First little historical notes: the Need For Speed saga is basically divided into four strands.
Il first strand, the original one, saw the title as an arcade racing game based on beautiful cars and high speeds. This is basically what the brand was before Fast & Furious became a mass phenomenon and forced EA Canada to turn slightly course. Specific characteristics of this trend are the combination nice sports cars + police chases.
Il second strand è the one inaugurated by Need For Speed Underground and it is a much more linear trend in terms of concept. Strengthened by the incredible success of Dominc Toretto and associates Black box decides to create chapters of the saga based on the tuning, on clandestine races at night and on all that subculture that took proletarian cars (so to speak) turning them into racing cars. Here the saga recognized the greatest success, thanks to chapters such as Underground 2, Need For Speed Most Wanted e carbon.
Il third strand it is the one with the fewest chapters.
Exempted Black box from development the Need For Speed saga turns into a racing video game with simulation ambitions, with video games even with modest critical acclaim such as the two chapters of Need For Speed Shift.
Il fourth strand that's all that happened after this.
The gist of the matter comes now.
Electronic Arts, almost tired of the somewhat fragmented management of its license leading car manufacturer, decides to entrust the reins of a reboot of the project to Criterion Games, English software house known to most for having churned out those unforgettable pearls of Burnout. It does so by bringing a high-sounding name like that of into play again Hot Pursuit, chapter of the saga that started the commercial success of the first trend.
Need For Speed Hot Pursuit it came out in 2010 and brought back the fierce chases with the police, the beautiful cars and a wonderful feeling of speed, displeasing customization enthusiasts but remaining essentially unassailable in many ways. The title remains, even today, a excellent example of arcade racing game thanks to a curious multiplayer mode (autolog) and a core gameplay that holds up against the advancing time.
Ten years later, quite unpredictably, Electronic Arts decides to withdraw this specific chapter out of the hat with a remastered version, made by the same guys (Stellar Entertainment) authors of the enhanced and updated version of Burnout Paradise (always Criterion Games, considered by many to be the best arcade racing game of modernity).
How did this operation go?
Let's find out together.
The true definitive edition
Need For Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered it's a practically 1,5: 1 version of the full version of the original title. Besides all contents that the original title carried with it inside the box (because at the time Digital Delivery had yet to blossom), this remastered version takes six hours of racing and extra challenges in addition to the presence of the two DLC released at the time. This addition does not substantially change anything but results a great sop for all those who, having stripped the original title, look for a reason to justify those thirty euros spent that the title requires.
Beyond that in NFS Hot Pursuit Remastered the developers have also included all those cars that, for one reason or another, were exclusive to x or y version. Compared to the basic version we find more cars, extra skins and otherwise unobtainable content (such as vehicles linked to codes that could only be found in America)
Finally, among the novelties of the title we find a delicious one autolog cross-platform, perfect for playing multiplayer with the rest of the world population, a couple of extra modes dedicated to multiplayer and improved HUD readability.
From a technical point of view Need For Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered can just boast ofupscaling up to 4K with framerate that comes to the 60, nothing particularly exciting. The original graphics of the title are all noticeable, despite the upscaling of the textures and as much as it still looks good nowadays it is legitimate wondering if you could not dare a little more from this point of view.
We tested the title on PC and played 60 granite frames in 1080p with a configuration that is not even particularly powerful, which is why we tend to believe that it is possible to achieve excellent performance in the other reference consoles (PS4, X1 and Switch).
Aging well
Now let's get to the gist of the game: how to play this Need For Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered?
The answer is: exactly like the original and that is exactly what we can call good news. Not because here in the editorial office we are all incredible nostalgicfags unable to find the good in novelty but because you don't change a winning team.
Il gameplay arcade di NFS Hot Pursuit has remained practically unaltered: every car is slightly different one from the other; there is a big difference in weight, especially in the most heart-pounding maneuvers, between driving an agile Mazda RX8 and a Jaguar XF. The driving system is quite relaxed and allows the player to indulge in incredible drifts with the push of a simple button.
This factor also allows the rookie to indulge themselves (and have fun, we emphasize) at the first hairpin without necessarily having to transform all the players into professional drivers.
Compared to a normal arcade racing game NFS Hot Pursuit presents some challenges in which the player is left with the opportunity to make use of a content but effective arsenal, full of trinkets with which to hinder the police between electromagnetic pulses, spiked strips and fuel injections for unlikely energy boosts.
The challenges take place within Seacrest County, a location that can no longer be freely explored but still has a certain charm, perfectly capable of simulating a good portion of the American West Coast, from the deserts of Nevada to the Californian coasts, passing through the natural parks. with sequoias.
It must be said that both gameplay, both that of pure racing and that of pursuit in the role of the police, they work fine and they offer fairly constant fun. Compared to the past it is noticeable a tougher artificial intelligence, more interested in using shortcuts intelligently and able to put a spoke in the wheel of average players. The elastic effect is not overwhelming and the races tend to always be moderately fun, also thanks to the incredible sense of speed that accompanies this game from start to finish.
Summing up
Among the most talked about features of this remastered version of the game we find a version cross platform dell 'Autolog, one of the first examples (on consoles of the time) of a dynamic and vibrant multiplayer ecosystem.
The autolog, based on the player's friends list, warns and creates challenges based on who exceeds the times of whom, generating ad hoc events and encouraging the player to create a community thanks to the presence of a kind of in-game social network that also exploits photo mode (enhanced with the remastered version).
Something that (unfortunately) has not been updated is the soundtrack department, heavily anchored to what in 2010 was the most fashionable music. Within the OST of the title we find the last stirrings of some electro house, which have aged badly to the present day together with a mash of electronic hip hop, drum and bass and rock. Unfortunately no has inserted in the title the ability to import playlists from your computer or from any streaming program so let's ignore it. Much much better sound effects department, with snappy cars and bright rumble that give a good feeling of adrenaline with every turbo stroke.
Need For Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered is a fun and content-packed arcade racing video game. Despite a graphic design that seems to remain anchored to 2010, the title, thanks to a budget price, is able to satisfy all those who originally appreciated the first time of Criterion on NFS. To crown it all there is a renewed Autolog, whose success is closely linked to what will be the sales of the title.
