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2015
Need for Speed Retrospective #22
Not only the first NfS game I was willing to finish in a while, but one I actually enjoyed all the way through. It's nowhere near the heights of the series, but after contemplating to give up on this retrospective more than once recently, it was a huge relief to finally be playing a competent and confident product again instead of something cobbled together in the last possible minute.
As the reboot title might suggest, they went back to the Underground/Carbon era look that the series is most known for. And despite building heavily on these earlier titles, I like how different and recognizable 2015 is. The permanently rainy and foggy night-time world looks and sounds absolutely stunning and the first-person cutscenes, as cringeworthy as they might be, are a decent stylistic fit.
Even in the gameplay department, it seems they were going down the remake/sequel route for Underground 2, my favourite game in the series. Comparing the two titles side-by-side, I can see that 2015 is doing remarkably well in many regards, though sadly lacking in others. Where unlocking and exploring new areas was a huge driving factor in NFSU2's gameplay, 2015's open world is wholly accessible from the start. Fast travel (even to unexplored areas) is immediately enabled and hidden secrets are close to nonexistent. All this makes the open world appear much smaller than it is and, frankly, quite useless.
Despite these points and some minor issues with the difficulty curve, I enjoyed 2015 quite a bit. After ten bumpy years of hit-or-miss games in the series, I am finally feeling optimistic again.
(One final point: This game has absolutely no business requiring a constant internet connection. Both idea and execution are terrible.)
Not only the first NfS game I was willing to finish in a while, but one I actually enjoyed all the way through. It's nowhere near the heights of the series, but after contemplating to give up on this retrospective more than once recently, it was a huge relief to finally be playing a competent and confident product again instead of something cobbled together in the last possible minute.
As the reboot title might suggest, they went back to the Underground/Carbon era look that the series is most known for. And despite building heavily on these earlier titles, I like how different and recognizable 2015 is. The permanently rainy and foggy night-time world looks and sounds absolutely stunning and the first-person cutscenes, as cringeworthy as they might be, are a decent stylistic fit.
Even in the gameplay department, it seems they were going down the remake/sequel route for Underground 2, my favourite game in the series. Comparing the two titles side-by-side, I can see that 2015 is doing remarkably well in many regards, though sadly lacking in others. Where unlocking and exploring new areas was a huge driving factor in NFSU2's gameplay, 2015's open world is wholly accessible from the start. Fast travel (even to unexplored areas) is immediately enabled and hidden secrets are close to nonexistent. All this makes the open world appear much smaller than it is and, frankly, quite useless.
Despite these points and some minor issues with the difficulty curve, I enjoyed 2015 quite a bit. After ten bumpy years of hit-or-miss games in the series, I am finally feeling optimistic again.
(One final point: This game has absolutely no business requiring a constant internet connection. Both idea and execution are terrible.)
Need for Speed Retrospective #21
There's lots to like about this mobile title. It's absolutely amazing how much fun and engaging gameplay No Limits gets out of basically four buttons/inputs. The drifting and boosting mechanics are fantastic and different objectives and obstacles bring loads of variety. From a pure gameplay perspective, I enjoyed this much more than any other automatic-driving game I've played. Visually, the game looks stunning. The devs played it safe by going for the fan-favourite Underground era look, but they absolutely nailed it.
So why the bad rating?
No Limits, like many other free-to-play games, quickly reaches a point where it basically renders itself unplayable unless you pay for it. And No Limits is particularly aggressive in this regard. Every dark pattern you've ever heard of is present in this game. There's deceptive currencies, there's misleading UI design, there's FOMO, there's gambling. So much gambling, in fact.
Reaching this point, I was robbed of any will to further engage with this distortion of a videogame. It's a tragedy that we as a capitalist society decided to let greed hamper our art like this.
There's lots to like about this mobile title. It's absolutely amazing how much fun and engaging gameplay No Limits gets out of basically four buttons/inputs. The drifting and boosting mechanics are fantastic and different objectives and obstacles bring loads of variety. From a pure gameplay perspective, I enjoyed this much more than any other automatic-driving game I've played. Visually, the game looks stunning. The devs played it safe by going for the fan-favourite Underground era look, but they absolutely nailed it.
