertaining arcade racers ever created.
Read Full Review >1UP
Whether you're careening through desolate urban alleys or rocketing across a rickety railroad trestle, the game looks nearly flawless and runs at a buttery-smooth clip.
Read Full Review >Official Xbox Magazine
As long as you're willing to explore the city's nooks and crannies, drive offensively, and take a hell of a lot of risks, you'll find it supremely rewarding. [Feb 2008, p.70]
Read Full Review >Electronic Gaming Monthly
As someone who's closely followed Criterion's racing series for the last seven years, it warms my heart to see it evolve into something as innovative, satisfying, and polished as Paradise. [Feb 2008, p.74]
GameSpy
It's not a flawless package; some of Paradise City's terrain could be easier to navigate with do-it-yourself waypoints, and the inability to restart a race is irritating. However, there's so much to do and wreck that you'll invest tens of hours in single-player before you even tap the d-pad to jump into the online experience. Paradise is undoubtedly the first must-own racing game of 2008.
Read Full Review >PTGamers
Paradise is without a single doubt the best game in the Burnout franchise. Criterion cleverly grasped the best elements and tailored them to the free roaming style. Production values are superb, and fans of the series shouldn't miss this fabulous chapter.
Read Full Review >Edge Magazine
Paradise loops its action into an endless rush, the possibilities, for arcade racing and battle enthusiasts alike, increasing with every hour. It’s hard not to see it as the birth of a new era, but in truth it might be the last Burnout you ever need. [Feb 2008, p.86]
GamerNode
Burnout Paradise delivers as a fantastic racing game any racing fan should own, and that even non-racing fans will likely get some enjoyment out of it.
Read Full Review >VideoGamer
Going back to the standard menu-driven system of the past was pretty jarring after spending days cruising from event to event in Paradise. I was simply having more fun in Criterion's latest racer.
Read Full Review >GameZone
Paradise is certainly the most ambitious Burnout title yet, with a full sandbox city to explore and the great racing mechanics and smooth controls that has been the series’ bread and butter.
Read Full Review >Xbox World 360 Magazine UK
Paradise cherry-picks the best features from the past games - cars which have both the one-bar Burnout 3 boost bar, cars which have multiplying Burnout 2 boost bars, cars which can traffic check and cars which can't, the best of the events and the best ramps and shortcuts. It's not quite so gleefully mindless as the previous games, but with loading times stripped out and the best online modes we've yet seen in any racer on any system, it feels like a truly next generation Burnout game.
Read Full Review >Deeko
In the end, Burnout Paradise is as close to paradise as you're going to get.
Read Full Review >GameTap
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Burnout Paradise is that the barrier between online and offline play is almost invisible. You can be playing along by yourself, and then with a click of a button, you can invite another friend to join you in an event. It's one of the most organic transitions I've seen yet, and Criteron is definitely a pioneer in how online gaming will continue to evolve.
Read Full Review >GameSpot
Burnout Paradise includes all the fast-driving, hard-wrecking action you'd expect from a Burnout game, but with a fantastic new open-world design that gives it its own stand-alone flavor.
Read Full Review >Planet Xbox 360
Paradise breaks the mold of its previous franchise games, and pulls it off in a big way. Its rare that a developer can make large scale changes and still put out a winning product.
Read Full Review >AtomicGamer
The free world seems great but quickly gets annoying, but it's not long after that players will start to get why EA and Criterion did it this way.
Read Full Review >Gamers' Temple
Overall, Paradise City is a great arcade racer in spite of some annoying navigational issues. The open world play fits the Burnout series perfectly, and Paradise City takes the series in a new and exciting direction.
Read Full Review >GamingTrend
Criterion should be commended for trying to try something different in Burnout Paradise.
Read Full Review >Game Almighty
While this game is pretty shallow in terms of content, it still becomes a great pickup for some mindless fun and destruction.
Read Full Review >GameTrailers
The way the vehicles crumple, windshields shatter, and pieces of debris go flying in every direction is second to none, making you appreciate each and every impact. The only quibbles we have with the presentation are the absence of a driver, and one of the most annoying announcers ever.
Read Full Review >Cheat Code Central
Controls are perfectly forgiving. I love the arcade feel of the title that is extremely well recreated through either of the 360 or PS3 controllers.
Read Full Review >IGN
Criterion has once again delivered a racing experience that can best be described as controlled chaos, one where even crashing is immensely rewarding. If you're even a remote fan of racing games, be sure to check this out.
