Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2

October 18, 2002

Platform: Sony Playstation 2
Developer: EA
Publisher: EA
Reviewed by: JayDukes

Gameplay: [9] Graphics: [9] Audio: [9] Replay: [8] Overall: [9.0]

There’s no argument here, folks. There hasn’t been a single racing game on the PS2 that could even touch the greatness that is Gran Turismo 3: A-spec. GT3 came out when the PS2 originally hit the shelves, and it has reigned as one of the system’s prized releases, becoming one of the first games to make the “Greatest Hits” category. But before Gran Turismo even began its run on the PSX, there was a series that ruled the genre…Need For Speed. Recently, Electronic Arts put together and released the newest installment of the Need For Speed series and sequel to one of the series’ top sellers, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 (also called HP2, for short). The original Hot Pursuit raised such an uproar in the video game world, the gamers urged EA to go forth with the sequel.

Up until now, the NFS series never packed the gear that made Gran Turismo so great. With GT, your main element was tweaking your ride to peak performance, keeping it upgraded, and overall vehicle maintenance. However, with NFS, the game is in the name, and that is what it was all about—speed. Be faster and craftier the next car. Just like the previous game, Hot Pursuit 2 adds more purpose to the element, as the game’s main focus is evading the highway patrol.

The selection of cars may not as deep as GT3’s, but what you get here is unquestionably better. Hot Pursuit 2 offers an array of the most exotic vehicles known the world over, such as Lamborghini, BMW, and Ferrari, just to name a few. In all, there are over fifty cars to choose from, the most for any game in the Need for Speed franchise. You start the game with only seven exotics, and one cop car to use in “you’re the cop” mode. The rest must be unlocked through the many different modes of play. Each machine is rendered with super-sharp 3D graphics, and every car is “operated” by an animated driver.

There are no concrete closed lap tracks here, GT fans. The tracks in HP2 are all scenic, meaning you will be racing along the shore of a beach, in a forest, up and down mountains, etc. Each course changes frequently; some roadways are blocked off, denying you access for some quicker escapes. Not only do you have to strategize your escape from the law, you must take into account the environment in which you’re racing in. Some courses hide their own challenges, as you may have to drive around trees and debris. There is even a stage where you have to navigate through the thick smoke of a brush fire, and the specific area of the course is lined with fire trucks, adding extra clutter and less road space to work with. In the desert, you are forced to drive throw a whirling sandstorm, affecting you visibility.

A few new in-game elements have been added to HP2. One of the best and most useful features is I refer to as the “look-ahead.” This tactic is very valuable because this gives the player the ability to see what’s coming before he or she actually gets there. With the push of a button, gameplay will freeze, and a “fireball” camera will shoot away from your car’s current position, displaying everything that is ahead for a short distance. This is a very useful tool in “hot pursuit” mode, as it can expose shortcuts, lurking police cruisers, roadblocks, and whatever else that may impede your progress. With a button press, you can use the 360-degree camera to see what’s coming or who’s on your butt. This shot also pauses actual play and rotates around your vehicle, revealing everything surrounding it. To also assist your escape, HP2 now gives the player a radar detector, which is located under your rearview mirror at the top of the screen. If you’re speeding (which you should be…I mean, it would defeat the purpose if you’re driving the speed limit, right?), your radar detector will activate, flashing a lighted bar from green to red, and a constant beeping sound will speed up as you get closer to the cop’s stakeout, so you will always know when it’s time to boogie.

There are many new and improved modes included in HP2. You still have “knockout”, time trials, and the ever-so-awesome “hot pursuit”. One of the new modes added to this game is “ultimate road racer,” where the racer can win various contests to unlock special features such as extra game modes, courses, cars, and other goodies. The championship mode has changed into a tree format. After you have completed the first objective, you move down the chart and it branches, giving the player the option of selecting his or her own challenge. Each completed objective awards the player with any of the aforementioned prizes. Probably the most impressive mode in HP2 is “you’re the cop”. It is self-explanatory, however there is much more to this mode than it seems. As the patrolman, your job is to catch all the cars before time runs out, and the prey you hunt depends on your vehicle. For example, if you’re driving the default cop car, the Crown Victoria, you’ll face the not-so-fast cars, like the Lotus and certain types of BMW. However, if you’re driving the Lamborghini cop car (and believe me, it’s imperative you unlock this car…wow), you’ll have to catch cars like the McLaren F1 and the Porsche Carrera concept car. Completing your mission in this mode will also unlock racers and courses, and if you play and win under certain circumstances, you unlock up to five different models of patrol car.