So why the bad rating?
No Limits, like many other free-to-play games, quickly reaches a point where it basically renders itself unplayable unless you pay for it. And No Limits is particularly aggressive in this regard. Every dark pattern you've ever heard of is present in this game. There's deceptive currencies, there's misleading UI design, there's FOMO, there's gambling. So much gambling, in fact.
Reaching this point, I was robbed of any will to further engage with this distortion of a videogame. It's a tragedy that we as a capitalist society decided to let greed hamper our art like this.
Need for Speed Retrospective #20
Booting up a new Need for Speed game really is like a box of chocolates. With its always-online mentality, glossy wet look and esoteric storytelling, Ghost's first outing is once again something completely different.
As for the MMO-like qualities, the game Rivals most reminded me of was Ubisoft's The Crew, which came out only one year later and is now sadly defunct. The cool thing about The Crew, though, was its vast, exciting and explorable world. Here, we get little more than a series of tunnels in which we sporadically meet other players minding their business. Even the series' own Need for Speed: World handled the open-world aspects much better.
To my great dislike, the racer/cop split from the Hot Pursuit subseries is back and once again amounts to little more than the necessity to do the same content twice, as perfectly exemplified by the two identical unskippable tutorials the game starts with.
Despite my personal hatred for authorities and the complete lack of visual customizability, the gameplay on the cops' side might actually be superior. On the racer side, the fact that I couldn't even pause the game combined with the cops on constant lookout for me made the game unnecessarily stressful. At each safehouse I took a deep breath of relief, evaluating if going back out there was even worth it at all. After a couple of hours I naturally decided it wasn't and never bothered with the game again.
Booting up a new Need for Speed game really is like a box of chocolates. With its always-online mentality, glossy wet look and esoteric storytelling, Ghost's first outing is once again something completely different.
As for the MMO-like qualities, the game Rivals most reminded me of was Ubisoft's The Crew, which came out only one year later and is now sadly defunct. The cool thing about The Crew, though, was its vast, exciting and explorable world. Here, we get little more than a series of tunnels in which we sporadically meet other players minding their business. Even the series' own Need for Speed: World handled the open-world aspects much better.
To my great dislike, the racer/cop split from the Hot Pursuit subseries is back and once again amounts to little more than the necessity to do the same content twice, as perfectly exemplified by the two identical unskippable tutorials the game starts with.
Despite my personal hatred for authorities and the complete lack of visual customizability, the gameplay on the cops' side might actually be superior. On the racer side, the fact that I couldn't even pause the game combined with the cops on constant lookout for me made the game unnecessarily stressful. At each safehouse I took a deep breath of relief, evaluating if going back out there was even worth it at all. After a couple of hours I naturally decided it wasn't and never bothered with the game again.
Need for Speed Retrospective #19
Most Wanted 2012 has gotten a lot of shit from long-time NfS fans for using the name of the series' most beloved title for a product that had nothing in common with it. Interestingly enough, leaked beta builds suggest that this was not always the case. At some point, Criterion was working on an actual sequel or spiritual successor to the 2005 original, but once again it was rushed development that left the final product noticeably unfinished, like an empty husk of what could have been.
Emptiness is the exact emotion a playthrough of MW 2012 will fill you with, almost as badly as 2008's Undercover. There's no visual identity, no human faces, no progression structure and no motivation for anything. The occasional surrealist cutscene feels very out of place and only strengthens the feeling of irritation. Tracks are so badly telegraphed that I had to reset again and again after missing my turns. New cars are now simply found by the roadside and tediously upgraded in the most repetitive manner possible.
The tragic irony is that the driving mechanics in this game are actually superb. Where the vehicles felt far too light and flimsy in the developer's previous Hot Pursuit endeavor, they are now markedly heavy and bulky, which makes for a much better driving experience. MW 2012 easily could have been a milestone, but in this state it feels like a sandbox without any sand.
Most Wanted 2012 has gotten a lot of shit from long-time NfS fans for using the name of the series' most beloved title for a product that had nothing in common with it. Interestingly enough, leaked beta builds suggest that this was not always the case. At some point, Criterion was working on an actual sequel or spiritual successor to the 2005 original, but once again it was rushed development that left the final product noticeably unfinished, like an empty husk of what could have been.
