Today, following the established tradition of belated “reviews of certain games,” we will begin our dive into the Need series for Speed and let's start this acquaintance with the most last game series. I won’t analyze each game piece by piece, because there is no point in talking about the long-term serial release of the series, about each of its parts, since this sheet contains 22 parts, which, by and large, repeat each other. Of course, they had differences, and some of the parts had very fundamental leaps forward and set the pace for the next parts, and using this series of games as an example, you can trace how the technology of the computer gaming world developed, and also using its example to trace the entire path of modern graphics and racing physics, that's the whole point. But for us simple “gamers”, the main thing is that they let us press the gas. Today we have on our screens a modern restart of the series - the game Need for Speed, released for consoles in 2015, and for PC in 2016. Ghost Games was at the helm of development.

Usually the problem with serial, annual games is that it is extremely difficult to make sharp, breakthrough movements forward, and thus sooner or later there comes a moment when the series begins to fade and then the studios have already become the norm - to restart the series, starting all over again. clean slate- is being carried out. For Need series for Speed ​​is not the first relaunch. The reason for the next “system reboot” is related to the withering of the series due to the failure of the last parts. Oh, those were the times of the first UNDERGROUNDA and MOST WONTEDA, and who knows now it’s very difficult to surprise the modern gamer with something new in this genre

Let's try to answer the question: What is important for a RACING game? Firstly, it is important to me that there be more races themselves than all the other secondary content, which actually artificially forces you to waste your time in the game. Hence the immediately controversial “nuance”. Is it necessary open world, games like Need for Speed ​​and if needed, then in what form? Remember - in the first UNDERGROUN we just had racing and tuning, and the game tore apart the gaming community with its popularity, primarily due to the fact that the player did not waste time on any nonsense, but immediately worked his way up from race to race. All this was accompanied by a “banal” hackneyed plot, in which a person climbs the ladder of popularity, winning one race after another, and eventually becomes top 1. An open world for games other than RPGs is not needed, and if it is needed, then you need to think about Another way to implement it, and while playing the modern version of Need for Speed, I was faced with the fact that I was simply driving around the open world and periodically taking part in races. Of course, you don’t have to travel hundreds of kilometers around the city all the time to get to the location of the next race, there is the possibility of teleportation to the place of the race, but it’s hard to call them RACES and from here a second understanding of what is important to me in the RACE genre is formed.

Secondly, it is important for me that the gongs themselves are complex. Playing modern Need for Speed, I could not lose even once - this is not very serious, because in this way the developers deprived the player of a competitive incentive. The races, be it sprint, circuit or “drift”, were practically no different from each other, it felt like I was playing with myself, artificial intelligence obviously limping. Only towards the end of the game did glimmers of difficulty appear, but they also seemed very forced. Therefore, let’s make an intermediate conclusion: 2 important components in this genre were poorly implemented, then the question arises, how were the developers able to surprise the gaming community?

All parts of Need for Speed ​​have always been distinguished by the fact that they had a plot; of course, it was difficult to call the scenarios breakthrough, but a certain form of it was still present in the game and sometimes it was they who motivated the player to play further. A big plus became the fact that the plot is presented through videos with live actors, according to the old scheme - a newcomer climbs to the top of fame by winning race after race. All filming was done from the point of view of the main character, perhaps this is why there is immersion in the story, which, although banal to the point of disgrace, is presented quite well.

The game is divided into 5 story branches - these are Various types Having eaten and spent about 6 hours on them, I was upset because there was no pleasure in the racing itself. They froze out blue indicator strips, which were invented for “autistic people” who cannot look at a map. When crashing into some object, I did not lose my position in the race, but calmly continued the race. It was impossible to lose, PLAY BORING, but then it was time for the final race lasting 10 minutes and it brightened up my disappointment a little. In addition to all the mentioned disadvantages, there are also one more, the servants of the order here are, to put it mildly, stupid bots and that’s the end of it.

You ask me, is that all? What about the graphics, where is the tuning and I will answer you that I left the sweetest thing in this game for last in order to smooth out all the negativity that I had left from the game, but about these two There's not much to say about aspects of the game. Yes The graphics and physics of driving the car are excellent; the impression that is close to reality is created from the picture of a drawn car on a drawn road. If earlier you got used to the controls in each part, now you set it up yourself - it’s very convenient. And now TUNING is the BOMB. A large number of various small parts and a variety of machines on which you can show your imagination, but all this was before, even in the same UNDERGROUN - it already was, perhaps in slightly smaller quantities, but it was.

