[Console Games] 15 Years Ago, Burnout Paradise Redefined What An Arcade Racing Game Could Be

[[Depo] @ Cselites.com]

Burnout Paradise celebrated its 15-year anniversary this week, on January 22, 2023. Below, we take a look at how the iconic game's unique approach to arcade racing helped set the standard for years to come.

Most of the time in an arcade racing game, you see a hot rod screeching down the countryside, with a gorgeous vista in the distance--one that's nothing more than that: a distant setting that you'll never reach. Instead, you have only a single road to follow, with that distant scene serving as window dressing.

That sort of Hollywood-esque set was the backdrop for the majority of arcade racers, a genre about hopping into a Corvette, flying down the road, and then hopping out a few minutes later. You could play as many races that you wanted to, but the joyride would never go any further than that.

There was a reason for that. Sandboxes are messy and don't allow for tight design. Arcade racers move incredibly fast--especially with multiplayer--making the combination of the two "ridiculously hard [to develop]," according to former Criterion lead gameplay programmer Iain Angus. "Really, really hard."

Burnout Paradise, a game where you explore a fictional California town named Paradise City, was all about messing around while making a mess. The horizon was very much in reach when Guns N' Roses began playing.

Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/15-years-ago-burnout-paradise-redefined-what-an-arcade-racing-game-could-be/1100-6510819/