Will Criterion release a new Burnout game? Not anytime soon (If they ever do)

Burnout 3 Takedown

The last mainline Burnout game to be developed by Criterion Games was Burnout Paradise. This game was released in 2008 and has a remaster release in 2018. The original game released for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC and was the last time we would see a commercial release of the Burnout franchise.

Burnout Paradise

Burnout Paradise was released to great success with over one million copies sold within the game's first three months of release. The game took a new approach (a risky one) and made the game open world. While, the world is small compared to modern games, it still managed to cram a ton of extra content and races within it's world. This was also coupled with them doubling down on the 'arcade' aspect that the games are known for. The cars themselves look more like hot-wheels cars and are very floaty to drive. This was an obvious approach as the previous games in the series also took this approach in the arcade racing genre.

The original release of the game was met with great critic and user score at the time of it's release. With an 87 Metascore and a 7.8 user score, the game sat well with both gamers and critics alike. The critic consensus was generally good in terms of performance and "next-gen" mechanics such as broken windshields and damaged car parts. At the same time, there were a few bad apples in the bunch that criticized the game take on an open world, calling for a more traditional Burnout experience. The users seem to be more favorable towards this open world approach, only griping on some choices of game mechanics such as restarting when you crash or the navigation system. Overall, Burnout Paradise was by all means a success.

Full Metacritic score here.

So, where are the new Burnout games?

Need for Speed Unbound

Over the past 7-8 years Criterion has been moving in a new direction. They have a slew of different games under their belt, both original and provided outsource. The last game they made themselves was apart of the Need for Speed franchise with the release of Need for Speed Unbound. The game released on the newer generation of consoles, that being the Xbox Series X, PS5, and PC. For the PS5 version, the critic reviews seem to be all over the place. They either hate or love something that the game offers. Such as the art style of the game with a more cartoonish look, they either find it distracting or call it a 'breath of fresh air' for the series. The user score is a whole other can of worms. With 532 total ratings, over half of them are negative reviews. It would seem Criterion is taking the NFS series in a questionable direction.

Full Metacritic score here.

What I'm trying to say is that Criterion have essentially moved on from the Burnout franchise and they don't seem to be looking back. Also, with their ties to EA, they can be moved to wherever as we've seen them help on the Battlefield franchise (context). I'll keep an eye out for any more updates regarding the future of the Burnout series and possible updates from Criterion Games.

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