BURNOUT PARADISE REMASTERED: TAKE ME DOWN TO THE CRASH CITY
8.5 of 10 bananas. The open world crash racer that turned every traffic light into a race and every wall into a highlight reel, remastered with all its DLC. Still the purest joy in arcade racing, but finding your way to events is clumsy and the online scene is quiet.
By the Alpha. Steam listing. Updated Oct 25 2026.
Honest note: This is not a fresh hands-on playtest. I built this verdict from launch reviews, critic consensus, update history, and what is known about the game today. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.
Platforms: PC on Steam, plus PS4, Xbox One, and Switch (Criterion Games with Stellar Entertainment, published by EA; remaster released March 2018 on PS4 and Xbox One and June 2020 on PC and Switch). The button on this page is the Steam store page, 19.99 dollars at my Oct 25 check. On Amazon US the Switch digital code was 29.99 dollars, the Switch cartridge was 30.00 dollars from a third-party seller, the PS4 disc was 39.99 dollars with one left, and the cheaper Xbox One disc was a European import with four left, so there is no Amazon button.
Get Burnout Paradise Remastered on SteamSit with me a moment. The young apes have their realistic racers with tire temperatures and tuning menus. I respect them. But sometimes a silverback just wants to drive into oncoming traffic at full boost and watch the replay in slow motion.
What It Wants To Be
You drive freely around Paradise City, a big open world of highways, mountains, and docks. Every intersection hides an event: races, Road Rage takedown battles, stunt runs, and marked man chases. You smash rivals into walls for Takedowns, unlock new cars, and crash on purpose in Showtime mode. The remaster includes all the DLC packs, including Big Surf Island.
What Works
The crashes are glorious, and the Takedown system makes every race a brawl. The city is built for speed, with shortcuts, jumps, and billboards to smash everywhere. Starting any event at any traffic light means no menus, just driving. The remaster runs smoother and packs years of content into one cheap package. Road Rules turn every street into a personal record to beat.
What Breaks
Listen well. Races let you pick any route, which is freedom until you miss a turn and lose, since there is no clear path on screen. Restarting a failed event means driving back to the start. The online freeburn is great, but the community is small now. The soundtrack is beloved, but a song or two loops more than you would like.
Who Should Play
Play it if you want pure arcade racing joy, or if crashes are your favorite part of any racer. Skip it if you want realistic driving or hate learning a map.
STRENGTHS
- Glorious crashes
- Takedowns make races brawls
- Open city with no menus
- All DLC included
HONEST COSTS
- Easy to get lost mid-race
- Clumsy event restarts
- Quiet online scene
- Some songs loop
Store note: the troop still needs an Amazon referral for this one. At my Oct 25 check the Amazon US options were above the Steam price, low stock, or a European import. Steam is the only button until a fair listing is real. This is not an affiliate link.