In November 2010, Criterion Games and EA Games released Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit — the 17th installment in the Need For Speed (NFS) series.
This legacy of this franchise began in 1994. Although it started out as a simple racing game, Need for Speed was ahead of its time. Perhaps that is why its successor, Need for Speed 2, was unveiled in 1997. Then, in 1998, Need for Speed 3: Hot Pursuit was released. Four installments later, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 was made available to gamers.
Once again, the point of the game is to win street races while escaping the police, or tracking down and busting street racers. This all takes place in the scenic Seacrest County. The game is very similar to Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2, but with some minor changes.
Overview of gameplay
In the latest installment, players are constantly working either to earn street credit as a racer or to be promoted as an officer. Both tasks are tracked on a system of 20 levels.
As a racer, the player starts out at level 1 (“Speeder”) and works his way up to level 20 (“Most Wanted”). As police officers, gamers embark on a different set of levels, but still begin at level 1 (“Cadet”) and work their way up to the 20th level (“Ultimate Enforcer”).
In addition, racers are equipped with power-ups to counter those of the police. Although players need to unlock them first, racers can use spike strips, turbo boosts, EMPs (electromagnetic pulses, used to temporarily disable the system of the targeted car) and jammers to defend against the police’s roadblocks, helicopters, EMPs and spike strips. The power-ups give the game more of an arcade feel, which I enjoy.
A large part of the game is collecting bounty, which can be earned by accomplishments such as taking out other cars, completing races in a certain amount of time and finishing races in first place.
As a new feature, the game introduces Autolog, which is like Facebook for gamers. Players can upload photos and best race times and comment on friends’ Autolog profiles. It also contains an experience system called “bounty,” which is the game’s point system.
Initial impressions
At first, I was stunned with the game. The graphics are great — each scratch racked up is visible on the body of the realistic-looking cars. The game is fully equipped with cutting-edge vehicles, such as Lamborghinis, Porches, Bugattis and Aston Martins.
The online game play is phenomenal, and I don’t get tired of playing somebody completely new in every race. With three different race modes, multiplayer is very unique, as the gamer can play against just about anyone in the world.
Another awesome part of the game is that Seacrest County is a free world open for the gamer to roam, unlike the worlds of some racing games. This area features over 100 miles of road to explore.
Negative features
It’s hard not to appreciate such a fast and action-packed game, but it does feature a few problems. First of all, there are absolutely no Ferraris, which have been absent from NFS games since Hot Pursuit 2. Ferraris seem essential for a car racing game because Ferrari is known to set the standard for exotics.
My next criticism lies with the campaign, which can become pretty repetitive. Although each race is at a slightly different location and has a different length, all the races seem similar. Other complaints range from small annoyances, such as the cops using the same strategies over and over again, to problems as big as having one’s opponents follow the same racing plan.
The opponents lack a crazy, insane, “blow caution to the wind” style of driving. Even though each is uniquely designed, the cars on Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit all drive relatively the same, with the only main difference being their speed capabilities. I feel that each car should handle a little differently.
This game also bears a striking resemblance to Burnout: Paradise, another Criterion Games racing game. It is full of the fast-paced, split-second decision, wild style of Burnout, but lacks the strategy, challenge and complexity of Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2.
Altogether, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit is a good game, and I would recommend it for the online gameplay alone. The fast-paced, action-packed racing is exciting, even if it may not live up to the expectations of being an NFS installment. I think that this game is better suited for the online fanatic than for the player who only plays on the local console.
Although Hot Pursuit is repetitive, it still is above average and manages to put a smile on my face every time I play it.
Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit is available for the PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows, Wii, Xbox 360 and iOS platforms.
For more video game reviews, read the Nov. 29, 2010 article, Madden installment outshines predecessors.