Emptiness is the exact emotion a playthrough of MW 2012 will fill you with, almost as badly as 2008's Undercover. There's no visual identity, no human faces, no progression structure and no motivation for anything. The occasional surrealist cutscene feels very out of place and only strengthens the feeling of irritation. Tracks are so badly telegraphed that I had to reset again and again after missing my turns. New cars are now simply found by the roadside and tediously upgraded in the most repetitive manner possible.
The tragic irony is that the driving mechanics in this game are actually superb. Where the vehicles felt far too light and flimsy in the developer's previous Hot Pursuit endeavor, they are now markedly heavy and bulky, which makes for a much better driving experience. MW 2012 easily could have been a milestone, but in this state it feels like a sandbox without any sand.
Need for Speed Retrospective #18
At this stage, EA was desperately throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. And to be honest, The Run was such a breath of fresh air, I'm quite sad it didn't stick.
The story about a bland white guy and a large-chested redhead sidekick somehow playing the Mafia by participating in a transcontinental race was obviously nonsensical, but serviceable enough to sell the constant feeling of being on The Run. With the thundering music, the camera eerily close behind the car, police sirens approaching from behind and full-blown avalanches rolling in from the front, The Run was an action-packed blast from start to finish. I don't trust anyone who says they weren't excited playing this.
The Run sure is a slim package. It's short, there's zero customization and all cars are basically the same, but that's not the point. They set out to create a cinematic experience and for me, they nailed it. I just wish the game had been a little more successful. Imagine what could have been. We could have gotten a dozen Fast and Furious level bonkers cinematic driving games in this series.
At this stage, EA was desperately throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. And to be honest, The Run was such a breath of fresh air, I'm quite sad it didn't stick.
The story about a bland white guy and a large-chested redhead sidekick somehow playing the Mafia by participating in a transcontinental race was obviously nonsensical, but serviceable enough to sell the constant feeling of being on The Run. With the thundering music, the camera eerily close behind the car, police sirens approaching from behind and full-blown avalanches rolling in from the front, The Run was an action-packed blast from start to finish. I don't trust anyone who says they weren't excited playing this.
The Run sure is a slim package. It's short, there's zero customization and all cars are basically the same, but that's not the point. They set out to create a cinematic experience and for me, they nailed it. I just wish the game had been a little more successful. Imagine what could have been. We could have gotten a dozen Fast and Furious level bonkers cinematic driving games in this series.
Need for Speed Retrospective #17
It's still good old Shift. The gameplay is... getting around corners. Learning to brake properly doesn't sound like the most engaging activity under the sun, but I still had loads of fun a second time around.
On the other hand, it's almost embarrassing to see how much they struggled to address the biggest criticism directed at the predecessor: The blatant oversteering that was especially obvious during drift events. They even included lengthy tutorials this time, but even after doing those twice and watching Youtube videos on the subject, despite knowing exactly what I had to do, I found it an absolute pain to pull off and mostly ended up ignoring drift events throughout the game once again.
It's still good old Shift. The gameplay is... getting around corners. Learning to brake properly doesn't sound like the most engaging activity under the sun, but I still had loads of fun a second time around.
On the other hand, it's almost embarrassing to see how much they struggled to address the biggest criticism directed at the predecessor: The blatant oversteering that was especially obvious during drift events. They even included lengthy tutorials this time, but even after doing those twice and watching Youtube videos on the subject, despite knowing exactly what I had to do, I found it an absolute pain to pull off and mostly ended up ignoring drift events throughout the game once again.
Need for Speed Retrospective #16
At its core, Hot Pursuit is a simple game. There's no customization and the single player mode amounts to picking race events from a menu. The core loop of progressing and unlocking stuff is actually pretty satisfying and would have been even better had they stripped it down further still. The visuals they absolutely nailed here. Colours are popping and the weather effects are absolutely gushing.
All this could have been so cool if the game didn't sport the strangest handling in the series so far. Vehicles feel far too light and flimsy and get flung around by every little movement. And don't you dare touch the brake button for more than a nanosecond, as it will turn and twist you around for days. Speaking of which, every small mistake will have you watch a five second video of you failing and set you back so much that you'll basically have to reset the race. Makes for a frustrating experience and underlines the overall feeling of fragility.
