benke
2010
I wanted to complain about the tracks being repetitive, bland and empty but actually that's just what polish coutryside looks like.
2007
I expected the game to lean more into simulation territory, but it turned out to just be a simple arcade racer. The handling feels effortless and vehicles are insanely grippy which that ruins the whole illusion of off-road racing. The game features a decent variety of vehicles, however the selection of tracks is underwhelming and they end up repeating throughout. Despite that the game manages to be fun enough. Pikes Peak events in particular are the highlight of DiRT, these are extremely fast compared to the rest of the game and actually require you to get a good grasp on the controls. It's just too bad the rest of the game falls short of what it could've been.
2009
A big step forward coming off of DiRT 1. The handling feels great, locations are far more interesting and the presentation and vibes are on point. The problem here is that there is not nearly enough content(there should've been a larger focus on rally event too) and you've seen all the game has to offer at the 50% mark but the game just keeps going on and on. Still, that first half was an absolute blast and I can't recommend it enough, I just wish the game kept that kind of quality for all of its runtime.
I absolutely did not expect SHOX to be this good. This is pretty much the PS2 equivalent of Sega Rally Championship(Let's just ignore 2006 for now). Events are fast and challenging. The time requirements for the SHOX ZONES always require you to learn the tracks and controls but never become overwhelming. Controls are incredibly smooth and satisfying once you get the hang of them. My only real gripe is that sometimes during jumps the physics become wacky and that did ruin a few of my races.
A very simple rally game with a nice presentation. Took me a bit to get the hang of the controls, but sliding through the stages was always enjoyable. The normal difficulty is way too easy though, sometimes I could maintain a more than 30 second lead over my opponents. I will replay it on Hard one day.
Played it alongside the first WRC game for the PS2 and I couldn't believe how bad this one felt by comparison. I never got used to the handling, it just doesn't feel good to play and the soundtrack is composed of like 6 songs that you have to manually change in the settings, what the hell.
2002
(PAL PS2 release, original handling)
Immaculate vibes, decent enough handling but the track selection is abysmal. There are two highways(one decent, one boring), two mountain passes(a bit too winding considering how much vehicles tend to understeer but they're fine) and the Suzuka race track(good). That's just 5 tracks total and while they can be played in reverse that doesn't do much to save the game. The selection of vehicles fares better and features quite a few fun oddities but there is no incentive to actually use most of them. In the end even with its short runtime of about 5 hours the game manages to feel really repetitive. It's a shame because with a better selection of tracks this game really could've been something special.
Immaculate vibes, decent enough handling but the track selection is abysmal. There are two highways(one decent, one boring), two mountain passes(a bit too winding considering how much vehicles tend to understeer but they're fine) and the Suzuka race track(good). That's just 5 tracks total and while they can be played in reverse that doesn't do much to save the game. The selection of vehicles fares better and features quite a few fun oddities but there is no incentive to actually use most of them. In the end even with its short runtime of about 5 hours the game manages to feel really repetitive. It's a shame because with a better selection of tracks this game really could've been something special.
2003
Everything about this game seems to suggest a sim racer akin to Gran Turismo. Menus, music it all seems to fit the bill until you actually get into a race. That's because the handling doesn't resemble Gran Turismo, but more so Burnout. An impossibly cursed, unholy version of Burnout. I can't even begin to comprehend what kind of accident led to the physics becoming this messed up, it's just unbelievable. Almost everything else about the game including tracks and progression is just boring. The game's only saving grace is the car selection.
PS2 - 4
XBOX - 1.5
The PS2 version is a fun racer that overstays its welcome quite a bit but is still worth playing as long as you stick to the Hot Pursuit mode. The other version features unsatisfying, floaty handling and way worse cop chases. I tried to go back to finish up the Championship mode on the XBOX but gave up after realising that every single event in the game takes at least 10 minutes to finish and is boring enough to the point that I could fall asleep playing it.
XBOX - 1.5
The PS2 version is a fun racer that overstays its welcome quite a bit but is still worth playing as long as you stick to the Hot Pursuit mode. The other version features unsatisfying, floaty handling and way worse cop chases. I tried to go back to finish up the Championship mode on the XBOX but gave up after realising that every single event in the game takes at least 10 minutes to finish and is boring enough to the point that I could fall asleep playing it.
Mostly decent but it's way too long and the rubberbanding sucks out a lot of the fun.
Over the years I replayed Undeground 2 from the beginning a dozen of times but only once did I actually finish it. The career's length could've been cut in half and the game would only benefit from it. Underground 2 is definitely worth playing but I wouldn't say it's worth finishing.
Repetition starts to set in around the final third of the career's length but man, those police chases never get old and for that alone the game deserves its legendary status.
A victim of EA's development schedule. Carbon has a multitude of ambitious ideas but all of them ended up becoming a shallow shell of what they were meant to be. Black Box ignored Most Wanted's success and instead of iterating upon it, they kind of made another Underground. That doesn't mean the game is bad though, it's good but underwhelming. Really wish the game would've at least utilised the canyon duels more, those go hard but there's only a few of them in the game.
The race day atmosphere is great. Too bad the handling sucks and the progression is torture. Speed events are fun though, even if really unbalanced. I really do want to see another game like this that actually plays well.
PSP: One of the worst racing games I've ever played, plays like all the previous shitty NfS games on the PSP but it's somehow even worse. I hate it with all my hate.
PS2: Buggy and unfinished trash reusing Carbon and MW assets. Can be fun whenever the game isn't falling apart, which is rarely.
PC/PS3: I've already finished Undercover multiple times and remembered it somewhat fondly. Replaying it now I was expecting to find the game mediocre but playable, however to my surprise after a few hours I genuinely couldn't stomach playing it any further. The physics are clearly unfinished, the game looks disgusting, the car roster is straight up bizarre, the attempt at creating a story is pathetic and intrusive thanks to its unskipable cutscenes. The only thing Undercover did right is its music, particularly the selection of tracks used in the Garage and on the Map Screen, both of which excellent.
PS2: Buggy and unfinished trash reusing Carbon and MW assets. Can be fun whenever the game isn't falling apart, which is rarely.
PC/PS3: I've already finished Undercover multiple times and remembered it somewhat fondly. Replaying it now I was expecting to find the game mediocre but playable, however to my surprise after a few hours I genuinely couldn't stomach playing it any further. The physics are clearly unfinished, the game looks disgusting, the car roster is straight up bizarre, the attempt at creating a story is pathetic and intrusive thanks to its unskipable cutscenes. The only thing Undercover did right is its music, particularly the selection of tracks used in the Garage and on the Map Screen, both of which excellent.