- Oct 19, 2000
- 17,860
- 4
- 81
So I had the day off today (a rare thing) to get some things taken care of. An easy entrance test and financial paperwork for school (yes, I'm almost 25 and it's about time), some warranty fixes to the vehicle, and clearing up some horrible issues with the cable company. While I was out and about, I stopped by my local EB and picked up a copy of Need For Speed: Most Wanted Black Edition for the PC.
After first playing the demo late last week, I raced once or twice, and very nearly uninstalled it. I thought it was crap. My brother came up over the weekend, expressed interest in trying it out, and we proceeded to have a helluva time over the next hour. We both decided we were going to pick it up, and here I am having played a little into the retail version.
First up, let me say that if you played the demo, you've seen what the game can do. Graphics and performance look and feel the same to the naked eye in the retail version than they do in the demo. The demo did a great job of giving people a feel of what the full game would be like.
Keep in mind that I'm running the game at full tilt. 4xAA/8xAF, EVERY setting set to high, 1024x768 (because no widescreen option is available).
So let's get into the specifics of what I like and what I don't like. My likes are many. Here's my list:
I couldn't recommend the game enough so far. I'll possibly try to upload some pics later on as well just to make it complete. Enjoy.
UPDATE: Pics added. Not the best, but they'll do. You'll see my Chevy Cobalt that I accidentally spent so much money on visual upgrades that I ended up not having enough to upgrade the performance.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/blurredvision/speed1.JPG - A little smoky at the start of the race.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/blurredvision/speed2.JPG
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/blurredvision/speed3.JPG
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/blurredvision/speed4.JPG
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/blurredvision/speed5.JPG
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/blurredvision/speed6.JPG
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/blurredvision/speed7.JPG
Any artifacts you'll see are from compression.
EDIT: Just wanted to add that I've put 2-3 hours into the game already, and I've dusted off 3 blacklist members already. Everything I've stated before still stands true, although I've got a couple of things to add.
One of my current dislikes is that this game sports the dumbest smart AI I've ever seen. The AI is pretty decent, cops keep up most of the time and takes a little intelligence to lose them, and fellow racers will bump into you sometimes, nothing major. But I've noticed that once an AI car decides it wants to go a certain route, let's say a shortcut, nothing, and I mean nothing, will stop it from going. I've seen cars miss a shortcut because of other racers or general traffic, and instead of continuing on the main route, they'll turn completely around and go to the shortcut. I've witnessed this many many times.
Also, there's a little catchup AI in this game, something I've always hated about NFS games. But, the AI does seem to make more mistakes than I've been used to in past NFS games. Also, they'll slow down in what can only be explained in letting you catch up. Consider it the perfect anti-catch-up AI.
Also, the story is already getting a little twisty just 3 blacklisters in. Sabatoge and deceit are making it's way in, I can feel it.
Also, I'm not sure if this means anything or not, but I was watching the first part of the bonus DVD that comes with the game, and they show some brief footage of what looks like a cop car being controlled by a human. I could only assume it's an unlockable.
After first playing the demo late last week, I raced once or twice, and very nearly uninstalled it. I thought it was crap. My brother came up over the weekend, expressed interest in trying it out, and we proceeded to have a helluva time over the next hour. We both decided we were going to pick it up, and here I am having played a little into the retail version.
First up, let me say that if you played the demo, you've seen what the game can do. Graphics and performance look and feel the same to the naked eye in the retail version than they do in the demo. The demo did a great job of giving people a feel of what the full game would be like.
Keep in mind that I'm running the game at full tilt. 4xAA/8xAF, EVERY setting set to high, 1024x768 (because no widescreen option is available).
So let's get into the specifics of what I like and what I don't like. My likes are many. Here's my list:
- The graphics are very well done in most places. Car models look excellent for this type of game, and are modeled pretty decently from what I can tell so far. I'm far from a connoisseur of the automobile, so to a regular joe like me, they look fantastic. The world you race in is pretty detailed for a fast moving game, and you'll only notice the lack of roadside objects if you slow down and look. The lighting is also very well done IMO. If you're racing into the sun, good luck seeing the next turn. I've had to keep an eye on the radar a few times because I couldn't immediately see upcoming turns until a building blocked the sun. It definitely has a blinding aspect.
- If you've read some of the reviews, you'll know EA has come at this with FMV cut scenes. While this gives me good memories (Phantasmagoria is one) and bad memories (just about anything on the Sega CD system), it's very well done. All the characters are so fvcking cheesy, it's awesome. The lead chick, Josie Maran (or something like that), does a more than admirable job, atleast so far. All the other racer types and their respective women that you meet early in the game are hilarious, and I love every bit of it. It's almost as if they are believable in their roles because they are bad. Anytime a guy tells you he's going to take your ride, then take your girl, then blows a kiss, it's classic.
