• 15Aug 08

  Need For Speed an Obituary

  In 1998 I purchased my first game console the Playstation, the games I chose were Tomb Raider, Tomb Raider 2, & Need For Speed 3: Hot Pursuit. The Following years saw vast improvements in the NFS series with titles such as NFS:High Stakes and NFS: Porsche Unleasheduntil the series reached the peak of quality in 2002 with NFS:Hot Pursuit 2.

  Hot Pursuit 2 was the first title on the PS2 and brought with it everything that defined the series:

  Beautiful locations

  Exotic Cars

  Intuitive controls

  "Cars behave like they should so you can drive them like you shouldn't" is the definition of NFS, and HP2 represented this. I thought to myself "the next one is going to be even better.

  2003 rolls around and NFS:Underground is released. Midnight Club and it's sequel had already been released, an open ended racing game spanning 3 cities (per title). NFS:U tried to reestablish the series in order to cash in on the success of street racing and car tuner culture. In the process introducing a much unneeded story mode.

  The next few years saw the NFS series try desperately to fit into a genre where it didn't belong. The joy I once found in taking shortcuts or near-impossible jumps were gone. Drift Challenges and annoying drag races were added and felt out of place. A series was once known for the open beautiful countryside tracks, now felt claustrophobic and ugly.

  The next few titles expanded upon the open world theme and various other modes, shifting things around trying to find a place for them, yet never finding a balance once held by previous installments.

  2007 EA releases NFS: Pro Street a much needed departure from the dark and unattractive cityscapes, into some long overdue sunlight. This installment saw a return to realistic racing on set tracks. Though failed to meets its sales expectations.

  2008 with another NFS title on its way, NFS: Undercover. A mission based racing title (Yeah....) More live action cutscenes? EA has proclaimed that this title will return the series to its roots.. Funny I don't remember mission objectives in NFS 1-7 or a highway battle mode. Yeah there is a highway battle mode, apparently the development team plays Burnout.

  So the NFS roots are live action cinematics, open-world cities, highway battles, and ripping off every other racing franchise. On the plus side EA will be giving each NFS game a 24 month development cycle. Time will tell if 24 months makes a good entry into the series. What they need is to be inventive. An open world has been created so perfectly by Burnout Paradise the new game will fail in comparison.

  Leave the open world and story-lines alone I don't care about character development in a racing game, I care about the cars. Create amazing amazing outdoor tracks that inter connect with night/day driving dynamic weather and lighting. Leave the upgrades in but bring back the exotic cars.

  NFS:3 got me into racing games but the series has died slowly since the departure from the formula that worked. Everything that worked in the series is gone, has been reshuffled into a game franchise that is going through an identity crisis. Do yourselves a favor pick up Burnout, Midnight Club, or Gran Turismo. These franchises know who they are and what they are all about. So gamers, move on and find other titles to love.

  Need For Speed, you were a great way to spend an afternoon.

  P.S. feel free to flame me. its just my opinion.

  • Posted Aug 15, 2008 8:44 pm PT
  • Category: Games
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