This is a game that gets it right. Forget the hammy acting and absurd premise - beneath all that beats the heart of a brutally focused driving sim. I call it a sim because, while the physics do not quite replicate real high speed driving, the amount of effort that went into making the cars dynamic and fluid is readily apparent. The interplay between forces acting on your car is nuanced, often unforgiving, the only obvious concession to accessibility being the measured downplay of handling instability at very high speed.
The SFX are face-melting, some of the cars positively howl. The option exists to shut off the in-game heads-up - turn off the interface and it presents a pure chase cam experience; no clutter, just you, your car and the road.
The police are ruthless and competent, if you opt for the Black Edition, they become very much a swarm of angry hornets with one goal: to pursue you with utter disregard for collateral damage or lives lost. If you're lucky, you might get away. Had you followed the speed limit and not driven through the art gallery, they would've left you alone.
It's a short, fast-paced game. Unlocks are frequent and include better parts, faster cars, cash prizes; standard racing game fare, effective motivation to those in the know. The world consists of the coastal city of Rockport and the surrounding environs, from industrial waterfront to redwood forest - the scenery is lush and absolutely rife with interactive elements and cut-throughs. It all gives the sense of a tranquil burg on a sunny day, and it feels authentic.
You are given the option to jump or drive to races, tuning adjustments can be made on the fly. This is a straightforward game for driving enthusiasts and the uninitiated alike, and one of the finest examples of older titles which, for all their simplicity, were ahead of their time. The graphics still look good 12 years later. The music is awful, in keeping with EA tradition, and the realistic, highly involved tuning platform offered in their previous title is conspicuous in its absence.
Silence the music though, switch off the interface and learn to shift by ear - this game speaks directly to our collective id, a masterpiece which has only gotten better with age.
Damn near perfect
This is a game that gets it right. Forget the hammy acting and absurd premise - beneath all that beats the heart of a brutally focused driving sim. I call it a sim because, while the physics do not quite replicate real high speed driving, the amount of effort that went into making the cars dynamic and fluid is readily apparent. The interplay between forces acting on your car is nuanced, often unforgiving, the only obvious concession to accessibility being the measured downplay of handling instability at very high speed.
The SFX are face-melting, some of the cars positively howl. The option exists to shut off the in-game heads-up - turn off the interface and it presents a pure chase cam experience; no clutter, just you, your car and the road.
The police are ruthless and competent, if you opt for the Black Edition, they become very much a swarm of angry hornets with one goal: to pursue you with utter disregard for collateral damage or lives lost. If you're lucky, you might get away. Had you followed the speed limit and not driven through the art gallery, they would've left you alone.
It's a short, fast-paced game. Unlocks are frequent and include better parts, faster cars, cash prizes; standard racing game fare, effective motivation to those in the know. The world consists of the coastal city of Rockport and the surrounding environs, from industrial waterfront to redwood forest - the scenery is lush and absolutely rife with interactive elements and cut-throughs. It all gives the sense of a tranquil burg on a sunny day, and it feels authentic.
You are given the option to jump or drive to races, tuning adjustments can be made on the fly. This is a straightforward game for driving enthusiasts and the uninitiated alike, and one of the finest examples of older titles which, for all their simplicity, were ahead of their time. The graphics still look good 12 years later. The music is awful, in keeping with EA tradition, and the realistic, highly involved tuning platform offered in their previous title is conspicuous in its absence.
Silence the music though, switch off the interface and learn to shift by ear - this game speaks directly to our collective id, a masterpiece which has only gotten better with age.