The developers had a desire to make the world alive by adding a multiplayer function to it, but it turned out somehow dull, the game is not about “racing” trying to snatch victory in the last meters from your opponents, but about sitting in the garage, taking pictures of the car and watching a little “movie” "with the actors. This is absolutely not what we expected from the new Need for Speed. Pancho was with you, play your favorite games, until we meet again.

Welcome to Ventura Bay! Although it is small in size, it managed to gather an impressive number of icons of racing culture, as well as a huge number of their fans - racers of all levels and ages. You are another green youth who, after the next race, finds himself in the company of enthusiastic people. They live by cars and are inspired by local icons. Girls and young people dream of defeating famous racers on their field, but for some reason you have to do this. Go!

The plot in the new Need for Speed ​​surprised me. The whole game I was waiting for at least some kind of conflict from the category of “you killed my father”, “wrecked my brother’s car”, but no. This game is not about violence or revenge at all, this game is about racing culture. Your newfound friends look up to other ideals. Spike can't live without speed and is trying to catch up with Magnus Walker, Manu loves stylish racing and can't get enough of Ken Block, Ames loves tinkering with parts in a car engine and hangs posters of Nakai-san everywhere, the girl Robin is a team player and constantly hangs out with “ Risky Devils,” and someone is organizing a race with the police, hoping to interest Morohoshi-san. As a result, we get a story about camaraderie, pleasantly presented by good acting (I also want to praise the Russian voice-over team). However, in essence: the plot here is empty chatter, the purpose of which is to amuse rather than captivate.

You, as a driver, will have to grow in five areas: tuning, team, speed, violations and style. We need to tell you more about each one. Tuning consists of both installing more efficient parts and improving the appearance of the car. The developers approached the last point extremely thoroughly. The customization is incredibly deep, you can spend several hours playing with it. Initially, only some aspects of improvements are closed: headlights, for example, can only be changed after reaching a certain level of reputation. All other improvements are available initially, so in the list vinyl stickers You might even get lost. Such variability can be intimidating, but you have to look fear in the face, so don’t return from the garage until the car turns into a work of art.

With the “speed” direction everything is simple. We go through circuit and sprint races, showing best time, we reach the finish line first. The style is also easy to understand. During races, it is necessary to drift often, it is advisable to make high jumps. There are racing options where you need to score as many points as possible on a circuit or sprint track in a certain amount of time. There is also absolutely the new kind racing: gymkhana. Here you also need to play tricks, but it is also important to drive ahead of the others in order to have a larger point multiplier. The higher the place, the higher the multiplier. The player with the largest number points by the end of the race. As soon as one of the players crosses the finish line, a five-second countdown will begin with a further announcement of the finish line.

In team racing, stunts and gymkhana predominate. However, here it is important to ride next to your companion in order to be able to get points. If you go far from your friend, the points will simply not be counted towards you. Gymkhana in this form is the most difficult, because you need not only to get ahead, but also to stay close to your partner, who can get lost in the crowd, or for some reason may blatantly overtake you.

The races themselves were quite enjoyable. You just need to get used to the fact that there is a big emphasis on drifting. Of course, you can go into the settings and increase the grip of your car to avoid skidding, but, in my opinion, this will only make the game harder for you. The car goes into a skid both with the standard handbrake and after the usual pressing of the brake. In the latter case, the skid is smoother and more gentle. It is very easy to send the car into a drift; you quickly get used to this and begin to enter all turns exclusively sliding.

You probably think that I forgot to talk about one more style: violations. No, I was just saving it for later. Tasks in this style are tied to the fight against the police. First, you will be asked to start a two-minute chase and get away from it, then: go racing with the offender around the police station. And the trouble here is that finding cops in Ventura Bay is extremely difficult. You can smash poles, other people's cars, accelerate to unimaginable speeds... It seems to me that even after the explosion of a house, a car with a flashing light would never have arrived. You can only find a police car by accident. And the main thing here is not to forget to take advantage of the moment! As for the artificial intelligence of police officers: everything is very bad. They behave like escort cars for especially dangerous criminals and don't even think about stopping you. Only occasionally can they throw themselves under your wheels or block your path, but they do this as if by mistake, as if in a fit of some kind of confusion.

