I've been playing this for a couple weeks now and my view is generally positive.
People like to compare it to Burnout Paradise (my personal favorite) but I don't see it.
The game is VERY impressive graphically when there aren't the occasional bugs like a weird red shading or textures not loading correctly or fast enough. There are many different environments, from snowy mountains to deserts to construction zones and they all look really amazing. The weather effects are also great, the droplets from a nearby waterfall while passing by it really impressed me. Rain, snow, leaves, birds, planes flying overhead, all sorts of things add to the style and environment.
The cars are perfectly detailed and once you get into the more high powered ones it's way more fun to play. The driver actually does what you're doing, whether it's turning the wheel or shifting gears.
The "weapons" are just fun. Chasing a racer in the cop car, hitting them with the "force field" then using the bumper ram to send them flying is fulfilling. As a racer, using the shockwave while surrounded by cops is nice as it gives you an opportunity to get away .
They use the gas station style repair/recharge like Burnout Paradise, and I like that. (The repair shop/gas stations are combined now.)
The bad stuff:
The "story". Horrible. Just terrible. I don't want nor need a story in a racing game. The "story" is too serious for my taste. (I disliked the announcer in Burnout Paradise, it was unnecessary as well and one of my only gripes about the game.)
I've dropped through the world floor at times, usually when going very fast and landing from a jump. Basically bottoming out and clipping through the ground.
Sometimes when you wreck it will put you back and you can't move. It has something to do with the road loading as I'm sitting in dirt, then the road loads, I drop on it, then start going again. In times events this can be frustrating. Also when you wreck it will put you facing the way you were instead of back on course like most games.
Loading screens. Even on my SSD, it takes a LONG time to start racing or transitioning to and from the hideouts/bases. Even the menus are a chore. If you want to go from a level 1 pursuit tech, you have to upgrade one by one, scrolling through all of the tech available again and again.
Once the "story" is over, the desire to play drops a lot. I guess I could complete more speedlists and get different "livery", but when all you really see is the back of your car 99% of the time, why bother?
I'm wrecked more times as a cop by other cops. I've started taking them out as well as the racers. 🙂
I've played through the racer "story" and halfway or more through the cop "story", and I'll add more if I think of anything else.
