Developer : Black Box
ESRB Rating : E (Everyone)
Game URL :NeedforSpeed.com
Genre : Racing
MSRP: $49.95
Online: No
Platform : PS2
Players : 1-2
Publisher : EA
Introduction
Its been quite a while since I’ve been excited about the release of an arcade racer. Not being a die-hard fan of the racing genre to begin with; I rarely find myself picking up and playing a racer for an extended period of time. My love for the road seemed to have faded away with my beloved Dreamcast. When titles such as Daytona USA and Ferrari F355 became overshadowed by the next-gen spunk, I had my stints with Gran Turismo 3 and other racers not worth mentioning, but nothing seemed to capture the excitement and speed I was looking for. Now, after many titles have run the gauntlet on the PS2, EA and Black Box are bringing the now classic "Need For Speed" series back to the consoles. The follow-up to one of the better games in the series; Hot Pursuit 2 looks to become one of the best arcade racers on the consoles. I am very pleased to say that HP2 is hands-down, the best racing game to be released since GT3. I found it to be a profoundly pleasing gaming experience, from both a fun and technical standpoint.
Presentation
Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 is polished in almost every aspect of it’s presentation. I would expect nothing less from an EA title, as a matter of fact. Menus are easy to navigate both during the gameplay and before. You can definately tell this title was not rushed from beginning to end, as almost everything you would expect from a solid racing game is in tact. During the menu sequences, you will be treated to the regular versions of songs off EA’s Trax label, which are covered in the Sound section below. Normally, during gameplay, only the instrumental versions are played for your listening pleasure. After each replay, you will have the option to watch a replay of your race using different camera angles, this makes your driving seem a whole lot better and much more dramatic. A beauiful job as been done by EA and Black Box to make this game gleem with style and flash that will be sure to catch anyones eye.
Graphics/Visuals
Games within the racing genre always have a tough bill to live up to. Not only must they live up to the graphical precedent set by those like GT3 and Project Gotham, but they must retain that solid frame rate which gives us the good sense of speed. Any racing game lacking in the FPS department will frowned upon. Nobody likes a stutter in frame rate in any game, but during a 150mph race, its almost un-excusable as it completely detract from the sense of speed. Fortunately, HP2 excels in both departments, offering grand visuals and absolutely no drop in frame rate.
Everything in the game is gleaming with great graphical design. Almost all of the 49 car models are spot-on, with little detail left out. Each car comes complete with fiery tailpipes, reflexive drivers and detailed interiors. The damage detail is nothing to write home about, but it is a nice touch, as there could have been no damage detection at all. Cars show wear and tear complete with dented side panels, broken mirrors and lights as well as smoking engines. However, none of these seem to seriously affect the speed or handling of your vehicle.
The real graphical splendor of HP2 however, is the beautifully done tracks. Never before have I raced on such interactive tracks. Many different paths, huge jumps and many difficult turns make for some intense racing action. For instance, if you wreck into that gas station over there, the fuel pumps will explode, causing you to lose some serious time. Each of the several tracks also contain many hidden shortcuts, which can often lead to big cuts on your time. They are also very interesting to travel through, you’ll often find yourself going out of your way just to go through the shortcuts. Routes can go behind waterfalls, in caverns, through a narrow town street and right in the middle of a forest fire. The tracks are so well done, you just want to stop your car and smell the flowers. I imagine you could find even more alternative routes if you really mapped out the tracks good enough. Have you checked behind that thicket of bushes? There is really nothing to complain about in the graphics department, everything looks spectacular, on a very large and fast scale.
Sound/Audio
HP2 offers up some of the best sounding engine noises in the genre. Each one sounds like their true-life counterparts. Everything sounds good, right down to the screech of the tires to the collisions. Another very nice feature of HP2 is the conversations between policeman and their supervisors. The conversations sound very convincing, plus they give you insights as to what might lie ahead, or behind. The music in HP2 is neither bad or good, consisting of mainly alternative rock mixes from such bands as Bush, Pulse Ultra and Rush, just to name a few. It’s not my dish, but it isn’t nearly as bad as listening to,say... Dragula! There are also a few generic and annoying rap-rawk songs that are terrible, and I’m convinved you will all turn the music off when they loop around.
Gameplay
The true meat and bones of the game is right here. As I mentioned above, the game sports several tracks, which can all be raced backwards after unlocking them. Each of the tracks contain various sub-routes and diversions. There are nearly 50 cars in the game ranging from the luxury lines of BMW to the out-and-out speed of a McLaren F1. In between are cars from manufacturers such as Ford, Lotus, Aston Martin and many more. There are also various types of police chasers available. All of these can be unlocked by advancing through 2 different types of championship trees. These trees consist of 40 events each, the two trees differ in that; one involves the police chasing you, and the other does not. To unlock more cars and tracks, you must pass through the different events in these trees. The events can involve beating a certain time or participating in knockout competition. This can be somewhat monotonous, but they do increase in difficulty, so you will have to take more risks and improve your driving skills as you advance. There is also a Quick Race mode which is just what it says.
You will also encounter challenges where you must pursue the speeders and stop them all before the time limit. There is also a separate mode where you can chase down the cars, and also have the ability to call in the copter or use the various types of road blocks available at your disposal. Which brings me to ultimately my favorite feature of HP2; the AI. Never before have I gone up against more skilled opponents, they often drive as reckless as you, even going as far trying to run you off the road or slam you into the guard rail. They also often venture off the beaten path to better their chances of crossing the line first.
However, what really impressed me was the smarts of the Fuzz. At times, they can even be downright frustrating. The pigs will begin the chase with a few squad cars, then steadily increase it’s defensive as the race goes on. They will use different types of roadblocks which include a few squad cars, a barrel stopper and even spike strips. All of these can be easily avoided, all you have to do is watch where they are on the road or listen to the scanner, to get it’s position on the course. The last line of defense is the police helicopter, which drops explosive barrels and shoots homing missiles. Both of these are very effective methods to slow you way down. Good thing you have some secret weapons up your sleeve as well! Using the L2 and R2 buttons, you can stop the action and rotate 360 degrees around the car to see what’s behind you and zoom up ahead to see what is waiting for you. You’ll find yourself keeping busy with both championship trees for quite a while, they do get difficult later on, but are extremely entertaining right off the bat. For those of you who are control freaks, need not worry, HP2 controls like a gem and is stays true to the basic PS2 racing game mold. They’re not finicky either, nothing to complain about whatsoever.
Conclusion
After its all said and done, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 may just be one of the finest, if not the finest arcade racer ever created for a console. It’s very, very fast and creates a sense of suspense that I have never experienced with a racing game before. It’s a truly unique experience that no PS2 owner should pass up. Nothing feels better than outsmarting the police while fighting off an opponent while driving through back roads. Even if you’re not a huge racing buff or gearhead, I strongly urge you to try this game out, it’s definitely no your typical round-and-round race car game. This is a peddle-to-the-metal, in your face and on your tail, adrenaline rush. Buckle up PS2 owners, this game will be sure to give you that dose of speed you’ve been missing for quite a while.
THE GOOD --The return of a sequel within a sequel...ugh... yea.
--The best arcade Racer I’ve seen since the death of the Dreamcast.
--High polished.
--Great detail.
--Good interaction with Environments.
--No slow down rate.
THE BAD
–Damage detection is average at best
–Once you get the fastest of the fast, you’re unstoppable
–Police can be downright frustrating at times
–The other SLOW drivers on the road!
THE STUPID
--Whose idea was it to make a sequel based off the sequel to a series full of sequels?
