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83%
PROS
Nice graphics, great tracks and cars. The cop mode is awesome! Multiplayer is fun!
LOWS
On lower end systems, the game will not look as good.
OVERALL
Sports car fans will freak with their high end systems, and people who liked Need for Speed but hated the graphics should definitely check out this title.
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Need for Speed has had its ups and downs as a series. Some of the games, (NFSHP3) were pitiful, while others, (NFSPU) were actually pretty decent. That leaves room for excellence and room for improvement in the newest title, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit II.
You won't have trouble finding a car that you like; there are over 20 different sports cars. These cars range from a Lotus Elise, all the way to that insanely fast car we all love, the MaClaren F1. There is a Porsche Carrera GT which is a concept car, but is the most fun to drive because of its sick speed and looks. There may also be some cars you have never heard of; like the Opel Speedster, the HSV Coupe GTS, and the Vauxhall VX220. Great variety.
The cars are detailed beyond belief. When you start out, the car is beautiful and constructed perfectly. On a 32 meg Graphic Card, the graphics will look significantly different than on a 64 or 128 meg card, so note this before buying. You can clearly read the name of the car and the license plate on it. By the end of the race; however, the realistic damage really shows you how hard you have to work to beat this game.
You can become the cops, which I find to be one of the best parts of the game. You can either stay hidden, be ready to pounce, or join the pursuit. If you need help, you can call backup units and a chopper! If necessary, you can set up a road block, or a stinger which will cut the wheels of the car you are chasing. You can be a regular cop in a Ford, or you can choose to be the cop of speed, in the Lamborghini Murcielago. You can go for handling with the Porsche 911 turbo car, which is also a great ride. There are a few other cars to choose from, but be careful to pick the right one for you; sometimes, they are too fast to handle!
When you are being chased by a cop, a cool bar at the top tells you how many cops are on you, and how close you are to evading them. When you get caught, a nice cinematic plays of all the cops running towards you and arresting you.
The tracks have amazing 3D graphics, but look a lot better on a higher end system. (On a 32 meg graphic card and a 64 meg graphics card I could easily notice a significant difference.)
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All the trees, houses and bridges and three dimensional, which differs from the older games in the series. The game does not follow the known trend of the phony graphics as the other games in the series, so most players will be pretty happy. Compared to the tracks in Hot Pursuit I, these tracks are better graphics wise and a lot more fun to drive; there are more jumps, more turns, and more hills to add to the fun. When you jump off a hill while racing, the game will go in slow motion and than will let you see all different views of the car while it is in the air. When your car hits the ground, it is back to the heart stopping race.
All in all, most car people will like this game. If you have dreamed of driving a Porsche, Ferrari, or an Aston Martin on a fully detailed 3D track, don't hesitate with this one.