By the way, if you took part in a technical test, you can erase all negative impressions. Your rivals are in a fair race with you, racing on equal terms and have forgotten about the habit of overtaking you at the finish line, armed with agility that came from nowhere. All racing here is fair and enjoyable. The only sad thing is that the game throws a real challenge only at the very end of completing each style branch. Only in the last races will you need all your skill, nerves of steel and, of course, a pumped-up car.

You can try to complete all the missions from one style and then take on another, but you will have to act according to a slightly modified scheme. The currently available tasks of each style are initially marked on the map; you can complete them in any order. You will have to take on a little bit of each. In one style, you may encounter unusually difficult tasks for which you are not yet ready. Then it’s worth switching to a different style. I recommend paying more attention to the events with Ames, because after racing with this mischievous girl, new parts for cars will appear in your garage. At the first opportunity, complete tasks with the cops, and everything else - as you like.

There is one strange thing about story races: not all of them require finishing first or in the top three. In some races, you just need to complete the race. And if you don’t need to arrive first, then why even try?

The town of Ventura Bay itself is quite small, however, there was room in it for winding mountain serpentines, long highways, and racing in industrial zones. You will have to drive exclusively in the dark, only occasionally seeing the dawn. There is almost no traffic on the streets of the city, except for other users driving back and forth, and there are no people in sight. Lifeless streets and constant darkness create a somewhat depressing mood. But in the city you can find collecting elements: 30 donuts, 30 beautiful photos with you in leading role, and 12 free parts for your car. It seems like a little, but it comes out just right. However, finding them is not so difficult.

You will have to drive around this strange town listening to some boring electronic music that you have ever heard. Only occasionally you will hear some near-rock compositions, but even they will not remove the depressing effect. The soundtrack in the new Need for Speed ​​is surprisingly boring. Ears simply refuse to believe in this chaos! If we talk about the visual component, it is good. But no more. You won't see stunning views, but there is a lot to see here. At least for superbly executed cars.

By the way, about cars. You can drive the 51st car, but there's only room in the garage for five of your cars. All vehicles are open initially; you just need to save the required amount of money to purchase them. Choose from an assortment of classic cars from the Need for Speed ​​series, which includes models from Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, BMW and many others. By the way, deep customization of appearance is not available for all copies, which is depressing.

Among other unpleasant moments: online, inherited from NFS: Rivals. There is no lobby where you can get together with friends and ride, just Ventura Bay and other racers. You can challenge live players by playing a random race against them, the route for which appears instantly. However, the challenge is made immediately, without the consent of your opponent, who may never go after you in pursuit. Stupid and boring.

The review was written based on the digital version of the game provided to the editors by the company Electronic Arts. Screenshots taken directly from PlayStation 4.

After a number of attempts to restart the famous racing series, which were made throughout recent years we saw a lot of different Need For Speed. Arcade, with a focus on realism, Free-to-Play and even remakes - they all had some success, but none of the later games in the series could achieve the fame that the duology had Underground And Most Wanted .

The next restart of restarts of restarts, which came out this year, was developed with fanfare and promises to make almost the best game in the series. This is indicated by the name of the game, devoid of any additions to the name (yeah, that’s how they wrote it simply - Need for Speed, they didn’t even put down the year), as well as numerous news in the press.

As if returning to the days of Most Wanted, the creators of the game decided to do everything on a grand scale. First of all, this concerns the story campaign, for the “filming” of which five well-known people in narrow circles were invited at once - Magnus Walker, Ken Block, Nakai San, Risky Devil, Morohoshi San. If these names don’t mean anything to you, then that’s okay, because as the game progresses, their role in the events taking place is explained in detail. Each of them represents a certain plot branch and is a kind of “boss” who often flashes in the frame and, as it were, teases the main character.

In general, the plot is not the worst, but there are not enough stars in the sky. Essentially five mini-stories at once, the campaign mode is designed to quench the thirst for speed for the most novice players, while for veterans of the series it will be an excellent skill training before multiplayer races. Movies with live actors look quite appropriate in this concept, but don’t expect anything supernatural.