Gameplay has made a significant jump in every facet since the previous game. Each car has unique attributes; no two cars perform identically. It is seemingly endless because there is so much that a player can do in HP2. With all the modes you can play and items to unlock, HP2 offers months of enjoyment. The gameplay’s overall depth forces the driver to think and react against an unforgiving AI.

The artificial intelligence of the police and the other competitors has improved drastically compared to the first Hot Pursuit game. The troopers will use common police tactics to force you pull over, such as the “rolling roadblock”, or they simply blow past you and try to cut you off. Have you ever seen the television show called “Wildest Police Chases” when the troopers drive up to the speeder’s back bumper and try to make him fishtail out of control? Well, get ready for that, too. You can hear the police call for backup, activate numerous roadblocks (which can be set in many different configurations), and request air support. Yep, you heard right--air support. Not only do you deal with a slew of pesky patrolmen, you get to face a low-flying helicopter, and he doesn’t play too nice with others. It flies overhead, spots you, then jets far enough ahead of you to drop explosives smoke bombs in your path. It takes some hellified driving skill to smoke the chopper, and the problems only get worse because the police will roll out the spike strips and try to blow your tires if you make it that far. If you hit the strip, you may as well forget about it.

The AI of your opponents is a little bit tougher now, too. During a race, the driver is given the option on which road to take on certain areas of each course, but for some godforsaken reason (notice the sarcasm), the computer always knows the quicker path. So one minute, you think the whole pack is beaten, then all of sudden, they all pop out of some hidden back road and break out in front you. Talk about your confidence killers. And it doesn’t get any sweeter when you have to outrun the police AND win a race against three other speed demons. And don’t worry—all of your computer opponent are also being hassled by “the man,” so there is no unfairness against the player.

Like I said before, the graphics of each exotic are simply amazing, and that is just putting it lightly. Though not as clean as GT3, the look of HP2 is still awesome. The scenery is so beautifully done, that is, if it’s all not buzzing past you in a haze. Each aspect of the courses is very well defined, from the nooks and crannies in the cobblestone roads to the ridges in the tree back…and if you’re that close to notice, you’re either too close or too late. There are a few special effects, such as the slow motion camera that activates whenever your catch air in a jump or smash through a police roadblock. Seeing yourself fly through the air in slow-mo is such an exhilarating feeling…just be careful how you land because it can make or break your momentum and control over the car. Now, in HP2, your car can take damage from bashing into objects. You’ll see broken windows, huge scrapes, and dents on your ride if you are not careful…but when you’re ducking the cops and a bomb-dropping chopper, who can be? Overall, the graphics are just plain stunning.

The in-game sounds and the background music truly get you into the game. As mentioned before, during “hot pursuit,” you hear the troopers and dispatchers communicating, pretty much revealing whatever is about to happen. The speech is so advanced, the dispatcher even calls for a tow truck when if you juke a cop into a ditch! You get the roars and purrs of each car engine, tires screeching around each turn, and the muffled rustle of the leaves on the road as you drive through them. You get some great getaway music to go with a great game. Artists such as Bush, Hot Action Cop, and Uncle Kracker have laid down vocal tracks and their instrumentals for your high-speed driving experience. There are also a few techno tracks…nothing better to listen to while you dust the highway patrol. The entire playlist can be customized to the players’ liking, and he or she can play whatever track they wish in the menu screens, regular racing, and hot pursuit modes.

To be dead honest with you all, I can’t think of a single major flaw in this game. The only negative detail that I noticed was the frame rate in some situations. If you think about it, when you combine the incredible scenery detail with four well-designed street machines, each being chased by two or three patrol cars, of course something is going to give. That is nothing to shoot this game down about. I just wish HP2 was online compatible, but hey, you can’t grace every game with that feature, now can you? No matter—I’m confident that EA Games will fix that in the next installment. They’d better.

The only reason why I’m giving Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 five stars is because…well, that all I can give it. So if you have any other racing game, lose it and grab this title because you can’t go wrong with Need for Speed. You will definitely not be disappointed.

Just don’t get caught speeding on the way to the mall.