don't know what to say about this. on the one hand, it's everything Need for Speed should be: pornographically detailed sports cars racing against cops down immaculate scenery. gives you a sense of speed like few games I can remember. despite obviously being written by the manufacture's PR team, I love the little info snippets about each car. makes you feel like you're learning something between events. the whole game glitters the way a great car ad should. it skirts that line between ad and arcade racer pretty well. the sort of vehicular combat in this adds a nice wrinkle. but man, I've had to give up maybe 40% of the way through because progress is slow and the events and tracks are so repetitive. like I don't get the sense this game has anything more to show me that it hasn't after I've reached level 7. it's incredible fun but it feels like a game that's stringing me along.

it's a really nice feeling driving at night from the hood cam while I listen to my own music (because the soundtrack sucks) though. again, that notion of speed is right there. i just don't think this game has any idea what to put it towards. reminds me playing High Stakes and Hot Wheels Turbo Racing as a kid though. some really beautiful cars in this too. the Mercedes Benz Stirling Moss, ooh boy.