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 NEED FOR SPEED: HOT PURSUIT 2 (PS2, GC, XBOX)
Look good while breaking the law
By WILLIAM BARKER
 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.
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.
 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.
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.
 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.
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.
 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.
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!
 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.
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.
 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'.
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%
SOUND/GRAPHICS 90%
PLAYABILITY 95%
ADDICTION 80%
ENJOYMENT 95%
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