Read Full Review >Maxi Consolas (Portugal)
With its new and open structure, it can be a shock at the beginning. But the gameplay is as addictive as ever and with its vertiginous speed, excellent framerate and, mainly, the new online multiplayer, the new Burnout is still a great game for any arcade racing fan. [Jan 2008]
Game Informer
What's here is nothing short of amazing, but I can't help but wonder what could have been. [Feb 2008, p.94]
Read Full Review >ZTGameDomain
Fans of the series will no doubt hate the lack of traditional modes from previous games and consider it a crime that Crash Mode was omitted altogether. However, everything about Paradise screams quality and in turn delivers one of the best driving games released in quite a while.
Read Full Review >Destructoid
Just like that, Criterion has really changed the way you’ll look at the structure of racing games. While other racers have tried open worlds (Test Drive Unlimited, for instance), there have been none that have offered the same sense of freedom, ease of use, and level of polish. Criterion has finally taken off your training wheels, and after playing Burnout Paradise, there's little doubt that you'll never want them back on.
Read Full Review >Game Positive
As a whole, Burnout Paradise is a great game. While its open world aspect may have introduced more problems than innovations, the classic Burnout formula still stands strong and offers a fun, exciting racing experience.
Read Full Review >Gaming Age
A fine racing game indeed. I only wish there were more Road Rage modes and other varieties spread along the map as I would say a good 65% of the modes are races. While this is fine and certainly fun, I don’t buy Burnout titles to race, I buy them for the carnage.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club)
The Burnout franchise risks a new direction, and comes one sequel away from perfection.
Read Full Review >Game Revolution
These minor hitches notwithstanding, Burnout Paradise is an excellent, solid ride for both solo and online gamers, with superb control, high production values, complete freedom, and so much obsessive, secret-hunting, gotta-catch-‘em-all lasting gameplay incentive that it’s almost ridiculous.
Read Full Review >The New York Times
Paradise isn’t my favorite Burnout game, but it is well worth playing; the only major aggravation is being forced to listen to Guns N’ Roses’ intolerable song “Paradise City” every time you start playing. Couldn’t they have named it Burnout Suffragette?
Read Full Review >Console Monster
The real joys are when you can explore together with seven other friends and share stories, show off stunts and attempt wacky challenges.
Read Full Review >Thunderbolt
Paradise is a success because of it's originality within the Burnout series. Innovation isn't always EA's strong suit, but much like "skate," Paradise is an all-new concept that pays off, big time.
Read Full Review >GameCritics
In the end, Paradise is both more and less than its predecessors. Not everything that made the previous Burnout games great has survived the transition to the new open world format.
Read Full Review >DarkZero
Well, there’s no question Paradise takes Burnout to a whole new level. Is it better though? Personally I’m inclined to think not.
Read Full Review >Totally360
A thrilling ride hampered by some original but overall annoying design choices.
Read Full Review >Gamer.nl
The free-roaming element is very nice and there's a good integration between the single and multiplayer. But I definitely can't stand the Paradise City tune anymore!
Read Full Review >Boomtown
Criterion has made a major mistake removing crash junctions and replacing them with the rather poor red-headed stepchild showtime. But the racing events and seamless online integration mean that Burnout Paradise remains a game that I can still highly recommend.
Read Full Review >360 Gamer Magazine UK
By taking you down to an open city Burnout Paradise has just hidden its sublime greatness behind what really could be regarded as an interactive menu built into a city. If there were an option to just line up races we wouldn’t bemoan this padding at all, but there isn’t and so we have. Regardless, Paradise is yet another elegant foray into the world of Burnout and the tightest experience yet. It’s two steps forward, one step back and one to the side.
G4 TV
Although the open world has caused some negative changes, the overall effect is a great one. The game looks and sounds fantastic, but plays even better. There’s so much to do in Paradise City that you’ll spend hours exploring every nook.
Read Full Review >Eurogamer
In truth, I would have preferred to select events on the fly, change vehicles on a whim, and restart failed events when I choose, but nor is it a deal-breaker that these features have been omitted. Once you (reluctantly) adapt to the demands of the game, a massive amount of fun awaits.
Read Full Review >Official Xbox Magazine UK
This isn't 'the perfect Burnout' - but it comes damn close. [Feb 2008, p.86]
Read Full Review >GameDaily
Paradise has its frustrations, such as the lack of a Crash mode (Showtime just can't compete) and the inability to instantly restart an event you recently lost. However, the hundreds of racing events, both off-line and through Xbox Live, make Paradise an ideal utopia for fans of the series.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this game is 6.4 (out of 10) based on 139 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Ric Oldroyd gave it a6:
In a word, Overrated. This game was penned by critics as the best open-world racer to date. However, what the game fails at is being a Burnout game. I've been a fan of the Burnout series since number 1, and this attempt at bringing something new to the franchise quite frankly disappoints. Get Burnout Revenge for half the price, or if you want a decent open-world racer, try Midnight Club: LA.