Also why do I have to play as the cops? I hate cops.
At its core, Hot Pursuit is a simple game. There's no customization and the single player mode amounts to picking race events from a menu. The core loop of progressing and unlocking stuff is actually pretty satisfying and would have been even better had they stripped it down further still. The visuals they absolutely nailed here. Colours are popping and the weather effects are absolutely gushing.
All this could have been so cool if the game didn't sport the strangest handling in the series so far. Vehicles feel far too light and flimsy and get flung around by every little movement. And don't you dare touch the brake button for more than a nanosecond, as it will turn and twist you around for days. Speaking of which, every small mistake will have you watch a five second video of you failing and set you back so much that you'll basically have to reset the race. Makes for a frustrating experience and underlines the overall feeling of fragility.
Also why do I have to play as the cops? I hate cops.
Need for Speed Retrospective #15
World was clearly ahead of its time. And by that I mean it was as grindy and obnoxious as most live service games wouldn't become until a good decade later. Since servers were shut down in 2015, the only way to experience World today is on community servers. And even with all the currencies and microtransactions removed, my few hours with this game were one extremely repetitive and grindy affair.
Driving and customization were actually pretty cool here, and the world, while lacking a lot of the soul from Most Wanted and Carbon, was fun to explore. Usable items were a nice addition to the formula, though I find it kind of tragic that they were introduced here and not six months earlier in fun racer spin-off Nitro, where they would have been a much better fit.
World was clearly ahead of its time. And by that I mean it was as grindy and obnoxious as most live service games wouldn't become until a good decade later. Since servers were shut down in 2015, the only way to experience World today is on community servers. And even with all the currencies and microtransactions removed, my few hours with this game were one extremely repetitive and grindy affair.
Driving and customization were actually pretty cool here, and the world, while lacking a lot of the soul from Most Wanted and Carbon, was fun to explore. Usable items were a nice addition to the formula, though I find it kind of tragic that they were introduced here and not six months earlier in fun racer spin-off Nitro, where they would have been a much better fit.
Need for Speed Retrospective #14
Nitro fills such an interesting niche in the NfS franchise. Appearing on the quintessential party console, it's a quintessential party game.
It's a shame we never got Nitro 2, because the foundations laid out here are fantastic. I love the game's style, the cartoonish animations and the endlessly satisfying graffiti painting mechanics. Nitro can be picked up and learned in mere seconds, making it a great choice for parties and other casual contexts.
I just wish they had leaned a little deeper into Mario Kart or Blur territory. The skeleton of an item system is here and would have been so much more fun had it just allowed me to hurl some things at my enemies. The same goes for the tracks, which are just a tiny bit too traditional. Throw in some over-the-top ramps and obstacles and you got the perfect party game.
As is, Nitro remains just a little too tame and will rarely persuade anyone to whip out this disc instead of Mario Kart Wii.
Nitro fills such an interesting niche in the NfS franchise. Appearing on the quintessential party console, it's a quintessential party game.
It's a shame we never got Nitro 2, because the foundations laid out here are fantastic. I love the game's style, the cartoonish animations and the endlessly satisfying graffiti painting mechanics. Nitro can be picked up and learned in mere seconds, making it a great choice for parties and other casual contexts.
I just wish they had leaned a little deeper into Mario Kart or Blur territory. The skeleton of an item system is here and would have been so much more fun had it just allowed me to hurl some things at my enemies. The same goes for the tracks, which are just a tiny bit too traditional. Throw in some over-the-top ramps and obstacles and you got the perfect party game.
As is, Nitro remains just a little too tame and will rarely persuade anyone to whip out this disc instead of Mario Kart Wii.
Need for Speed Retrospective #13
A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one. After a change in developers, this small British team somehow ended up assembling a much more realized version of what ProStreet was going for two years prior. Everything looks and feels so vibrant here. Shift was the first racing game to repeatedly make me drive in cockpit view, just because it felt so luscious and visceral to use.
