Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 Preview

Just when you thought the series had no more life left in it, EA announce that we will, in fact, see a new addition to the once very popular series, which will continue the legacy that NFS 3: Hot Pursuit left behind. One could argue that the Need For Speed series went down hill from the third version onward, in other words, NFS3 was probably the best version offered. EA have obviously recognised this fact and are now attempting to release the sequel to that specific version, However a lot has changed since then.

The reason NFS3 was so popular was because of the debuting Hot Pursuit mode, where the player had the choice to play against the police, with extremely high speed and high risk chases being performed on exotic and stunning scenery. Not only that, but the player also had the option to play as the cops, and force the speeding supercars off the road, including the use of spike strips. This certainly made for one hell of a time, especially in multiplayer against a friend or two - it was probably the most innovative step in any arcade fantasy style racing game made. If EA can deliver the same style gameplay with Hot Pursuit 2, well you almost have a winner straight away, because the experience is simply unmatched.

On top of the Hot Pursuit mode which is obviously featured, we will see an array of new single and multiplayer game modes. If you felt the original Need For Speed games were lacking in real depth task/objective wise, then you will be happy to know Hot Pursuit 2 will feature a much more detailed single player game. The newest and most interesting mode featured will be one called "Top Cop", where the player will be given the chance to take up an actual police officer career, where 30 objectives are set and the player must complete them. In the event that the player finishes this, they will be rewarded with tracks, cars and upgrades. On top of this we will also see 20 tracks, some which are up to 15 miles long, and a choice of 20 real-life super cars. Of course, the majority of these will have to be unlocked as per usual in the NFS series.

We should expect to see Hot Pursuit2 with revamped graphics when compared to the earlier games. Although for the time NFS3 was very decent visually, today the standards are obviously much higher and we should see the Seattle EA office developing some extremely impressive detail. Considering we will see such cars from the usual Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini, it will be necessary for a powerful graphical engine to be implemented for these beasts to be rendered with the beauty they really possess. The environments will also see an improvement with the visual enhancements. The game includes a variety of open road environments that truly come to life, consisting of river crossings, waterfalls, beaches and volcanoes, which will feature such special effect as brush fires, sun beams, dust storms and more.

Probably the area which matters the most to some gamers would be the music, and you will be happy to hear NFS is back strong with fully licensed and exclusive music to set you in the high speed mood. The NFS series has been known for some of the best music found in any PC game, so expectations will be high with the music in Hot Pursuit 2, to which EA will surely deliver more than satisfactorily.

There is simply no match to the pure thrill and rush of pumping a ridiculously expensive four-wheeled beast to full speed in exotic environments, and although that may be a reality many will not experience, your closest bet will be with Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2. If you are a fan of the series, then this is simply a must. If you have never had the joy of playing a Need for Speed title, then don't hold out again when this gem hits the shelves, we know we won't be.