If you’re surprised to see this being reviewed already, don’t blame us. We attempted to bring you a preview several months ago, but were bizarrely scuppered by Electronic Arts. Having dispatched a list of generic questions to the powers that be, a wall of silence ensued, eventually followed by the revelation that the bulk of them were considered inappropriate. An example of one of the offending questions: 'Are there any features specific to the PC?’ To our minds, that’s scarcely a sickening intrusion into the machinations of what is, after all, a game. Nevertheless, the answers weren’t forthcoming, and the preview had to be dropped. If they don’t have confidence in their own product, then it’s difficult for us to.
As it turns out, it seems we may have hit a nerve, as this is, on closer inspection, a glorified console game that actually lacks some of the features of its TVbased counterparts. PC gamers of more than five years vintage may recall the original Hot Pursuit title, namely Need For Speed III: Hot Pursuit. It was the most successful of the NFS series, hence this sequel/remake, which complicates the heritage further. It’s a bit like releasing a film called Jaws 3D II: Sharp Teeth.
Either way, it’s a next generation rendition of the classic game, with all the fancy motors and cop-baiting that entailed. Naturally, it looks impressive enough, featuring reflections, puffs of smoke and dramatic scenery, as you’d expect from a modern racing game. The arcade stylings are still in place, and whatever car you’re driving, the handling largely involves throwing it around the track at breakneck pace, with only occasional regard given to such mundane matters as safety and braking.
The cars are plentiful though, with some 20 featured, including the Lamborghini Murcielago and Ferrari 360 Spider, which will no doubt be of great excitement to Top Gear-loving readers. And unlike in many games, the manufacturers have actually agreed to their cars being damaged, with bonnets and boots often flapping precariously in the breeze.
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 is a 2002 racing video game, the sixth installment in the Need for Speed series and the sequel to 1998's Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit. It was developed by EA Black Box for the PlayStation 2, and by EA Seattle for GameCube, Xbox and Windows. It features cars from various high performance and exotic car manufacturers. Need for Speed Hot Pursuit is a racing game for PC, developed by Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts. Hot Pursuit is a remake of the original NFS series, released in 1998. The game returns the series to its roots, by giving the player a chance to become either a racer or a member of the police.
The main treat of the original game were the police chases, which have now been expanded upon, with several types of car, and even police helicopters that drop exploding barrels on suspected felons. You can also be the cop, although perversely not in multiplayer mode, which is a rather huge oversight.
Other than that, it’s a passable mix of races andchallenges, with a multi-pathed championship mode opening up depending on your success in previous events. While it’s certainly an enjoyable and polished arcade romp, perhaps EA was right, as ultimately there isn’t much to shout about.