And this is understandable, because the greatest efforts were made by the guys from Ghost Games attached to the graphics of the car tuning system. Here everything is exactly as it should be in the new generation of Need for Speed. Not only do the four-wheeled animals themselves look real, but they can also be transformed with the most different ways. What the developers didn’t come up with, adding to the game almost everything that we saw in previous parts, diluting it all with new elements and completely new painting mechanics. Sometimes a long and thoughtful transformation of a car takes even more time than the racing itself, because there are not just many possibilities, there are a huge number of them! It’s especially nice that the developers even included stickers with Cyrillic alphabet in the game along with Latin characters, so if you wish, you can make your own signature in the purest Russian language.

Video review of Need for Speed ​​(2015)

But painting, stickers and other luxuries are just a wrapper, and inside we have a detailed system for customizing the behavior of the car. There are no frills here, but everything is of very high quality, there’s nothing to complain about.

Among the obvious shortcomings, we can note the very boring fifth story campaign “Violations”, which, due to the impenetrable stupidity of the cops, turned out to be very boring. In addition, they are even difficult to find; we are not talking about chases from MW. Well, multiplayer without embellishment, completely migrated from Rivals clouds the picture a little. The result is a good game, but not a masterpiece. Something in between.

In the material: Need for Speed, Need for Speed ​​(2015)

We'll tell you how Ghost Games managed to please everyone at once, why Porsche is best car, who is Magnus Walker, how to pass gymkhana, and what real tuning should be like

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E.A. were often reproached for the disappearance of such attributes from the games in the series as Street racing, detailed tuning, coloring nightlife in real “street racing” and an abundance of Porsche cars. They reproached me for a very long time, so much so that they had already set my teeth on edge. And here's the Swedish one Ghost Games decides to satisfy all the listed requests, which are more like demands, and makes a game about night races of “street racers”.

Nakai San at work:

Real stars were involved in the development of the project. Magnus Walker, Ken Block, Nakai San- they all interact directly with the player, give him tasks, let him drive their cars, and generally behave like ordinary guys from the neighborhood. And these names, by the way, have almost legendary status in certain circles. So, Nakai San is perhaps the most famous tuning master in the world, turning Porsches in the classic 993 body into real masterpieces, both technically (these monsters can have 1,000 horses under the hood) and visually.

Ken Block, a recognized master of gymkhana, does things on the streets that only a few drivers around the world are capable of. Perhaps it would be better for you to see it for yourself:

Gymkhana is a complex urban route that must be passed both very quickly and extremely beautifully. It is almost impossible to pass this one the first time; the resulting pieces have to be glued and assembled many times, and each section must be carefully memorized. In the game you have to try to complete it yourself.

Magnus Walker- the figure is even more interesting. Despite looking like a classic American homeless man, he is the most famous classic Porsche collector in the world. His collection includes more than 40 unique cars, which he personally brings to mind. And, of course, he drives them masterfully.

By the way, it is no coincidence that so much time is devoted to the Porsche brand. As you know, of all racing series, the use of Porsche is exclusively allowed only in. The rest of the series have to be content with products from the German tuning center Ruf, which changes cars of the famous brand almost beyond recognition. IN E.A. traditionally they try to take advantage of this, showing what others cannot. And they do it masterfully. still remains one of best games in the series. Everything is very good here too. Two of the five superstars use nothing but Porsche, and will also give you their favorite car for free use. The game has how classic models like the rampant RS of 1973, and the completely new Cayman GT4 2015. Fans of the German car brand of Ferdinand and Ferry Porsche, in a word, will not be disappointed, and others will probably also be interested in joining.

Now that we have provided you with all the necessary information, we can tell you about the game itself. Yes, there is a plot here, and it is presented in the form of gorgeous videos with live actors (here E.A. should be praised for the high-quality Russian dubbing), and the model of your car is incredibly technically built into the videos themselves, which creates a very interesting effect. Most of these scenes will take place in a bar, garage or nightclub, and, in general, there are no sharp plot twists, betrayals or shootouts here. And in general, nothing special happens. What’s also annoying is the amount of energy drink they deliberately drink in front of the camera. For this annoying advertising, I just want to deduct a couple of points from the game, but let’s chalk it up to the fact that motorists clearly shouldn’t drink anything alcoholic, so local racers drink what… they find. And we'll only deduct one point.

