Burnout and open world were never three words I would have put together. The thought seemed as likely as an open world Sega Rally, F-Zero or Golden Axe (er, hold on a minute, they're actually doing that one!) I have always seen Burnout as an arcade racer, and while Criterion have undoubtedly created a fine city in which to play out your destructive shenanigans, the Burnout template still feels somewhat forced into the sandbox mechanic. Open world gameplay has been done to death over the last few years and the initial buzz surrounding it is certainly starting to wear a bit thin. So, rather than get all excited about Burnout in an open world, my immediate feelings were of trepidation and well, downright fear.

After playing the demo, my fears seemed to have been sadly confirmed. The same first class gameplay was present, as expected, but Burnout Paradise had seemingly lost all sense of focus. Beyond the fact that the Burnout universe was now one you could traverse at your own leisure (a phrase I thought I would never equate with a Burnout title), Criterion had seemingly made some rather strange design choices along the way. Like myself, it seems that many others were left more than a little concerned after playing the demo - and although I would love to fully allay those fears, I just can't. Although Burnout Paradise is still an exceptional game, one that is far superior to what the demo hinted at, it's still a game that will infuriate as much as it pleases, and one that doesn't quite justify the sudden change in direction for the series.

Design choices aside however, Paradise truly is a technical marvel - and this in no more apparent than in the open world city on offer, the undoubted star of this show. Criterion are clearly very proud of Paradise City, which has been built with destruction in mind at every conceivable turn. From the city streets to the back roads in the countryside, there is never a shortage of things to do. Upon first loading up, the pleasure of simply driving around the city will hold your attention for quite some time. Before you even think about entering one of the 120 events on offer around Paradise City, just getting a feel for your surroundings as a whole becomes a very pleasant experience, as you begin to find billboards to crash through, hit the marked jumps, of which there are 50 to discover, and smash through the many gates found all over the city. These elements might sound basic - and they are - but they make exploration all the more fun, giving greater reason to learn the city beyond just wanting to see the sights.

Sadly, the problems start to arise as soon as you choose to start your career-like rise from grade D to grade A (the only linear aspect of Burnout Paradise)., which is accomplished, unsurprisingly, by completing events. Unlike other Burnout titles, these events can be completed in any order you see fit; almost every junction in Paradise City has been assigned an event and you activate them simply by pulling up at the traffic lights and spinning your wheels. The events are actually quite varied, ranging from standard races (point to point only now, no more lap races) and Road Rage to the all-new Marked Man (reach the finish line before a group of enemy drivers wreck your car), Stunt Runs (gain points and multipliers for jumps, aerial stunts, drift and boost) and Burning Routes (use a specific car to sprint from A to B against a very tight time limit). Although there is a slight lack of variation and little innovation over previous entries in the series, each mode is still hugely enjoyable in its own right. It's not the events that are the problem though - the problem comes from very purposeful design choices made by Criterion, intended to increase the feeling of freedom flowing through the game. Sadly, many of these choices only lead to one feeling - that of stress.

The fact that there is no fast-travel option in Burnout Paradise is simply mind-boggling, especially when you take into account that you cannot restart events either.. Mess up in any event type and, well, that's that. You can either drive back to the beginning - an often-lengthy process - or just start another nearby event. You can see what Criterion have tried to do here - create a game that never loses its flow or sense of immersion - it's just that it often becomes infuriating rather than immersing. To make matters worse, unlike in open world racers such as Need for Speed, in which unnecessary roads are closed off for events, in Burnout Paradise, the whole city is left open, thus making trial and error a huge part of gameplay for the first, I don't know, eight hours or so. There has simply been no compromise on that part of Criterion. There is a flashing indicator that comes up as you approach a junction where you need to turn, akin to that found in The Getaway, but it just isn't enough notice for a game as quick and instinct-fuelled as Burnout. This game would have been made infinitely more accessible with just a few changes to the events formula. If you don't define tracks then have a decent arrow, and if not, leave the restart option in place or provide the ability to leap from one part of the city to the next, even it means waiting through a loading screen. Simply put, these choices by Criterion have made Burnout much more stress than it ever should be. Changing the game from an arcade racer to an open world racer is one thing, but asking you to learn the entire city with little assistance is just plain foolish.

To add salt to the wounds, Criterion has made some pretty bizarre omissions for Burnout Paradise - omissions that are really hard to justify. First off, there are no crash junctions. Yes, you heard that right - no crash junctions! Instead there are Showtime events, but these simply aren't as fun. Although implemented well into the game's design as you attempt to 'own' the many streets of Paradise City via the completion of these Showtime events, along with more traditional Time Trials, the actual event just can't compare to the puzzle-like structure of the crash junctions in previous iterations of the series. Although the aim is still destruction on a grand scale, it doesn't feature that planned mayhem of the crash junctions. If anything, Showtime events are the crash junction's insane cousin; instead of subtly planning every aspect of your crash, you can now boost your car around the street, thus turning it into a bouncing wreck of destruction. It certainly is fun and is actually hilarious the first couple of times, but it doesn't have the hidden finesse or staying power of the crash junctions.

