Arriving at a test track in Surrey to take a look at Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, it is clear to see that EA’s PR machine is in high gear as the reboot of their classic arcade racer franchise will soon be hitting shelves. My coat is checked at the entrance to a marquee housing Xbox 360 demo units, each one loaded with preview builds of the game. My first stop, though, is at the back of the room where a leaderboard is set up next to a fairly gigantic LCD TV and I am invited to lay down a time on a sprint track in a Pagani Zonda.
As brief as it was, this was my first chance to play the game and I was honestly impressed. The staple Need for Speed elements are all here. Do super-cool things like driving against oncoming traffic and near-missing other cars to build up your nitrous meter and hold A for a speed boost (just like real life). Anyone that has played a Need for Speed game in the past decade will be right at home here. Hot Pursuit is a throwback of sorts to the franchise’s roots that tries to bring something fresh to the table. More on that later, but for now I recorded a gentleman’s 1.23.50 for TSA then barely had time to devour a burger before being called out to the track. Apparently I was in for a treat.
Outside I met Patrick Soderlund, EA exec. and driver for Team Need for Speed, who was far more eager to get out on the track than to exchange pleasantries. Before I could say “perhaps I should digest my lunch first” I had my organs rearranged at the hands of a Porsche that apparently needed to get around the track faster than anything ever. Twice. My interview would have to wait.
Back inside I got some time with the preview build of Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit and, aptly enough, it was its ‘hot pursuit’ multiplayer mode that I’d be playing. Essentially cops and robbers, a group of up to eight players is divided into two teams, the enforcers and the racers. As an enforcer it is your job to take down the racers before they can escape past a certain point in the course and, naturally, there are some tools at your disposal to help you achieve this. Assigned to the d-pad are four justice rich (or ‘justilicious’, if you will) “weapons” in the form of spike strips, an EMP, helicopter support and the ability to call for a road block. Meanwhile, as a racer, it’s up to you to escape the long arm of the law by driving like a bat out of hell with a similar arsenal of tricks up your sleeve. Along with the spike strips and EMP you also have a jammer to counter the Enforcers’ helicopters and a ridiculously over-powered turbo to give you that extra kick in a tight spot.
Initially these vehicle powers felt a little gimmicky and not a million miles away from Mario Kart, but by the end of my first pursuit their presence had been entirely justified. There were points during my play time when they were genuinely game changing and their end results almost comparable to the Michael Bay chaos of Split/Second. The mechanic as a whole lends itself well to the style of arcade race’em’up EA wanted to get back to with Hot Pursuit. Laying a spike strip to deal with a pesky enforcer on your tail and leaving him in your dust with a turbo boost to reach the finish line is easily one of the most satisfying things I’ve done in a video game all year.
That said, nothing that I experienced here felt new. The reason that those familiar to the franchise will feel at home is largely because it will feel like they’ve already played it. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit feels less like a reboot for the franchise and more like an update of a formula that worked so well for the original. Everything from the supercars to the vistas look astounding, I didn’t once notice a drop in frame rate, and each race I played in was hugely enjoyable, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had been here before.
What remains to be seen, then, is Criterion’s mark. Given their sterling online support for Burnout: Paradise, perhaps we’ll see a similar approach here. During the interview with Soderland he expressed a desire to make a game that gamers will feel is worth their hard earned £40 and will make for a lasting and extended experience. This is a sentiment echoed in Hot Pursuit’s Autolog system, which tracks your style of play and recommends new tracks or events, as well as giving stats on your friends’ performance. I asked Soderland if this was perhaps a way of implementing micro transactions, which he denied; describing a system more akin to Paradise’s that updates the player on the fly.
“You might get a message that says ‘Hey! Patrick’s just beaten your time on this track,’ and you’ll have the option to go try and beat him again.”
Given that Paradise had much more of an open world setting, it will be interesting to see how this pans out with Hot Pursuit’s top down map interface. Above all, Soderland recognised the dire critical reception Need for Speed: Underground had and regards this, along with last year’s Shift, as a response to that. A focused redirection; an update for the franchise. While I’m not sure you could call it a reboot just yet, it’s certainly a lot of fun.
