For the uninitiated, the “Burnout” series is essentially “Mario Kart” on steroids, except the mushrooms are replaced by jet engines, firing fuel obtained by running competitors off the road and checking them into traffic. Its claims to fame are the spectacular crashes that result from all this mayhem, and the latest installment does not disappoint—glass flies everywhere in a glittery show of particle rendering and physics while cars twist and crunch with frightening detail.

While the developers have been accused of churning out “safe” sequels, “Burnout Paradise” takes a radical step forward by building all the tracks into a giant, free-form city, where players discover events at any of the city’s intersections. After learning the interface and the roadways, even skeptics may find the new system extremely entertaining. You have the option to drive around mindlessly and explore, and you can use that experience in the game world to your advantage when racing across the city during a particularly close race.

This design decision makes “Burnout Paradise” a deeper game instead of the pick-up and play quickie it was in earlier iterations. While racers enjoy playing events ad nauseam will likely love it, casual players may be turned off by the need for deeper investment to appreciate the game’s finer points. Additionally, the popular “Crash Mode”—where players attempt to cause as much damage as possible on planned courses—has been scrapped entirely, a decision that may turn off long time fans. The Xbox Live play is also superbly done, allowing you to invite friends at the push of a button to jump into your Paradise City and cruise for events together. This use of online play is exactly where developers ought to be heading in this generation, allowing players to get together in an unstructured space and have a blast together. This freedom will keep players crashing and raising havoc in Paradise City for months.