Quote:
There's no doubt that Burnout Paradise is a fine arcade racing game that will once again attract a strong following from a discerning audience prepared to live with it and get used to its intricacies. Every mode (apart from, at a push, Showtime) works brilliantly, and with a great online mode seamlessly woven into the game, there's an awful lot to love about this openworld reinvention of Burnout. What's abundantly obvious is that the more time you're prepared to invest, the better it eventually becomes, and the less some of its irritating design oddities will bother you. 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.
Burnout Paradise isn't everything it could have been, but what's here is still worthy of serious consideration for anyone hell-bent on demented arcade thrills.
8/10