Burnout Paradise (NS)
So, technically I completed this a couple months ago as I got my Burnout Elite license already, but I did not finish Big Surf Island, nor the Bikes section either. But I had to 100% (minus the Freeburn stuff, which I don't count towards it) because this game is rather personal for me.
Back around 2008/2009, I owned this game for PS3, and like before, got my Burnout Elite license, and was on my way to completing Big Surf Island, and the Bikes DLC (at the time, the DLC was all separate since I got the OG game). Unfortunately, my fat PS3 (80GB with software BC) bit the dust with the dreaded YLOD, plus I did not have anything backed up, and this was before PS+ was a thing. So I lost everything. All my saves were gone, and Burnout Paradise was the game I put the most time, and effort into. Despite revisiting the game a couple times after I got a PS Slim later on, I just could not bring myself into completing it 100%. And for years, I held onto my PS3 copy until recently when I heard Burnout Remastered was going to be a thing. It was finally time to part ways with my PS3 copy, and await the inevitable Switch port. And oh boy was the wait worth it.
Burnout Paradise is definitely an open world racing game of its time, and it both helps it, and holds it back. For starters, the lack of fast travel does turn some folks off I'm sure, but luckily, there's usually something else to do in the meantime, so a road rule, or another event can be done. Of course, if I'm looking to head back to one of the garages, there are a few areas in the game where getting to it can take a few minutes. Not a major gripe by any means, but something to note. Also like fast travel, the fact you can't just go to the game menu, and select a car, or event can be a bit of a nuisance. But given this is a "remaster" rather than a full on remake, I generally speaking give it a pass.
The racing events are usually interesting, but the lack of more varied destinations, or checkpoint based races on a larger scale is too bad. I think the events work well enough, and when you get into things like a stunt event, that is where you feel more free to do what you want. Just make sure you have a good understanding of the layout to know when a jump, corkscrew, message board, or what else are around to rack up huge points. Getting over a million is not terribly difficult as more just a result of getting long stunt runs. Given this is a game before Autolog, it's too bad you can't really compete with your friends like we could on NFS Most Wanted.
One aspect that I think is generally overlooked in these types of games is the driving physics, which I quite honestly think EA has perfected it over the years with later NFS titles after Paradise launched. Just the ability to go into a corner without really having to let off on the gas, and just send it through the corner with a good combo of ebrake, and normal braking. It truly does defy physics, but in the confines of an arcade racer such as this, it works quite well.
Overall, after putting over 70hours into Paradise, I'm glad I got the chance to revisit it. Some say it's the best Burnout, while others say it's the worst. I think both groups are right. Paradise does a lot of things well, and yet it held back by the traditions of Burnout 3, and Revenge. I understand the original creators of Burnout have since Paradise started their own company, and made a spiritual successor in the form of Dangerous Driving that came out I think in 2019. Supposedly, the sequel to that, Dangerous Driving 2, is on its way to Switch in 2021, so if that is the case, we might also have another potential racing game on our hands.
I look at Burnout Paradise as the type of game that never really excels in anything sans the crashing, but it's also not bad either. The game just works, and even after you complete stuff, you can still roam around to your heart's content, and just drive. The online road rules might be the only thing that would keep me coming back...