Burnout Paradise Remastered

Game images by RAWG

Burnout Paradise Remastered

Electronic Arts

PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo SwitchPremium

Health Score

DECENT

Watch Gameplay

About This Game

Super Review

Burnout Paradise Remastered delivers thrilling open-world arcade racing, centered on high speeds, spectacular stunts, and over-the-top car destruction. It's a complete premium purchase with no addictive monetization. Parents should note the online multiplayer's open voice chat with strangers, which presents a significant social risk for younger players, alongside frequent cartoonish crashes.

Super Review

Parent verdict

With a Decent health score of 47, Burnout Paradise Remastered is a qualified fit that works best for families who can actively manage its online social risks. The game delivers engaging, fast-paced driving that helps develop motor skills, and it’s a refreshing change to find a title free from predatory monetization tactics. While the single-player experience is generally fine for its age rating, the open voice chat in multiplayer requires strict parental supervision or disabling to mitigate potential exposure to inappropriate interactions.

What players actually do

Players drive various cars at high speeds through an open-world city, navigating traffic and discovering shortcuts, which hones hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness.
Players perform spectacular jumps, drifts, and stunts, challenging themselves to achieve high scores and master vehicle control.
Players intentionally crash into rival cars in 'Takedown' events or engage in over-the-top vehicle destruction, focusing on competitive driving and quick reflexes.
Players can compete or cooperate with friends and strangers online in a variety of challenges, exercising teamwork or competitive strategies while navigating social interactions.

Where it shines

The game is a one-time premium purchase, completely free from microtransactions, loot boxes, battle passes, or other addictive monetization, offering a straightforward ownership model.
Engaging in high-speed driving, navigating the open world, and performing stunts actively develops hand-eye coordination, spatial reasoning, and quick decision-making skills.
The game provides hundreds of online challenges, fostering social play where players can team up with friends or compete with others, encouraging cooperative or competitive interaction.

Parent watch-outs

Online multiplayer includes open voice chat with strangers, which lacks moderation and poses a significant social risk for younger players due to potential exposure to inappropriate language or interactions.
The core gameplay involves frequent, cartoonish vehicle crashes and destruction, which are visually impactful though not graphic, and some car decals feature mild suggestive themes.
The game offers limited educational depth beyond motor skills and spatial awareness, with creative opportunities primarily confined to driving style rather than building or designing.

Family rules worth setting

Always disable voice chat when playing online to prevent exposure to unfiltered communication from strangers.
Set clear time limits for play sessions to ensure a balanced gaming habit, especially given the open-world nature that can encourage extended exploration.
Play online only with known friends or restrict play to the single-player modes to avoid unpredictable social interactions.

Talk about this

Discuss how to interact politely and respectfully with other players online, even in competitive games, and what to do if someone says something inappropriate.
Talk about the importance of managing screen time and finding a balance between gaming and other activities like schoolwork, outdoor play, or family time.
Initiate a conversation about what constitutes appropriate content in games, especially regarding suggestive themes or violence, and why ratings exist.

Play style

This open-world arcade racer encourages exploration and self-directed play. Sessions can be short, focused on a specific event, or longer, as players freely roam Paradise City discovering secrets and challenges. Difficulty is player-driven, with harder challenges unlocked through progression. Online play ranges from competitive races and takedowns to cooperative challenges with up to eight players. Younger players may need help managing online interactions and understanding progression goals.

Score Breakdown

Positive Aspects

Educational Value

2/5

Creativity

2/5

Pro-Social

3/5

Risk Factors

Addictive Monetization

3/5

Time Pressure / FOMO

1/5

Social Risk

4/5

Content Intensity

1/5

Why this rating

Educational Value

2/5

Burnout Paradise Remastered scores a 2 for Educational Value because it primarily develops motor skills like hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness through its fast-paced driving and navigation. It does not offer deeper academic learning or complex problem-solving opportunities.

Addictive Monetization

3/5

This game earns a score of 3 for Addictive Monetization as it is a one-time purchase and contains no microtransactions, loot boxes, battle passes, or other mechanics designed to pressure players into ongoing spending. All content is included from the start, offering a complete experience.

Social Risk

4/5

Burnout Paradise Remastered receives a score of 4 for Social Risk primarily due to its online multiplayer featuring open voice chat with strangers. This presents a significant social exposure risk for younger players, as there is minimal moderation of these interactions.

Pro-Social

3/5

The game scores a 3 for Pro-Social benefits by offering opportunities for both competitive and cooperative online play with friends in a variety of challenges. Players can team up to complete objectives, fostering teamwork and shared experiences.

Negatives

•Online multiplayer includes open voice chat with strangers, presenting a significant social risk for younger players with minimal moderation.
•Educational value is limited to developing motor skills and spatial reasoning, with no deeper learning content.
•Creative opportunities are confined to driving style and route-finding rather than building or designing.
•Content includes cartoonish but frequent vehicle crashes and mild suggestive themes on some car decals.

Positives

•No microtransactions, loot boxes, or other addictive monetization
•the game is a one-time purchase.
•Develops hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness through fast-paced driving and navigation.
•Offers opportunities for both competitive and cooperative online play with friends in hundreds of challenges.
•Does not use daily login rewards, battle passes, or other mechanics that create pressure to play.