Many other reviews have criticised the handling in this entry, and rightfully so. If we assume that they went for a technical or simulation approach here, it's clearly a failure. I haven't driven a real car in over twelve years now and even I know this is not how cars behave. Shift's rather unique handling model took me a while to learn, but at least (and quite unlike the previous entry in the series) it's consistent and predictable once you have picked it up. There are limits to everything, though. I don't think any human being on earth ever felt in control of the drift events in this game.
A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one. After a change in developers, this small British team somehow ended up assembling a much more realized version of what ProStreet was going for two years prior. Everything looks and feels so vibrant here. Shift was the first racing game to repeatedly make me drive in cockpit view, just because it felt so luscious and visceral to use.
Many other reviews have criticised the handling in this entry, and rightfully so. If we assume that they went for a technical or simulation approach here, it's clearly a failure. I haven't driven a real car in over twelve years now and even I know this is not how cars behave. Shift's rather unique handling model took me a while to learn, but at least (and quite unlike the previous entry in the series) it's consistent and predictable once you have picked it up. There are limits to everything, though. I don't think any human being on earth ever felt in control of the drift events in this game.
Need for Speed Retrospective #12
I feel like I can't say much about Undercover that hasn't been said already. It's definitley no underrated raw diamond. It's incredibly ugly und incredibly unfinished. The visuals hurt your eyes and the handling and physics are simply non-functional.
The most amazing thing about this game is how many elements are just hanging in the air. The leveling system does nothing and the open world is just there. You can't even access the races from it properly. Clearly, the one-year release schedule was no longer going to fly for games of this scope. Please give developers more time and resources.
I feel like I can't say much about Undercover that hasn't been said already. It's definitley no underrated raw diamond. It's incredibly ugly und incredibly unfinished. The visuals hurt your eyes and the handling and physics are simply non-functional.
The most amazing thing about this game is how many elements are just hanging in the air. The leveling system does nothing and the open world is just there. You can't even access the races from it properly. Clearly, the one-year release schedule was no longer going to fly for games of this scope. Please give developers more time and resources.
Need for Speed Retrospective #11
A series needs to reinvent itself sometimes. After four games in the Underground style, they picked the perfect time for another fresh start. I also think that the shift towards professional racing on closed tracks, being visually and thematically very distinct, was a clever and topical choice. Lastly, a more simulation-heavy gameplay approach should facilitate this setting and style very well.
All of it sounds great on paper. Sadly, the final product turned out to be remarkably dull.
The driving itself doesn't feel too bad, but I can totally see why it gets shunned by both arcade and simulation fans. Being not fast-paced enough for one group and not deep enough for the other, the gameplay basically comes down to following a dotted line on the floor, interrupted by the occasional pointless minigame.
As for the overall look and feel, they were clearly going for a more realistic style. And while they succeeded in some areas (like the sound effects), in others the game ended up far behind the quality of proper racing sims of the time. What we're served here is the complete lack of visual flair, tinged with typical PS3 era "realism" that makes all tracks feel the same. Add to that an insufferable announcer voice constantly blaring non-information and you end up with a game that has almost as little identity as its faceless main character.
With a little more creative direction and a couple of more months of development time, ProStreet easily could have been great, but we were clearly not there yet.
A series needs to reinvent itself sometimes. After four games in the Underground style, they picked the perfect time for another fresh start. I also think that the shift towards professional racing on closed tracks, being visually and thematically very distinct, was a clever and topical choice. Lastly, a more simulation-heavy gameplay approach should facilitate this setting and style very well.
All of it sounds great on paper. Sadly, the final product turned out to be remarkably dull.
The driving itself doesn't feel too bad, but I can totally see why it gets shunned by both arcade and simulation fans. Being not fast-paced enough for one group and not deep enough for the other, the gameplay basically comes down to following a dotted line on the floor, interrupted by the occasional pointless minigame.
As for the overall look and feel, they were clearly going for a more realistic style. And while they succeeded in some areas (like the sound effects), in others the game ended up far behind the quality of proper racing sims of the time. What we're served here is the complete lack of visual flair, tinged with typical PS3 era "realism" that makes all tracks feel the same. Add to that an insufferable announcer voice constantly blaring non-information and you end up with a game that has almost as little identity as its faceless main character.