Mr G Green gave it a9:
I can understand the poor comments on here as I myself bought this game hoping for more Burnout revenge or takedown which I loved. I was so annoyed that it wasn't that I quickly put it away for 6 months. But after taking it out again and learning the new ways to play the game has become very addictive. The online play was awsome and I had great fun never having to click through menus. I still prefer the revenge edition but this was a massive leap forward in many ways. More of a car racing game for open world gamers. PS I totally agree about the map being useless (way too small and dark to use in a race) - how about the option of a bigger directional arrow like in NFS titles to make it more accessible for all. Accidentally wandered online and had a great time trying to right off other peoples cars to a soundtrack of classical tunes!. Overall a really great game if you put 3 or 4 hours into it before deciding). The next installment of burnout or BLUR game should be awsome.
Monsieur Sans H gave it a7:
With the average price of a game being 40 GBP, I have a rule of only buying games with an average review score of 8/10 and above. Paradise got a lot of good reviews and the demo was great. But none of that really mattered. I have every version of Burnout except Dominator (I already had Revenge, so no point going backwards, right?). I even bought PoI twice (Gamecube and XBox). I bought Revenge for XBox and bought it again for 360. I'd always loved Burnout ofline, but playing multiplayer on 360 was the absolute best Burnout experience. All my racing crew, the large group of friends that used to race together from the UK, US and Canada all bought Paradise, looking for more of the same fun we had. It was fun doing all the challenges and road rules, and the open world style of the game is fine. We've always loved the fact that there were multiple routes to each course in Burnout races, but the fact that it's to easy to get lost and completely lose a race is very frustrating. It would not have been hard to 'lock' a number of roads during a race (or even give the option to), prevent this. Whatever the general consensus may be, the fact is none of the group of my friends that loved to play Revenge so much even play Paradise anymore. Sorry to say we had more fun playing Flatout U.C. while we were waiting for Paradise. Not being able to race the bikes was the last straw for the few guys that hung on. I'm the only one of the group that even bought the new island DLC, and I drive around it on my own when we're not all playing CoD or L4D. It's still a good game and you have to appreciate the massive effort Criterion put into it, but I'm happier playing Ridge Racer. Thanks for being a shoulder. /Rant.
REAPER 33 gave it a10:
Perfect intense flawless racing action! Game add-ons are worth every MS point!! if you don't own this BurnOut title you are missing out big time!!!
J J gave it a9:
I just bought the game about 6 months ago, and it worth every penny. The fact that the game is free roaming is a great feature added to the series. You have many options on the game such as get a license each license brings new perks cars Game Achievements. They also various offline and online events such as racing, marked man, road rage and stun run (not my favoruite) also online they are various events for 2-8 players. You can restart these events by pressing D on your directional pad (not that hard guys) also they is extra content on DLC such as Boost Special Cars Hot Rod Extreme & Hawker Mech, Legendary Cars P12 Speciall 88 (The Delorean from Back to the Furture) Carson Nighthawk the New Nightrider and General Lee Hunter Calavary Bootlegger, Hunter Matthan Ghost Busters Echo1, Toys, Cops & Robbers and my all time favourite BSI Big Surf Island.
A H gave it an8:
First off, let me say if you're going into this game thinking that it is identical to Takedown or Revenge, you're mistaken. Instead of a map that you choose your events from, now there is this NFS-esque "free roam" mode. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. For me it adds a dimension to the game - where you can explore without the arrows and the X's. But, the minimap that they give you is an epic fail as it shows only about 2 feet in front of you, I find it easier to just look at the street signs in a race, which brings me to my next point. I like the free roam mode, but I wish that Criterion/EA would have given us a closed-walls race at least in events so you don't have to look at that epic-fail minimap that hurts my eyes. There is also a lot to do in this game, earn licenses, take down cars in free roam and earn their car, and a few new modes, one being Marked Man (which is awesome) and Stunt Run (which is just annoying). There is also new "car types" - Aggression (classic Burnout a la Takedown where your boost bar goes up to x3 with takedowns) Speed (Dominator style where you earn boost with near misses, etc and can chain Burnouts) Stunt (Smash into walls and billboards to build a boost bar) I didn't play the demo version and apparently I'm lucky I didn't. Also for the last note, DJ Atomika, STFU. I didn't give it a 10 because it had its flaws (even with all these patches, STILL no reset option is the biggest one), but it's addictive, much like the other Burnout games, so I'll vive this an 8.
Timothy M gave it a10:
I love how the majority of complaints have to do with not being locked into a track for every race. God forbid you spend some time driving around learning the shortcuts and good ways to get from point A to point B. Moreover, it's been said that using the minimap to navigate is much too hard. Just like to point out that the street signs at the top of the screen (as well as your car's turn signal) tell you when a turn is coming up. The game is fantastic, but it definitely has a learning curve to overcome.