The FMV itself is pretty damned good. All actors/actresses I assume are shot against a green screen, then they are stylized in a way that it doesn't look like FMV. It's a very neat effect, and fits in perfectly IMO with the theme of the game. - The main meat of the game, the Blacklist, seems very well thought out so far. A ton of FMV scenes greet you in the first 15 minutes of play in this mode. Once you get through all the starter stuff, you're thrown in to get a new car, and work your way up the blacklist. Available cars at the start are a low-end Lexus, a Chevy Cobalt SS (the one I picked), and a couple of other forgettable rides. It then came up with a pretty neat looking intro the #15 guy on the blacklist, telling a little bit about him and showing his ride in the game engine. VERY nicely done cut scenes, I was very impressed.
In order to be able to race against a blacklist member, you have to complete other races and challenges to prove your worth. I've only completed a couple so far. - One of the things I'm loving in the blacklist mode is that once you complete a requirement race (as described directly above), the game will take a snapshot of you across the finish line, and give you a chance to check stats (lap times, etc.). As soon as you click past this one screen, it throws you exactly where you were stopped, except now all the barriers have been removed, and you're free to move about in free-roam mode. The cars you were racing just disperse and go off on their own, too. This helps tremendously in giving you a sense of openess and that you were actually racing in the world and not just on a track of sorts.
- The selection of cars is just great. Upon being able to select your first car in the blacklist mode, you can scroll through all the cars just to see what's there. There are 32 in total, only 4 available from the start. Gone are the typically "ricer" cars in the Underground games. This selection of cars is more noteworthy of classic NFS fame, and I wouldn't trade the group for anything else. I'm really looking forward to unlocking some of these cars and running from the police.
- The loading times are almost nonexistant! On my rig, everything is almost seemless, and while in the blacklist mode, I didn't have to suffer through a single load screen. Not after the cut scenes, not after a race, nothing. As far as load screens go, when you run into them in the single events that you take on by yourself outside of the blacklist mode, if everything wasn't loading in under 5 seconds, I'd be surprised.
- The simulated HDR-type blinding effect is poorly done. What I'm talking about is when you're racing in a tunnel, then come back out the other side, the game throws a horribly looking bright light right in the middle of the screen to simulate your eyes getting used to the light. I understand the concept, but it's poorly done. Luckily, it only lasts for maybe a second, but still, if you're not going to do it right, leave it out.
- The shadows in the game look absolutely horrid. They aren't detailed at all. BUT, the only time I've noticed it is before a race that started underneath a tree. Other than that, you don't have time to look at shadows racing at 100+ MPH.
I couldn't recommend the game enough so far. I'll possibly try to upload some pics later on as well just to make it complete. Enjoy.
UPDATE: Pics added. Not the best, but they'll do. You'll see my Chevy Cobalt that I accidentally spent so much money on visual upgrades that I ended up not having enough to upgrade the performance.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/blurredvision/speed1.JPG - A little smoky at the start of the race.
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/blurredvision/speed2.JPG
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/blurredvision/speed3.JPG
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/blurredvision/speed4.JPG
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/blurredvision/speed5.JPG
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/blurredvision/speed6.JPG
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/blurredvision/speed7.JPG
Any artifacts you'll see are from compression.
EDIT: Just wanted to add that I've put 2-3 hours into the game already, and I've dusted off 3 blacklist members already. Everything I've stated before still stands true, although I've got a couple of things to add.
One of my current dislikes is that this game sports the dumbest smart AI I've ever seen. The AI is pretty decent, cops keep up most of the time and takes a little intelligence to lose them, and fellow racers will bump into you sometimes, nothing major. But I've noticed that once an AI car decides it wants to go a certain route, let's say a shortcut, nothing, and I mean nothing, will stop it from going. I've seen cars miss a shortcut because of other racers or general traffic, and instead of continuing on the main route, they'll turn completely around and go to the shortcut. I've witnessed this many many times.
Also, there's a little catchup AI in this game, something I've always hated about NFS games. But, the AI does seem to make more mistakes than I've been used to in past NFS games. Also, they'll slow down in what can only be explained in letting you catch up. Consider it the perfect anti-catch-up AI.
Also, the story is already getting a little twisty just 3 blacklisters in. Sabatoge and deceit are making it's way in, I can feel it.
Also, I'm not sure if this means anything or not, but I was watching the first part of the bonus DVD that comes with the game, and they show some brief footage of what looks like a cop car being controlled by a human. I could only assume it's an unlockable.
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