These videos, however, create the right atmosphere of gatherings in the garage, friendly communication and all this car get-together, which, I must say, is quite similar to the real one. The only difference is that in real life there are much fewer races themselves, and racers have to do almost everything in the garage free time. It so happened that my close friend is the owner of that same Toyota Supra. It’s under her that he spends most of its time, constantly increasing the number of “horses” and replacing parts with something Japanese and sporty. And what’s typical is that what he does is very similar to what happens in the game. Only the characters swear, perhaps less than the Russian drivers of “spicy” cars. All this, of course, does the developers credit.

“You don’t need knowledge in the game: you put in a “nice” and that’s it. But here’s something else - you need to think through a lot... How will all this work so that nothing catches fire and fails? right moment so as not to destroy the engine. It is worth understanding that a car is back side souls; looking at it, you can immediately see the character of a person, how much time and effort he spent on its creation, both the temperament and perseverance of its creator are clear here... For real good cars assembled with their own hands, and this despite the fact that many minds from all over the world may be involved in its construction. After all, the collective mind has not been canceled!” Bogdan, owner of Toyota Supra.

Indeed, there are no such intricacies with the details and technical content of the car here, but all fans of tuning will clearly not pass by the game calmly. There are a huge number of systems that we can improve by purchasing more advanced versions of parts. Some things are revealed as you level up your reputation (a classic experience), some are revealed through the storyline of Amy, the local jack-of-all-trades, and some even more so can be found while driving around the city.

Typically, there can be several parts of the same level. For example, several types of turbocharging or a nitrous oxide injection system. The latter is presented in two modifications: dynamic, which replenishes the supply of nitrogen during dangerous actions, movement in air flow a car in front, drifting or other tricks, and temporary, simply replenishing the amount of nitrous over time. Here the choice should be made depending on what riding style you prefer. It’s interesting that the developers even provided for such nuances as changing the engine sound after installing turbocharging.

The machine can be carefully tuned. Basically, the settings affect whether it will be pressed to the road, or, on the contrary, it will easily skid. There are, however, others. So, the nitro system can be set either for a longer use mode or for a more powerful one. These characteristics have a very strong influence on control, so if you have a problem with some kind of race, you should first experiment with fine-tuning them.

Of course, there were some visual modifications as well. Here you can simply switch to the desired part of the car and look for a new part such as bumpers, skirts, spoilers, headlights and much more. The only problem is that for an impressive number of models there are relatively few tuning options, and the same headlights rarely need to be replaced. In addition, many details for visual customization are revealed at quite a high levels. Eventually appearance you will definitely change it, but it’s not a fact that it’s exactly as you originally intended. To be fair, let’s say that there are a lot of the same disks, and the system of painting and applying drawings, patterns, logos and other things in the game is so detailed and flexible that very soon some players will probably create real masterpieces from ordinary cars. Just the opportunity to cover a car with gold paint and then stick it with cats makes you want to score points. The same one that was taken away for energy drink.

The beauty of the game is that all cars are available for purchase immediately, be it the classic Volvo 242 or the ultra-modern Lamborghini Huracan. Moreover, as in, you can beat the game on ANY machine, simply by improving its hardware. Therefore, it is not surprising that Mclaren 570s and Ford Mustang Fox Body may meet in races, and the latter will also win.

The campaign itself is divided into five conditional and non- related friend with a friend storylines. In one of them we have to attract the attention of the most Magnus(the phrase “Okay, let’s race? See you on the other side!” before one particularly difficult race seems to be forever stuck in my head due to repeated repetition). Here we will compete in classic sprints and time trials. In another “plot”, a mysterious racer will constantly egg on the main character, encouraging him to commit more and more illegal actions, and the local police, despite their general incompetence, are capable of blocking roads on the way to retreat.

The third and fourth stages are essentially about drifting. There is a lot of drift in the game, but it is also well implemented: even a beginner can cope with its arcade mechanics, and the key to success here is the correctly selected car settings. In one case, the drift will be a team one, and now it’s more difficult to drift in a stream of jostling racers, especially considering that they try to slip ahead. However, as in real competitions of this kind.

Night. The silence of the sleeping city is broken by the roar of engines, the squeal of rubber and the hum of powerful audio systems. These are street racers. Only they accelerate the blood flow in the half-empty road arteries, wanting to charge themselves with adrenaline, earn extra money and tease the police.

