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Look good while breaking the law By WILLIAM BARKER In real life, the average Joe wouldn't even consider trying to outrun the cops - no matter how deep one's pockets were. As such, a digital adaptation of such antisocial tomfoolery is instantly engaging. Enter Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2. To this very day, I personally believe there is only one true Need For Speed - and that's the original game. It was, at the time, played on powerful 486 DX/2 66s and, if you were lucky, maybe even a DX/4 100, and basically allowed drivers to go a little bonkers in cars that were - how do you say? - exotic. Promoting safe driving techniques it did not, but that was part of its charm. There was even one section on the first Alpine track where you could almost complete full 360-degree spin -- whilst airborne -- in either the Ferrari or the Lambo. See, it even inspired creativity! Next came NFS2, which really bit the big one. It took the mild simulation aspects of the original and tossed them aside so that they could reach a broader audience with more 'arcadiness'. Note to EA: arcadiness only works in arcades - that's why they're there.
And the Jacks, the Fuzz, the Boys in Blue, the Five-oh, or the Cops also have a few new tricks up their collective sleeves. Indeed, one of the coolest things about NFS:HP2 are the police chases, and a solid driving engine makes this even more enjoyable. But - and it's a big but - the game doesn't really offer much in the way of the competition. We finished the game in two days, and one of them was laundry day… Graphically, NFS:HP2 is a technical game, but this doesn't always show up on the tele. For instance, many of the seriously sexy architectural designs, such as the huge and rather beautiful dam (he loves his dams - Ed), are barely visible unless you forfeit the race by turning around to have a closer look, which to me is utterly pointless. It's like coming up with the meaning of life (video games!) but then topping yourself because you feel you can no longer contribute to your own well-being.
Let's just say it's a damn shame, okay? But everything is in perfect working order in the graphics department. There are very few glitches, such as the more common texture warping and the like, and it moves at a silky-smooth 30fps on all systems, which is quite a feat, though the Xbox version, as usual, is the pick of bunch. There's always something to look at too, which isn't always conducive to quicker lap times -- but hey, it'll always impress your mates. Trackside detail is very comprehensive, and the clipping distance reinforces this - you'll be able to see forests looming miles before you actually drive through them. On one track, I forget which (must be the hog jowls…), there's the most amazing mixture of both lens flare and glare, where the screen washes white for a moment as you reach the crest of a steep hill. Poetry in motion, my friends. Also, when you do something really cool, such as getting air, smashing through a roadblock or hammering into a cop car at 300km/h, you will often get a little slow-mo replay, and it's little details such as these that help lift NFSHS2 above the more prosaic action driving games on offer.
For me, at least, that means nothing but the in-car camera and few special replays as I teach the monkey-brained Five-oh what's what and who's who. Just like in real life… The driving model isn't perfect, but it's the closest the ageing NFS franchise has come to the original masterpiece. The physics are what I'd call solid, with heavy cars feeling heavy and light one's offering a more nimble experience. In fact, the gameplay is actually really quite absorbing, even without the cops turned on. The cars sit on the road purposefully, and never have a 'floaty' sensation that otherwise ruins driving games with potential. From the power delivery, to the suspension reacting to bumps and lumps in the road, it's impressive stuff from EA. Completing certain, more difficult sections of the tracks with finesse, or alternatively massive powerslides, is very rewarding and one of the highlights of the game. Getting to know the tracks and pushing yourself deeper into the corners, braking later, is a lot more fun than it sounds, believe you me!
Go in too hot and it'll understeer like grandma on Bingo night. Venture into the same corner at the right speed though, and you'll be able to deftly control where the nose goes by gently blipping the throttle. But the best thing about the latest NFS game? Track design. Not only are the tracks, at times, extremely technical and extremely long (a good thing in my book), with some taking more than five minutes per lap, the boost in power on the three next gen consoles, and in particular the Xbox, allows track routes like never before - or at least in an NFS game. Forget the short, arcadey tracks of past NFS titles, in this game you get long, long, winding, rising, falling almost Wipeout style tracks, but not for a moment do you believe the game is bordering on the fantastic. On one track there's a huge cityscape, which looks simply stunning with skyscrapers towering overhead. Much of the track winds along twisty and sometimes hair-raising coastal roads, but there's one section, which goes for about five or six kilometres (3 or 4 miles for the imperialists out there), that follows the most harmoniously smooth stretch of über-highway this reviewer has ever digitally driven down. It was a profound experience, to be honest.
As for music, the best option lies only with the Xbox, where you can play your own choons - we recommend Highway Star by Deep Purple, or some chillout songs. The chopper is pretty damn cool too, and always makes championship races a little more fun, because not even your foes are safe. The helicopter looks very cool as it speeds past, following the twists of the road, blowing up dust and debris as it goes. And then it starts dropping barrels of the explosive persuasion, suffice it to say, things really start to 'heat up' in a 'fiery' way. Chortle… The cops also have pretty vicious AI, which is really great. They keep up with even the most determined of speedsters and there's also some mildly amusing 'busted' cut-scenes when the Fuzz haul your law-breaking ass in. The only thing that brings this game down, though, is its own brilliance. We were so addicted and absorbed with the game that we finished the entire thing - all secrets unlocked - in two days. We didn't eat much or sleep, but hey, it's our job. Still, it didn't detract too much from going back and doing it all over again, testament to the games' polished and highly addictive gameplay. I dunno what it is about being chased by the cops in exotic sportscars, but when done well, there's not many things that match it.
ORIGINALITY 70%
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There
aren't many things, for me at least, that beat going toe-to-toe with a
troupe of pugnacious cop cars, and maybe a huey thrown in just for laughs.
So, about four games
(and years) later and we have this Xbox, PS2 and GameCube title and builds
on the original Hot Pursuit game. It accomplishes this by adding newer
cars, prettier graphics and a much improved physics engine. 
Oh wait, bad analogy…
How about painting the world's most celebrated work of art, only to hide
it in the closet - not because you're bitter and twisted, but because…
Nope, that one's no good either. 
The après-game
replays, however, aren't exactly what gamers have come to expect, allowing
only the views that you played the game with to be seen in the replay.
Even the accuracy
of the specific cars is pretty good too: An NFS vice if there ever was
one. Take the Dodge Viper as an example, and place it in a scenario with
lots of speed and an upcoming corner. 
The sound effects
are good, particularly when your police scanner kicks in and you hear
the cops talking about laying spikes, or even bringing in the 'rotor'.
