One other thing Criterion should consider for the next Paradise is the return of Crash mode. Its replacement, Showtime Mode, has some strategy to it as you crash your car into traffic to rack up points. However, Crash has more appeal – and dynamic range – overall. You'll toy around with Showtime for about an hour before you begin yearning for more vehicles to decimate.

Negatives aside, this is still an outstanding racing game. Paradise City is excellently designed, a sprawling city with skyscrapers and exquisite details galore. There are no pedestrians, oddly enough, but they'd just distract the racing action. The graphics move at a buttery smooth sixty frames per second, interrupted only by slight loading times between events. The cars look excellent, especially when shattering into thousands of pieces following a brutal wreck.

The music selection isn't bad either. The game opens beautifully with Guns n' Roses' "Paradise City" and varies from there. It's great to hear some of Burnout's old-school rock themes make a return, although we probably could've done without Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend". Car engine noises sound authentic and loud, and the crash noises are cringe-worthy. The DJ also makes a return, offering pieces of advice on your racing skills. Fortunately, you can play your own custom soundtrack to drown him out.

Although the open-world environment has its negatives, it still provides plenty
of spectacular moments. You can interact with other racers online through the
PlayStation Network, challenging them in real-time for quick racing action. If
you have a PS3-compatible USB camera, you can also capture snapshots to store
in a gallery. Nothing beats catching your buddy off-guard in a crash and
storing his or her reaction on your hard drive to treasure forever. The ability
to hunt down exotic cars all over the city to put in your personal garage is
marvelous, too, along with the dozens of unlockable cars you find after each
event.

Overall, Paradise definitely isn't lost. If the game had Crash Mode and the ability to instantly get back in a race, it could've easily scored a nine. The graphics are top-notch, the gameplay still kicks and the online/off-line interaction is lots of fun. If you're a driver looking for something that sets itself apart from the simulation field, you'll happily welcome this little piece of Paradise.