There was a time when the Need for Speed franchise was a guaranteed hit every year for Christmas before each yearly entry felt the same as the last one. The series, however, seemed to capitalize on the popularity of the Fast & Furious films and even came complete with equally cheesy storylines.
However, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit from Criterion, the developer behind the popular Burnout series, was something of a reboot that focused on fun and speed over silly storylines and formulaic gameplay. While it became one of the most popular racing games of the last generation, how does Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit hold up a decade later in this remastered version?
10 Best: The Police Chases Are Still Fun
Whether you are trying to get away or the cops doing the chasing, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit is a lot of fun. Even by today’s standards, the speed and intensity of the chases provide an adrenaline rush that can rival even the most advanced modern-day racers.
Blasting your way through shortcuts when trying to escape or getting the drop on the escapee as a cop is just as thrilling and as satisfying now as it was when Hot Pursuit released on the last-gen machines.
9 Worst: It’s Showing Its Age
While Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit isn’t an ugly looking game by any means, there’s no escaping how last gen it looks when compared to modern racers like the Forza Horizon series. Even fans that are looking at this game through rose-tinted glasses will have a hard time telling this remastered version apart from the original game.
It is noticeably faster and smoother to play, however, and the improved framerate certainly adds to the game’s sense of speed and chaos. Visually, Hot Pursuit is a decent looking game but mechanically with the old-school rubber-banding and the simplistic controls, it feels a little antiquated.
8 Best: Excellent Arcade-Style Racing
When it comes to racing games, there are players out there that don’t want to spend hours trying to get to the good stuff in the game. Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit is a throwback, in some ways. Not just because it’s a remaster of an old game but because it’s unashamedly an arcade racer designed to be fun and entertaining like the Ridge Racer series as opposed to more serious racers like Forza and Gran Turismo.
All kinds of players at different skill levels can jump into Hot Pursuit and get straight into the action without any fuss or grinding for newer and better cars thanks to the inclusion of the game’s add-ons.
7 Worst: It’s A Barebones Racer
Unfortunately, being an arcade-style racing game, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit is a very barebones experience and beyond the chases and some online features, there really isn’t a lot to do. It’s a shame that the developers didn’t include more features to give the game some extra longevity.
Even with the additional add ons that have been included in this remastered version, there’s very little to do beyond some challenges, time trials, and competitive chases.
6 Best: A Good Sense Of Speed
One of the best features of arcade-style racing games is they set out to make the players feel like they are driving fast cars with a sense of control. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit gives you this sense of control and speed as you take part in high-octane races and crazy polices chases.
There’s something incredibly exhilarating about speeding into oncoming traffic and narrowly missing the oncoming cars. These kinds of near misses and wild chases aren’t something that would appear in a racing sim and it’s perfect for players that enjoy a more simplistic experience.
5 Worst: Autolog Seems Pointless Now
The biggest downside to this remastered version of Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit is that it simply isn’t the big-budget major release that it was back in its day. As a result, the online element of the game is frustratingly empty due to the fact most people are probably playing one of the big AAA titles released in 2020.
As a result, the popular Autolog feature which registers your friend’s scores and fastest times doesn’t feel as relevant today as it did in 2010.
4 Best: The Unlockables
While Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit can’t compete with the likes of Forza: Horizon when it comes to the selection of cars, there are still lots to choose from and unlock. Each career path will unlock new cars and new tracks.
These can be unlocked by winning races, completing time trials, and taking down baddies on the road as the chaser/cop in the career modes. There are lots of recognizable supercars to unlock, which is sure to satisfy even the most demanding on petrol heads.
3 Worst: The Cars Feel The Same
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit’s arcade-style nature is that the game sets out to make the game feel as easy to pick up and play for all players. While this is a good thing for newer players, the more advanced racing fan will likely want a bit more realism from their cars.
Unfortunately, nearly all the cars in the game feel almost identical due to their simplistic handling mechanics. Of course, some cars are faster than others but beyond their looks, there’s very little distinction between a Porsche or a Lamborghini.
2 Best: Playing As A Cop
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit’s biggest selling point is the cops and robbers-style car chases. It’s great fun trying to get away from the police traveling at blistering speeds and smashing through seemingly accessible dirt roads as a means to escape.
However, it’s playing as the cop that is by far the most entertaining. The thrill of ramming the bad guys out of the road is far more appealing than running away, and being a cop will give you access to weapons, like road spikes, EMPs, roadblock, and more.
1 Worst: Unavoidable Car Crashes
While this is undoubtedly a Need for Speed title, as Hot Pursuit is developed by Criterion, there’s definitely some of the Burnout series’ DNA in there. Considering how lackluster the most recent Need for Speed titles have been, that’s certainly not a bad thing.
However, the downside to this is that the cars also crash and burn like the Burnout series and they are totally unavoidable. Just like the Burnout games, it’s very easy to slightly touch another car and have it explode on impact in Hot Pursuit. This proves to be incredibly frustrating in the time trial modes where crashing means losing far too much time.
NEXT: 10 Underrated PS2 Racing Games (& Their Metacritic Scores)
