Here at Game Rant, we’re just like you. As much as we all try to stay up with the never-ending stream of games released each week, no one can play everything, all the time. And sometimes the games we play for fun aren’t necessarily the newest titles out there. That’s where What’s Game Rant Playing? comes in.

This new (semi-regular) column is a place for us to come and just rant about the games we’re actually playing. These aren’t reviews — heck, we probably won’t have finished most of the games you read about here. But we will give you our honest opinions. We want to hear from you, too. What are you playing? What do you think about the games in this column? Seriously, let us know. We’ll try to keep up with you in the comments. And now, without further ado: Burnout Paradise.

A bit of background

March 15th, 2010 was a monumental day in my life. For one, it was my birthday, and for another, it was the third time I bought Burnout Paradise. Yes, that’s right; the third time. I paid full price for this game three times. Crazy? Sure. But when it comes to Burnout, crazy isn’t enough - You’ve got to be flat-out, pedal-to-the-metal, balls-on-the-road ridiculous.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Burnout Paradise is, without a doubt, the finest example of an arcade racing game ever created. Forget Mario Kart, Trackmania and Excitebots, nothing even comes close to Paradise. There’s something quite special about cruising around Paradise City – a certain sense of childish glee that the city invokes – that makes the game so damned fantastic to play.

Controls

Mostly, it’s the controls that make the game such a joy to play. I’ve never been a big fan of Simulation Racers (if I wanted to drive a car realistically, I’d get off the internet and apply for my driver’s license) and Paradise is as far away from the Simulation genre as is humanly possible. It’s hard to describe precisely why the cars feel so right - they just… do. The physics engine that Criterion Games developed for Paradise feels so perfect that each of the three main class types (Stunt, Speed and Aggression) all feel unique. The sense of power, accomplishment and achievement that each class invokes make the game such a joy to play.

There’s never a point in Paradise where the player can honestly blame the game for something that goes wrong. Smashed into a wall? You turned too late. Didn’t land the barrel roll? You didn’t have enough speed. Lost a race? You should have picked a faster route. Newton’s laws of Motion state that;

And it’s a law that holds entirely true in Paradise. It’s never the game – it’s always you.

“For every action, there is an equal, and opposite, reaction.”

Variety

As the in-game radio host DJ Atomika says - “There’s always something to do in Paradise City.” Of course, if Paradise handled perfectly but was completely devoid of any action, then it wouldn’t be much fun to play. Thankfully, Criterion’s city has been designed to an absolutely brilliant degree; with 120 separate events at your disposal, there’s always something to do - whether it’s a straight up race, attempting to amass as many takedowns as possible or attempting to pull off an insane number of tricks, there’s something for everyone (or rather, something for all of your moods).

I’m not going to tell you that I love every one of the events. Nor am I going to tell you that every one of them is perfectly designed - after all, games don’t work like that. What I will say however, is that I enjoyed every single event I played, whether I won or lost. And the great thing is, if I’m having a losing streak whilst racing, I can then release my anger and frustration onto the other cars in the Road Rage events. If, after an hour or so of senseless (awesome) brutality, I feel like I’m becoming too heavy-handed, then I can practice my dainty ballerina-esque skills in a Stunt Run.

So sure, Burnout Paradise is a great game, but why buy it again (and again)?

Because I got a PS3. No, I’m being serious! Some of you may have noticed that currently, Burnout: Paradise is on the PSN store for $30. That’s half the price of a brand-new game, and for that small sum of money, you get a HUGE amount of content. There’s the original (core) Burnout Paradise, plus all the free DLC (Bikes, Day/Night cycles, etc) as well as all the paid DLC (Cops and Robbers game modes, Legendary Cars, Big Surf Island and more) all for a ridiculously cheap amount.

Paradise is also one of the rare occasions when one can recommend the PS3 version over the 360. Not only does it run smoother, but the colors are more vibrant and the game feels better on the PS3. It’s hardly surprising, seeing as Criterion admitted to leading their development on the platform, but it’s a nice change nonetheless.

So that’s the end of this edition of What’s Game Rant Playing? In case you haven’t already got it, I highly recommend you download Burnout Paradise for your PS3 immediately, and then add me at SpeedyDesiato to your friends list. Find me cruising in Paradise City, and don’t hesitate to say Hi!

And then watch as I ram your car into a fuel tanker. It’s just more fun that way.

Burnout Paradise is available now for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC platforms. Buy it!