Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit (Xbox360)

 Title:Need For Speed Hot Pursuit
Company: EA Games
Systems: PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Wii

Need For Speed: Hot pursuit  is the sequel to Burnout: Paradise that crash-n-burners never got, but with police!  This is about all  that can be said to be good about this game.  With a lack of story line, zero encouragement to continue, and severe lack of things to DO, this game failed on my list.

Story:
There is no story.  You  choose whether you  want to  race as a cop or a racer, and can change whenever you  want.  With no alliances to either, there is no  objective except to beat the game and unlock achievements for your gamerscore.

Gameplay:
For a racing game, the controls were very quick to pick  up, and  the game was very easy to play, but that is where the gameplay  "pros" end.

The issues however, are abundant.

1.  There are basically only two things you can do, and that is it. You can race, or you can chase. No exceptions.  Once you have raced the opening scene you have  accomplished all this game has to offer.
2. One of the biggest fads withing the racing game genre is modding cars.  With this game, you can't even OWN cars, let alone modify them to fit your style.
3. You  unlock cars/races by gaining "bounty."  But...cops getting a  "bounty"?!? Since when does THAT make sense? (Editor's note: It makes about as much sense as earning money in Call of Duty's Black Ops Multi-player)
4. The cars don't handle anything like their real counterparts.  They  have muscle cars with the best handling,  tuners with the highest acceleration...etc.  They put a lot of research into the car's history and making, but very little into how they actually drive, which was a big letdown for me, being a total gear-head.

This whole game has  the feel  of being slapped together real quick.  There is no substance to this game, except where you gamer score is concerned.

Art ideas:
The art style (along with the gameplay) of this release, almost mirrored the original Hot Pursuit  for the Playstation 1.  The road was an obvious loop of the same cracked pavement.  The landscape was better than the original, but with no free roam, there is no way to enjoy it.  One of the big things in arcade racers is having beautiful stage graphics when going fast.  While the textures are better than the PS1 and the tech city is light years ahead, it might not be enough to cover the slim campaign mode. 

Final Idea:
This game lacked any reason to go out and purchase it.  I wouldn't recommend this game to  anyone.  If they like the crashes and crazy speed, I would recommend Burnout. If they like the racing and the police chases, I would recommend NFS Carbon or Most Wanted.  If you really want to try it, go  for it, but you will  be bored within thirty minutes.

Spiritual Point:
One of the big points of this game is driving destructively:  Big crashes, wrecking cars (police and pedestrian), driving on the wrong side of the road, and doing other stupid crazy things.  Other than that, there is no plot to the game, and therefore no other moral dilemmas.

[Editor's Note-  Police are often viewed as obstacles toward freedom and the way to live right.  We forget sometimes that the Police's primary job is to stop all danger and threats.  In the same vein, God gets the same rap that the police get.  He has too many rules!  He requires too many laws!  How can anyone get to Heaven with a cop like God patrolling the universe?  But two things need to be taken into account 1) God's rules and laws (in respect to the 10 Commandments) are for safety and harmony between people.  2) The Bible is loaded with testimonies of failure in following these rules.  Many Bible heroes were just as sinful as you and me.  How did they keep God the cop from making an arrest?  The answer lies in Jesus.]

Pros:
     Easy to pick up
     Online  play with friends

Cons:
      Lack   of story
      Cars don't handle realistically
      Nothing to do

D

Kevin