Nixed Burnout Paradise DLC Had Time Travel, Moon Racing

Criterion Games released an impressive number of downloadable content packs for their racer Burnout Paradise. They had an equal number of DLC ideas that never panned out, though.

In a news post on Criterion's website (via VG247), the developers revealed that they wanted to greatly expand the range of vehicles in the game. The team discussed adding boats, planes, and helicopters as DLC but ultimately decided against it for various reasons. Planes weren't a possibility because the game world wasn't designed to be seen from an aerial view.

Criterion also planned some interesting new settings, too. Underground tunnels and the Moon were both considered as sites for new Challenges. Letting players drive around on the Moon was their second craziest idea, though - they also wanted to add a time travel portal to the game that transported you to the Wild West.

Normally a developer would keep these aborted ideas to themselves, with the rationale being that they want to "save it for the sequel." I don't think Burnout fans would be any less thrilled to receive helicopters in the next game just because they were given pre-warning, though. It's refreshing to see a developer let down their guard a bit and let us know about roads the game didn't take. What a game could've been is as important as what it ended up being.