Need for Speed™ Hot Pursuit Review

By , on November 15, 2010

Need for Speed™ Hot Pursuit
Download on the AppStore
5 out of 5

PROS

  • Adrenaline pumping soundtrack.
  • Crisp graphics with gorgeously varied environments.
  • Race or chase friends in local multiplayer.
  • Varied power-ups to help or challenge players.

CONS

  • No alternate control scheme.
  • Relatively harsh penalties for minor errors.

VERDICT

From the roar of the engines, the feel of the road beneath your tires to the thumping soundtrack, Hot Pursuit is a seriously hard game to ignore or put back down.


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I know you can't see my face at the moment, but if you could you'd notice the burning hunger in my eyes, the small beads of sweat at the edges of my brow and possibly the gnawing of my lip as I attempt to concentrate while I write. I really want to get back to playing Need for Speed™ Hot Pursuit.

After a few breaths and a drink of water I've calmed down and I realize that it's a shame the game only features tilt controls, however barring my own stupidity the game never really failed to translate small gestures in to perfectly executed maneuvers in the game. The Hot Pursuit series for Need for Speed places you behind the wheel of a highway patrol vehicle as you attempt to take down illegal racers, prove your skills against other cops or race to a crime scene as fast as possible. Realistically this boils down to either racing or chasing, however each environment; the tools you're given; and the insane technology everyone seems to have makes each mode a fight for superiority in handling, speed and skill.

Visually Hot Pursuit is jaw dropping and whether you situate the camera behind the car, the wheel or the bumper it's hard not to feel the unadulterated speed you're dealing with. While the game is an arcadey re-imagining of the physics of the real world, having your vehicle blunder through head-on collisions does feel a bit too lenient, but as it is restarts aren't uncommon as you attempt to eke out those few extra seconds or that one extra bump to finish the map early.

While I think it's interesting that players can purchase 'bounty' (the equivalent of experience) from an in-game shop, I can't help but feel that this ruins the balance of the game's difficulty, though perhaps it's not a bad idea for those who enjoy the experience over the challenge. Still, with local multiplayer, a career, achievements and some quick-races to choose from, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit is a hard game to put down; in fact I'm off to play it again right now.

Screenshots

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