No doubt about it, drafting in British developers Slightly Mad Studios has revitalised the series and turned it into a serious contender. Of course, it helps that Need for Speed SHIFT has clearly used last year’s king of the road, Codemaster’s brilliant GRID, as its benchmark.
Gone are the police.
It’s easy to forget how long the Need for Speed series has been around. The original – our first taste of driving licensed exotica from the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini and Dodge – existed in a world before Gran Turismo, at least five years before Midnight Club and when we were still playing the very first Ridge Racer.
The Need For Speed franchise has had a couple of bumps in the road, but the series’ evolution has been pretty fascinating. Whereas just about every other annual sports title updates rosters and adds a feature or two, Need For Speed has taken to completely reinventing itself year in and year out. Look at this oddball track record:
Barring 2008’s Undercover, the NFS series has gotten stronger with each entry. Whatever EA’s reasoning is for throwing the baby out with the bathwater every year, it’s certainly not because the last game sucked. Hell, people like me were a little miffed when we found there’d be no follow up to last year’s phenomenally simulation-oriented NFS: SHIFT. That is, until we played Hot Pursuit…
Updated with PS Vita review. If you’re looking for a single-player racing title that’ll last a while, you can safely pass over Need For Speed: Most Wanted, but if it’s multiplayer fun you’re interested in, this is one of the strongest arcade racers to come along in years...
A decapitated head soaring gracefully through the air. That is the exact moment when everything goes wrong for NeverDead, when the one seemingly clever concept that makes this game unique and original from every other action game ends up breaking it instead...
Xbox Live Arcade's House Party continues this week with Nexuiz, an HD remake of the PC arena shooter mod. Does it earn a place alongside Warp and Alan Wake's American Nightmare on your hard drive? You'll have to find out...
A beloved, long-lost franchise is back after a decade in the wilderness. With new modes and an online-heavy focus, did EA Sports deliver the Blitz experience that influenced a generation of gamers?
GamesRadar is the premiere source for everything that matters in the world of video games. Casual or core, console or handheld - whatever systems you own or whatever genres you love, GamesRadar is there to filter out what's worth your time and to help you get even more from your games. We deliver the best advice, the most in-depth features, expert reviews, and the essential guides for all the top games.
|
|
Log in using Facebook to share comments, games, status update and other activity easily with your Facebook feed.
