Games for Lunch: Need for Speed Undercover
In a nutshell: "I race this lonely road, the only one that I have ever known..."
4/28/2009 7:37 PM | 11 Comments | Page 1 of 4
Kyle Orland
Status: "You can't get quality video game editorial from a value menu!" "No, really, you can't."
Developer: EA Black Box
Publisher: EA
Release Date: Nov. 18, 2008
Systems: Xbox 360 (reviewed), Wii, PS3, PS2, PSP, DS, PC, Mobile, N-Gage, iPhone/iPod Touch
ESRB Rating: E10+
Official Web site
0:00 I've managed to somehow avoid playing the Need for Speed series for the past 26 years, but I have some friends who really got into it. I'm a fan of arcade racers, so I really don't know why I waited so long...
0:01 A short downloadable update precedes a disclaimer: "Pull these moves within the safety of your house ONLY." Um, I don't think Mom will let me take the car into the house...
0:02 "You're not good ... and you're not bad," says a ghostly message on the loading screen. What the hell? Then, a cut scene: "This place has changed. These guys and their cars. No regard for anyone. It's time to put a stop to what's going on around here." Generic thumping techno plays over a moving helicopter shot over the ocean. It's a police chopper with a coastal skyline coming into view behind the credits. The choppers join in a five-car police pursuit of a red car with "ND 4 SPD" on the license plate. Subtle! The camera pans behind the car and ... oh shit, I'm driving already? I was not ready for that!
0:03 As I travel down the near-deserted three-lane highway, my fines rack up -- $250 for speeding, $100 for a hit-and-run, etc. I get separate points for near-misses and property destruction. Reminds me a bit of
Crazy Taxi, which is definitely a good thing.
0:05 I run headlong into the back of a slow-moving truck, allowing the police to bump me into the side barrier. "Busted!" Well, that was fast. The SWAT team jumps out the choppers and is on top of me in a second. "FAIL! Weave through traffic to avoid the cops. Plow through any roadblocks to send the cops flying." Good advice!
0:08 This time I make it through the traffic easily, busting through a three-car police barricade and sending an overhead bridge down as I do. Seems a bit over-the-top to me, but whatever...
0:09 "Palm Harbor Police Station, 5:46 p.m." An HD cut scene featuring real actors, not computer models. Whoa! "The FBI is stepping in," says a woman to what appears to be a local cop. "I'll be your point person." They argue a bit about jurisdiction and whether or not these street racing teams are really a threat, but the FBI lady is adamant. She's looking to bring down crime lords. "Your job is to drive. My job is to get you out. Nothing more. Nothing less." The fast-talking already has me kind of lost.
0:10 I'm behind the wheel of a depressingly dumpy-looking blue car, now. "Hit the streets. The more races you win, the better. And remember, don't play it safe. We want them to see you." OK, now
that was much easier to understand. A quick tap of the d-pad gets me to the closest race. Let's do this!
0:12 A set of 10 or so cars lines up all orderly-like in two lanes on an off-ramp. Without so much as a word, they all peel out at once. I work my way up to first quite easily. Besides the racers, the streets seem oddly empty. I like the controls, though -- I constantly feel just on the edge of losing control, but never quite lose it. There's a nice GPS-style map in the corner to plan for the coming turns. Liking the lighting effects, too.