With a little more creative direction and a couple of more months of development time, ProStreet easily could have been great, but we were clearly not there yet.
Need for Speed Retrospective #10
Before starting this retrospective, I hadn't even heard of Carbon. I feel like the game ended up a little underrated, as it addresses many of its predecessor's problems quite competently. The police chases feel much more balanced and the predictable chapter structure is superseded by a satisfying strategy-like conquest map.
When I don't think about the infuriating final boss too much, this one was a blast from start to finish. Probably Its biggest fault is that neither its visual style nor soundtrack are as recognizable as Most Wanted's. They more or less went for an Underground rehash without ever reaching its heights. NFSC truly showed me how important overall feeling and atmopshere are for a Need for Speed game. A lesson I wish the developers had taken to heart for future games.
Before starting this retrospective, I hadn't even heard of Carbon. I feel like the game ended up a little underrated, as it addresses many of its predecessor's problems quite competently. The police chases feel much more balanced and the predictable chapter structure is superseded by a satisfying strategy-like conquest map.
When I don't think about the infuriating final boss too much, this one was a blast from start to finish. Probably Its biggest fault is that neither its visual style nor soundtrack are as recognizable as Most Wanted's. They more or less went for an Underground rehash without ever reaching its heights. NFSC truly showed me how important overall feeling and atmopshere are for a Need for Speed game. A lesson I wish the developers had taken to heart for future games.
Need for Speed Retrospective #9
This game needs to be in the same conversation as Okami and The Wind Waker when it comes to timeless styles. I found myself just roaming around and admiring the view many times, which is quite the compliment for a game old enough to have a drivers license of its own.
Though not as explorable as in Underground 2, the open world is still dense and fun to traverse with plenty to do in each chapter. The game's structure is an interesting choice, its obvious weakness being its repetitiveness. After the first thirty minutes, the remaining 14 chapters become very predictable and can sometimes feel like a slog. Adding to that, the later police chases are very unforgiving and frustrating, as small mistakes will lose you a lot of progress.
Still, a fantastic driving game. You guys were right all along: This is the golden era of NfS.
This game needs to be in the same conversation as Okami and The Wind Waker when it comes to timeless styles. I found myself just roaming around and admiring the view many times, which is quite the compliment for a game old enough to have a drivers license of its own.
Though not as explorable as in Underground 2, the open world is still dense and fun to traverse with plenty to do in each chapter. The game's structure is an interesting choice, its obvious weakness being its repetitiveness. After the first thirty minutes, the remaining 14 chapters become very predictable and can sometimes feel like a slog. Adding to that, the later police chases are very unforgiving and frustrating, as small mistakes will lose you a lot of progress.
Still, a fantastic driving game. You guys were right all along: This is the golden era of NfS.
Need for Speed Retrospective #8
NFSU2 resembles a traditional RPG more than it does a driving game. Your car is your main character, gradually growing in power and visual pizzazz as you progress through the story. I think everyone who played this game fondly remembers their first little Peugeot or Volkswagen they started their journey with. A remarkable achievement for a game like this.
The game's open world very much augments this style of gameplay, with new and more interesting parts of the city unlocking piece by piece. I also love the fact that NFSU2 is bold enough not to boast any fast-travel, making wayfinding and route planning an integral part of the gameplay experience. The way exploration is rewarded by finding new shops and parts makes for a fun experience as the player both hones their skills and grows more familiar with their surroundings.
Fantastic experience, easily the best one so far.
NFSU2 resembles a traditional RPG more than it does a driving game. Your car is your main character, gradually growing in power and visual pizzazz as you progress through the story. I think everyone who played this game fondly remembers their first little Peugeot or Volkswagen they started their journey with. A remarkable achievement for a game like this.
The game's open world very much augments this style of gameplay, with new and more interesting parts of the city unlocking piece by piece. I also love the fact that NFSU2 is bold enough not to boast any fast-travel, making wayfinding and route planning an integral part of the gameplay experience. The way exploration is rewarded by finding new shops and parts makes for a fun experience as the player both hones their skills and grows more familiar with their surroundings.
Fantastic experience, easily the best one so far.