The theme of street racing entered popular culture in the early 2000s with the release of The Fast and the Furious. was not his first follower, but it was she who made a splash in the gaming environment. It seems like everyone played it, and a year later they switched to the second part.

No matter how much Ghost Games claims that it is developing a game that will be the pinnacle NFS series, she nevertheless created a successor, supplemented by ideas from other parts of the cycle.

To each his own

It starts off very slowly. Our hero gets acquainted with the street racing crowd of the city of Ventura Bay, written off from certain areas of Los Angeles. The hero quickly becomes part of this company, riding with friends to local cafes, garages and clubs. Very soon word spreads that the same ones - Morohoshi-san, Ken Block, Nakai-san, Magnus Walker and the Risky Devil team - are coming to town, and the street racers are eager to impress them at all costs.

New acquaintances continually encourage the hero to participate in certain competitions in order to earn the attention of every celebrity and challenge her. We are regularly invited to parties and hang up on the phone offering new races. By participating in them, we earn credits to purchase and improve cars, as well as style points to improve our reputation, which, in turn, opens up access to new spare parts and opportunities for modifying the car. Each such race will develop a simple but entertaining plot of the game. We are free to choose the order of advancement for each of its five branches: violations, drift, style, speed and team.

Amy (style), Robin (team), Manu (drift) and Spike (speed) - each of them is looking for races in their own direction for us. The mechanic Travis and the mysterious intruder are also assistants.

Ventura Bay is opening up all of its areas and opportunities from the very beginning. What’s nice is that cars are also available all at once, just accumulate credits.

And the car park here is good. There are the iconic BMW E30, Ferrari F40, classic Ford Mustang from the sixties and the Lamborghini Diablo, which was in the rooms of many children of the nineties on posters or as a toy. The BMW M3, familiar from . Modern supercars are represented by the Lamborghini Aventador and McLaren 570S. There were also iconic street racing cars like the Mazda RX7 and Nissan Skyline.

All these beauties can be changed beyond recognition and even the most unsightly car can be turned into almost a sports car. For example, a Ford Mustang muscle car from the 1960s, after several modifications, is transformed into almost a hot rod with a huge supercharger sticking out of the hood. And on some cars with opening headlights, you can literally saw off the front bumper and install regular square lights.

Tuning in Need for Speed- a sight for sore eyes. One "but". All modifications are authentic, in NFS there is not a single bumper or threshold that does not exist in reality. So if no interesting body kits have yet appeared for the new Mazda MX-5, then in the game it is only equipped with a wing and a pair of deflectors.

This is how, with the help of a couple of modifications, a classic Datsun is transformed...

In an aggressive sports car.

An example of a radical modification of the Nissan 180sx.

NFS feels, let's say, differently, which contributes to fine tuning management. The behavior of any car is calibrated with an emphasis on control (the “Grip” option) or sliding (the “Drift” option). Messing with the sliders and then testing it out new scheme Ventura Bay roads are pure pleasure. The setting covers almost all behavior options of cars from previous parts, so if you liked to carefully fit into a turn in Underground or drift in, similar behavior patterns can be formed.

In fact, we have an arcade race in front of us, in which you can choose your driving style and the appearance of the car. Thanks to this in Need for Speed It can just be nice to ride around between competitions, challenging other players from time to time.

Multiplayer Rivals moved here unchanged, and that’s good. No one forbids you to go through races alone and drive around the city, ignoring other street racers, but if you want, you can always have duels, try to break other people’s records, or put together a team and take part in competitions in co-op. It’s convenient when everything is in one place and you don’t have to go into a separate menu to open an online game.

Best the enemy of the good

New Need for Speed was going to draw a line, to unite best ideas from different parts series. In fact, before us is the heiress of the good old Underground 2 with all its quirks and flaws, embellished with elements from (mostly) subsequent releases NFS. Here are the canyons from, here is the plot for which he was famous Most Wanted, here is the multiplayer as in Rivals, here is the police who have become " business card» many parts of the series (in Underground, if you remember, many complained about the lack of cops). Old friends are gathered, and a new generation is with them.

Cars in Need for Speed durable. They can only be broken by crashing into the bump stop at high speed. Visually, they wrinkle something like this.