It's not just the crash junctions that have gone missing either; revenge style rivalries are no more and signature takedowns have been completely removed. I wish I could find a reason for these features being dropped, but I just can't. The worst of the lot though has to be the omission of the crash aftertouch. Whereas crashing in previous titles allowed for the potential of more carnage, now they just become a nuisance, thus leaving Burnout Paradise fitting somewhere bizarrely between Burnout Dominator and Burnout 2: Point of Impact in terms of style. Some may argue that this is a purer style of racing, but for me it robs the game of much of its potential fun and added rivalry.

With all this negativity, you are probably wondering why Burnout Paradise has received such a high score. Well, the fact of the matter is, Burnout Paradise is still an exceptional racer, one that still deserves your time and still rewards players for persistence and skill. If anything, Burnout Paradise is potentially the most rewarding title in the series. As annoying as the trial-and-error aspects of gameplay are, if you put in the time and learn the city, racing and crashing your way through events becomes a pure joy. Persevere through those early hours of feeling overwhelmed and frustrated, and suddenly Burnout Paradise starts to make a lot more sense. The lack of a restart button does remain a nuisance, but when you know the city well enough to no longer need to keep referring to the map, Paradise City is easy to get around and a joy to behold.

As ever, the actual racing itself is also a complete joy throughout. Simple races are often more eventful than the majority of games in their entirety, while Road Rage events are full of fast-paced wrecks and some absolutely beautiful graphic-novel-style artistic touches that increase the drama of the racing as the screen drains of colour as you take more damage. Stunt Runs offer a new dimension to the gameplay as you spin, roll and jump your car in as skilled a way as possible, while Burning Runs offer intense, edge of your seat time trials that are rewarded with a huge array of unlockable vehicles. Marked Man races are new to the scene but are easily one of the game's best features; nothing quite beats the thrill of trying to escape a convoy of tough cars all baying for your blood as you try to escape without having your car wrecked beyond all recognition. Some may argue that there is a lack of variation - an argument strengthened by events being reset each time you go up a class - but when they are as fun, rewarding and challenging as these, it rarely matters.

Although the single player aspect of the game is very much of the fun but flawed persuasion, the same cannot be said of Burnout Paradise's online component. Every aspect of it works almost perfectly and compared to the stresses of the single player mode, is a simple pleasure throughout. For one, you can jump straight into events. Why this is only the case for online play is somewhat peculiar, but nevertheless it makes online racing all the more accessible. The host can define the start and end points of races, as well as defining a number of checkpoints along the way, starting the race at the flick of the d-pad, while all the time, friends and strangers alike explore and race around the city. It doesn't matter where you are on the map in relation to everyone else in the event - as soon as the host calls the start of the race you are magically drawn to the racing line, ready to start the vent; easy, accessible and hugely enjoyable, albeit with a brief loading time. This ability to choose the start and end of the race at any points of the city, along with the absolutely massive selection of challenges, means that online play has more than its fair share of stuff to do, adding great longevity to an already epic game.

Revenge style rivalries also make a welcome return for the online component of the game and are made all the better through the use of PlayStation Eye. The camera takes a mugshot of the rival player the moment you take them down. This can be truly hilarious, especially when played with friends. Sadly, it also reminds you of it being omitted from the single player mode; a crazy choice that is only confounded by the fun had online.

Aesthetically, Burnout Paradise once again comes up trumps. From the beautifully crafted city to the magnificent, movie style lighting to the actual cars and crashes themselves, Burnout Paradise is a beautiful game. As you would expect from a Burnout title, it runs at a ridiculous speed, with no sign of slowdown whatsoever. The sense of speed is once again second to none and the crashes are more intricate than ever before. The chance to slow down and take a look around also comes into its own here; Burnout games have always been beautiful, it's just that we've never had the chance to take in the sights until now. Thanks to the free roaming elements, you can now stop, admire and move on, something that simply wasn't possible in previous Burnout titles.

The audio is also top notch, with probably the best soundtrack that Burnout has produced to date. Artists ranging from Twisted Sister, Adam and the Ants and Guns 'N' Roses to N.E.R.D and Jimmy Eat World make for a fitting soundtrack to the style of game on offer. The sound effects are also first class, as cars rev, screech and crash with explosive noise and weight throughout. Sadly, the DJ once again turns up with his annoying voice and ridiculous quips to completely lower the tone of proceedings. This wouldn't be all that bad if you could actually turn him off. Why oh why do you insist that we listen to this idiot's mocking remarks over and over again, Criterion? Why?!

Burnout Paradise is an excellent game and if you have the capability to play online and the time to learn the city inside out, it may well prove to be a title that keeps you enthralled for many months to come. Those who will only be playing this offline however, or who were looking for that quick arcade fix - a game to drop into for a quick blast every once in a while - may well come away disappointed and stressed out. For all the omissions and strange design choices on the part of Criterion, Burnout Paradise is still a game that's more than worthy of your time; I just can't help but feel that the move to an open world has robbed the series of its arcade sensibilities. The fun is still there, but now you need to work for it.

Reviewed by Liam Pritchard for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).