- Racing
- 2008
- Buy the Game
Reviewed by Jason Thompson
()
hank the team at Black Box for bringing back the “Need for Speed” we know and love. After the series’ last outing with the confused and average “Need for Speed: ProStreet,” it seemed like all may have been lost. But here everything is back in its place. The races take place on city streets, there are cop chases galore, the Speedbreaker is back, and there’s a sinister story to boot. Not that that story really matters in the end, but it’s nice to see even that aspect of the game has gotten back to its shady history and left the almost goody two shoes non-story of “ProStreet” far behind.
What’s more, the ultimately super-corny FMV cut scenes are back as well. They’re not stylized like in “Most Wanted” and “Carbon,” but the silly acting is fully intact. This time around, the players control an undercover agent who is looking to infiltrate a local street racing scene. Of course, there are plenty of corrupt bad guys to take down, as well as tales of betrayal and other soap opera-esque plot twists to be seen, but at the heart of it all, this is another groovy “Need for Speed” game well worth playing.
As stated earlier, all the great stuff that went missing in “ProStreet” is back here. In addition, players can now tweak their car’s suspension, handling, engine, etc., as is the case with so many other racing games out there today. In the 360 version of the game, if you don’t have enough cash to buy parts or new cars, and are impatient to make money through the game itself, you can purchase Microsoft Points to aid in your goal. I’m not a fan of microtransactions like this when it comes to this type of game, so strike one for that “feature.” It’s enough that players pony up 50 or so bucks for this game to begin with. Unlike, say a game like “Rock Band” or “Guitar Hero” that offers weekly new downloadable content, paying extra for things that are already in the game itself is a crappy idea.
The only other issue I have with this game is the graphics. They look great mostly, but it’s hard not to notice how the frame rate will suddenly start to chug in the middle of a race. I dunno if this is due to the game’s disc being accessed during the race or what, but it was quite noticeable at times, diminishing the feeling of speed somewhat. There are also a few noticeable jagged textures here and there, which seems odd considering how smooth the last few games in this series have looked, but it’s a minor point.
At its core, this is classic and addictive “Need for Speed” racing that gamers have come to know and love over the years. The cop chases can get tricky, but not so much that they can’t be won. The main races sometimes skew a bit to the player’s side of things, but the computer AI isn’t dumb, nor does it have unfair rubber banding qualities that make it completely dominant. And the online action is fun as well, with players being able to pick up a game of “Cops and Robbers” which pits two teams against each other as good guys and bad guys.
Black Box has gone a long way to resuscitate this franchise and has succeeded quite well. Racing game fans will notice that they’ve taken cues from other games such as “Burnout Paradise” by allowing gamers to easily access races pretty much on the fly without having to do too much driving around to specific destinations. Overall, “Need for Speed Undercover” is another fun and exciting title in the series’ long history. It’s certainly worth a purchase for old fans and newcomers alike, and certainly a strong rental. Nice to have you back, NFS.
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