“Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit” was considered one of the greatest racing games of the previous generation, and now for its 10 year anniversary, it is receiving a remaster.
For those who are unfamiliar, “Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit” is a racing game that is laser-focused on a street racers versus cops dynamic. There is no story campaign to be found here, only the Career mode where there are racing events that the player can take part in. You alternate between driving advanced sports cars of the street racers and the more tanky vehicles of the cops.
The driving in Hot Pursuit feels like a nice balance of the arcade-y style of racing and the simulation feel of games like Forza Horizon. While you will be drifting around corners and blasting nitrous like there’s no tomorrow, each car does have a particular feeling of weight and speed that changes with the model you choose to drive. It certainly won’t hold up to newer titles in the racing genre, but for a 10 year old game, its aged fairly well.
The Career mode in Hot Pursuit is dominated by racing events. There are a wide variety of different game modes for each of the events, and they alternate objectives depending on which side of the law you are driving for. Street racers will take part in events where they have to not only race each other, but also outrun the aggressive police cruisers that pursue them.
On the flip side, the cops are focused on bringing the street criminals to justice. In Hot Pursuit’s case, that means ramming them off the road in spectacular vehicle takedowns. Alternating between the two factions also allow the player to level them up individually and gain access to prettier and more powerful cars.
I found the events to be quite fun and varied, and I hardly ever encountered an event that took me more than 5 minutes to complete. These are fun, bite-sized chunks of gameplay that never felt too easy or too hard to complete. And what made these modes so enticing to replay are the medals that can give you a serious boost to your faction level. Sure, you could settle for bronze, but wouldn’t you also like to take a stab at the gold?
One of the best events is the titular mode, Hot Pursuit. Depending on which side you’re on, you have access to some extra tools. For the street racers, you will receive gadgets such as road strips and EMPs in order to throw off other racers as well as the cops pursuing you.
For the police, their tools include setting up road blocks and using support helicopters in order to bring down criminals. What you get is a wonderfully chaotic recipe for high-octane car chases, and throw in all of the curves and shortcuts of Seacrest County, and you’re cooking with gas.
Returning to coastal Seacrest County is also a treat. When Hot Pursuit initially came out 10 years ago, it was praised for its weather effects and day-night cycles, and for the most part, they do hold up. You can choose to cruise at your leisure in Freedrive mode and select whichever car you have unlocked to drive. Watching the day give way to night is a treat. Neat details also include how after a rainstorm washes over a road; it makes it more slick and difficult to drift on.
So what exactly has been remastered? And has there been anything new added? While no new content has been added to the game, there are a selection of DLC cars and events that were included with the remastered version of the game.
Visually, the game looks alright. There are noticeable improvements such as draw distance, the amount of foliage on-screen when you drive by, and better reflections on the cars. However, beyond that, the game still looks 10 years old. Polished, sure, but it still has rather flat looking textures, and this game just doesn’t come close to holding a candle to a game coming out in 2020.
Overall, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered is a fun arcade-y racer that will be great for anyone looking to just have quicks bouts of action and high-speed car chases. While it does look good for a 10 year old game, it is a difficult recommendation for anyone who isn’t already a diehard fan of Need for Speed. Hot Pursuit Remastered is a fun drive down memory lane, but also reminder of how dated this game looks now.
3.5/5 Torches
Game reviewed on a base PlayStation 4. Review code provided by Electronic Arts.
