Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2

Need For Speed isn't a driving simulator like the previous versions of NFS. NFS:HP2 is all about arcade-style racing game, in which all the vehicle's tuning aren't what they really are. However, like the previous games, it has many wanted cars from many popular manufacturers such as BMW, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche, Chevorlet, and Lotus.

Like it's name says, Hot Pursuit 2 is mostly about getting away from the cops, otherwise pursuing outlaws. It has two modes: Championship - In which you have 35 branched events, in which you must win each to become world champion - and Hot Pursuit - which is 33 brached racing events where you must beat many oppenents, while not getting arrested by the cops.

Of course, I'm exaggerating a bit too much. It starts out quite easy, you have an Opel Speedster and Lotus Elise. Then, as you branch out to more missions, you get cars faster and harder to control. And, your opponents become quite violent. They'll hit you in the rear and give you a slight unfriendly tap and send you flying. Of coruse, they're not perfect either. Every now and then, you'll see them crash into a bus, or miscalculate a turn. And of course, as you get harder cars to control, judicious use of your hand brake makes cornering a lot easier.

Like I previously mentioned before, the car's performance and handling are highly exaggerated in HP2, yet, are close enough to the real cars. The PC version, however, lacks some handling options that the PS2 edition has. This causes the cars to have a very over-racy tuning thing to them. It also makes them slightly "floaty", and thatm makes a car like the Lotus Elise spin around wildly.

Hot Pursuit II gives you four different perspectives to play from: three from the third-person and one from the first, and each one gives you that sense of speed. The models don't look as detailed as the ones in the PS2 edition of HP2, and certainly aren't as fast. The tracks as well look fuzzy and pale compared to the PS2 edition. Despite those facts, HP2 looks quite nice on the PC, especially if you have a high resolution. The sparks, tire tracks, and other such details appear in a nice way. Water reflects nicely, and the glare sun on the pavement won't appear. Of course, there's a price for everything. In this case, you will get an occasional lag. Even though the frame-rate decrease doesn't .really show, it certainly isn't the best.

Overall, it is very confusing and slightly disappointing to see these many differences between the PS2 and PC editions of HP2. It is of course, still a quality game and is worth a buy. And even if it's not as good as the other versions, it still is one of the returns of the NFS series.

Post last edited by Gafaddict on 13.03.2004, 05:32.