SpikeyMikey23
Lucky bugger, sounds cool, enjoyed the demo! Did they have the lambo there? did you get to go in it?
3shirts
The demo is brilliant and sceptical as I was about the Autolog I found myself obsessed with getting to the top of my friends list (which I did and still am), and that is only two events!
I think the idea of a free roam world but with locked down track routes and the ability to jump to events is a perfect mix.
Thechunkymunky
I’m actually the direct opposite to you. I liked the thought of going against my friends, but when they somehow set a near impossible time that I can’t get anywhere near, I got wound up and turned it off.
All EA need to do is make another Most Wanted (or HD-ify it, i’ll take it) :P
jayboy31
I agree with the time thing, 1.11 on the Pursuit mode??
But I am loving the handling now, its got a very real at high speeds. Turning one way then the other isn’t instant, which it shouldn’t be. And there’s something that appeals to all men which is driving at high speed with the siren on and a police radio, fantastic!! I never thought i’d be buying this but I may well be.
JamboGT
I have a friend that has doe pursuit in 52 seconds. Am second in the race though but I have had 50 less attempts than my mate who is ahead of me and only half a second to make up :P
stueeeee
Most Wanted was friggin’ awesome so as I remember it so I’ll agree with u there. Hopefully this will do justice to the ps2 Hot Pursuit though!
Kevling
I think the Autolog works great with the small number of events in the demo (well, 2), but I can imagine the flow of information becoming quite overwhelming in the full game. It all depends how clever it is as filtering the information back to you…
jayboy31
@JamboGT – Really, how? I cant get less than 2.11s, and that is me really going at it with road blocks etc
Voganlight
The minute the road block action is ready, activate it, and get the blue car out of the way while taking the shortcut, the red car should crash into the roadblock, take it out. Damage the other cars while waiting for the second roadblock. When you get to it, try to take both cars out, BOOM! You’ve got a time under 1 minute ;)
cam the man
Good review.
When first announced I was looking forward to this game but all the videos released have put me off as, like you say, there’s nothing new.
With F1 2010 not long released and GT5 just round the corner (hopefully) at the moment I’m going to give this a miss.
Grey_Ghost13
Very jelouse of you. Sounds like it was blast of a day. I can’t wait for the game after playing the demo, alot. The fast & furious street racing NFS games have had their day. And Shift was a good outing but needs more work from Black Box, maybe their next one will improve on it. But Criterion have given me exactly what I want from the game. Loved Hot Pursuit on the PS2 and this reminds of it so much, but better!
SpikeyMikey23
I had need for speed 3: hot pursuit on pc, with a microsoft force feedback wheel. Loved it!
jayboy31
Me too but without the wheel. the lighting was great, blue & red sirens through the night streets, lovely
Sympozium
I wasn’t impressed much with demo honestly I would wish that EA could stop releasing Need For Speed yearly.
Would be so nice to see either a new Burnout or a original ip from Criteron.
Dar-Kaus
I loved the demo so much I’m going to add this to my list, It’slike Chase HQ on steriods, GO MR DRIVER!
Grey_Ghost13
Ah Chase HQ, memories!
TSBonyman
Loved the ps2 version and thoroughly enjoyed the recent demo for this so definite buy for me.
Peco
Nothing’s changed, I still hate these. Only slightly less than I used to.
Kevling
I crashed down on the crossbar (thanks to a pesky spike strip), and the pain was enough to make a shy bald buddhist reflect and plan a mass murder.
djhsecondnature
What are ‘these’? And why do you hate them?
Kevling
Slightly adjusted song lyrics Davs – the subtitle to the article is a Smiths song title (more recently covered by Mark Ronson). Peco just adapted a line from it to (I guess) state he doesn’t like NfS games.
Peco
Right you are Mr Kevling. By ‘these’ I meant this series of games, never been a fan of the Need for Speeds!
cc_star
Nothing is as good as Burnout Takedown/Revenge but this is probably going to be the next best
JamboGT
Takedown is amazing but Revenge was my least favourite of the Burnout games, well maybe that and Paradise.
JamboGT
Found the handling to be pretty poor, it has the pendulum effect a little too much and that is never a good thing, drifting is nice though.