Burnout meets Need for Speed
From the creators of the Burnout series comes this fantastic, undeniably over-the-top racer and arguably one of the best instalments in the Need for Speed franchise so far. If you’ve been playing N.F.S. games for a while then, like me, you will have noticed the series wane over the last few releases. Upon hearing about Criterion Games being given the chance to jump start the series back into top gear, I for one was very excited, and with good cause. Hot Pursuit not only packs a fresh punch, the new Autolog feature innovates and is something that should be in all racing games, perhaps even in other genres with competitive gameplay.
Set in the fictional world of Seacrest County, Hot pursuit does away with attempting any type of storyline, and puts you straight into the drivers seat of some of the hottest cars around at the moment. From the get go you can play as a cop or a racer, but both have access to the same cars apart from a few exceptions like different skins and flashing lights for the police. This leads me to believe that tax in Seacrest county must be sky high with all the traffic cops super cars being written off on a minute-by-minute basis.
As a racer in single player you can choose from: standard 8 player races, one to one duels; Hot Pursuit, which is like the standard race but with the police chasing you down; Gauntlet, which is the same as hot pursuit but you’re the only racer; and time trial, in which you have to beat the time in the car you’re given. All modes require you to race from point A to point B and all are fun but hot pursuit and gauntlet are certainly the most action packed. In these modes you will have the cops making roadblocks, setting spike traps, blasting you with EMPs or just ramming you like psychotic mad men from all directions. However as a racer you are given some tools to help you along the way such as: the self-explanatory turbo or the jammer that counters EMPs and spike traps, as well as showing up roadblocks on the mini map.
As a cop you have several modes to choose from. Interceptor, where you have to chase down a racer within a set time using the various gadgets given to you as well as avoiding anything the racer throws at you. Hot Pursuit, where you have to chase down and bust multiple racers before any of them finish the course and finally; Rapid Response, which is basically like time trials only you have seconds added to your finishing time for either hitting traffic or barriers. In Hot Pursuit and Interceptor modes you will be able to call for helicopters which will fly ahead and lay down spike strips for those pesky racers; and roadblocks, which will usually deploy around the next corner in an attempt to slow the racers down. Both cops and racers can use EMPs and spike strips.
The game looks great as well, with some of the best looking environments seen in a racing game yet. Obviously the cars don’t have the same level of detail as in Gran Turismo 5 but who cares when your driving at over 200 mph down a beautifully lit desert road, masterfully anticipating the next corner. All the cars can receive damage which adds to the overall experience, this instead of being in some indestructible car made out of god knows what.
As for handling, anybody familiar with Burnout will feel right at home as you swing around corners at full speed, only touching the break for the tightest of bends. Anyone looking for a realistic driving experience should not get this game, Gran Turismo 5 or F1 2011 will suit your needs much better.
You cannot upgrade cars or change their appearance apart from the colour, you get what you’re given, but what is available is an extensive list of sports cars and super cars ranging from the Porsche Boxster and Subaru Impreza to the Mercedes SLR Mclaren and Bugatti Veyron. There are over 50 cars in total and more available through paid downloadable content, the majority of which most of us can only dream about owning in real life.
As mentioned at the start of the review, Hot Pursuit brings with it the addition of the Autolog. Autolog is a way that you can easily compare race times and statistics with people in your friends list. Whilst on paper this doesn’t sound that innovative or original considering this is already possible using leader boards, the way that it’s presented and focussed on has never been done before. For instance, you might have what you thought was an incredible time on a time trial only to find your friend has beaten it 5 minutes later because it popped up on their Autolog. This in turn pops up on your Autolog to which you then feel you have no choice but to try and beat them again. I’ve wasted whole afternoons on a single short track because of this and it’s loads of competitive fun between friends and people you know in-game. As well as this you can get a more detailed account of what and where your friends are up to in the game and look at each others photos.
Multiplayer is of course a lot of fun in this as you can play standard 8 player races, one-on-one as a cop or racer in the interceptor mode, or join a team of 4 cops or racers with an aim to take as many racers down before they reach the finish. If you’re a cop or a racer simply finish the race in as high a position as possible. My one and only gripe here is they added no worldwide leader boards which would be nice for multiplayer races. This oversight made me want to play single player more since I could compare myself to people in Autolog. There is no real record of how well you do in multiplayer apart from how many times you have won.
The sound is good with all the right growls and grunts you would expect from these powerful, petrol hungry super cars. The sound effects of the various weather conditions put you right in there be it rain or thunder, giving the whole experience a polished feel.
The main problem with the whole game is that some hardcore players may find it a little too easy, but with the Autolog and the ability to constantly challenge friends, it’s not a major problem. As mentioned above, the lack of worldwide leader boards for multiplayer really does take away from the game. Also noteworthy is that not a single Ferrari exists in the game. I suspect that’s down to Ferrari themselves not wanting to be in a cops VS racers game.
Closing comments
Hot pursuit really brings the series alive again with fantastic graphics and over the top, completely ridiculous, go round a bend at 150 mph handling. The addition of Autolog is innovative, fresh, and a must if you and your friends love to compete against each other. It’s a shame about the online leaderboards and the only reason I can think of for not including this is because they want you to focus on the Autolog, which is no bad thing. Given the choice, I would pick Autolog over worldwide leaderboards since competing against friends is so much better than someone thousands of miles away playing it sixteen hours a day. If like me you got bored of the Need for Speed franchise after Underground, this instalment reinvigorates and innovates the series and racing games in general.