Ventura Bay at night is reminiscent of Bayview from Underground 2. Only street racers don’t sleep in it, either, and that’s the problem. The city is empty, there is nothing to do here outside of racing, just ride, run away from the police (we’ll talk about them separately) and be foolish: photograph the car in picturesque places, look for parts for modification and do donuts.

Staying in the city outside of racing is boring, especially since your phone is simply ringing off the hook with calls from local street racers inviting you to compete in an extraordinary competition. And it’s easier to get to the place by fast moving, since it’s there.

U Need for Speed There is no specific tempo, it does not keep you in constant tension. Good arcade racing gives you energy like coffee, NFS but it’s more depressing. The races are quite simple and do not pose a serious challenge. Besides, they almost always come down to drifting. There are the most competitions with him, but they somehow come down to completing the route as best as possible. large quantity points (alone or in a team). Even Ken Block's notorious Gymkhana takes place on only slightly more inventive courses. For comparison, at Gymkhana special sites were created with an abundance of jumps and objects such as bulldozers, cargo containers and concrete rings, around which it was possible to drive a unique route. And it really was similar to Blok’s videos, which collect tens of millions of views on YouTube.

Only a couple of circuit races through narrow streets forced us to adjust the controls with an emphasis on control. Need for Speed more convenient in drifting, yet this has been a signature driving style in the series for several years, starting with the last one. If there were a little more circuit racing, sprints and time trials, and the tracks for them were tailored to cornering rather than drifting, it would bring much-needed variety to the game.

For photographs against a stunning backdrop game types we are given credits and style points. True, in in this case The picture is spoiled by a pillar.

A catch-up with the police could add dynamics, but, alas, local law enforcement officers are simply sleeping on duty. It’s not difficult to get away from them, and the cops make their signature U-turns with such laziness that it looks like they’re stereotypically eating donuts while driving.

Yes, the developers stated that the police would only be in certain areas. But why doesn’t she work out her skills at least in them? In all this time we were caught only twice, once because of our own mistake, and the second time we ran into thorns. But even with a broken tire, the chase continued for about fifteen minutes (!), until we were miraculously squeezed into a box.

In addition, there is little point in alarming the police unless you are going through the violator's thread. And in the same Rivals Every exit from the garage promised a hassle. In order to save the points earned in competitions and catch-ups with the police, it was necessary to be able to bring the jackpot to the shelter. Only then were points added to the total score for purchasing cars and upgrades.

Here, having exceeded the speed limit or violated some other rule in front of the police, we receive a fine, which increases as the chase progresses. We have a choice - pay and immediately get rid of the persecution or try to lose our tail. Which won’t be too difficult, you just need to actively maneuver through the nooks and crannies. Well, a well-pumped car will easily break away from the standard Ford Crown Victoria, which does not stand out for its speed.

The higher the fine, the greater the level of persecution, but even the cordons, barriers and spikes that law enforcement officers begin to set up out of desperation do not cause any particular problems, especially since they appear only in certain areas. The easiest way to hide is to go outside the city to the canyons, where the powers of law enforcement officers end, or to any area where there are no patrols.

As a result, the game actually doesn’t need an open world, because to complete it you just need to complete everything story missions. It could have been saved by an emphasis on research, as in . There it was necessary to open points for fast movement, mini-tasks were placed along the roads, such as segments that had to be completed at the highest average speed, and the radio presenter could give a discharge test at any time: “Whoever finds a rare car in area N first will take it " So, even on a long trip, the player was not left idle; rather, on the contrary, he was distracted by new activities. Alas, this is not the case in the new NFS.

We wondered for a long time what the soundtrack would be like. Aggressive or, on the contrary, light but atmospheric? Will he focus on any genre?..

As a result, our car's music system plays a curious mixture of alternative, hip-hop and electronica, which, however, does not add excitement. The playlist is very bland and does not feel like a single album. It’s unlikely that many songs, other than those played in the trailers, will move to your player.

Need for Speed barely accelerates towards the end. The police become a little angrier and more assertive, and the opponents become a little smarter and more persistent. General situation This doesn’t change, but the question arises: “Why couldn’t the whole game be made like this?” Life in Ventura Bay is in full swing in the workshops and clubs where street racers hang out, but fades away on the highway and, sadly, in racing.