Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit

The demo released for Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit and my first thought was that I needed to go and download this for my XBOX 360, and see if it lives up to my standards of Need for Speed.

After the 1GB+ download, I fired it right up. At first I was required to accept EA’s Terms & Conditions, and elect to be opted in for a newsletter, you know typical next-gen requirements. Then a brief intro fired up, making my jaw drop as it came closer to playing time. The brilliant cinematics came on my screen –I was sitting in complete darkness, cop lights lit up my living room, making me believe I was going to jail-, showcasing some of the features and game modes through the final product.

Finally I get to play, I select the only option there is besides the Autolog, which is Career. I find out I get to play as a cop, trying to catch 4 racers before they hit the finish line. I was ultimately given two different choices for my cop car, a popular favorite in the Crown Victoria, or the improved Nissan 350Z. My ample law enforcement knowledge wanted to choose the Crown Victoria, however my Need for Speed knowledge made me choose the 350Z. Of course the racers got a head start, and I was off to the races –literally-. After a few crashes I was able to catch up with them. My first question was how the crap do I get these guys to give up, just as I thought that my eyes caught something shiny on the screen, and my ADHD kicked into gear, and I accidentally ran into them. It dawned on me that is how it works.

The controls are –in my honest opinion- sloppy at best. However this is not the final project and my instincts tell me it will change. The cars are somewhat hard to control, you really have to keep on the sticks to keep it steady and go in a direction you want. That was ok for my playing style though, I like to be aggressive when I race, I don’t want a loose control to allow for a bigger margin of error; I need it to be tight. I really would love to know how Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit is when using a steering wheel though.

I am really big on the “cops and robbers” theme they decided to represent again. There is something empowering about being a law enforcement official and breaking the law –in the game mind you-, and flying down the road. My favorite aspect of this game is just that, being able to be a cop, and bust the bad guys. I am fulfilling a childhood dream of some sorts. I would like to point out too, that this one seems to have a greater fast-paced action than the previous titles; and the motion blur really helps with that effect.

The graphics for Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit are great. The details on every car are vast, and the tracks are very intricate and thought out. Criterion Games really did well on this one, and I really do applaud them. Although at some points it did not look very polished, but again this is only a demo, not the final project.

Overall though, this game is fun. I know I for one will be getting this when it comes out on November 16^th, and I hope you do too! This is looking to be the best Need for Speed game that has come out in a long time. I hope to be soon busting you young whipper snappers on the racetrack!