I think it’s fair to say that EA’s Need For Speed series hasn’t really been firing on all cylinders for a few years now. Speaking from my own perspective, I haven’t felt compelled to invest in an NFS title since last-gen’s Need For Speed Underground 2, and there have been 5 NFS games since that one came out, back in 2004. There’s been a new NFS title every year since 2003, and the games are constantly being outperformed, from a critical viewpoint, by other racing titles such as Burnout, but it appears that EA have finally decided to rectify this issue with Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, and the results are frankly staggering.

I would never have thought that EA would have employed a teenage boy to run things for Hot Pursuit, but clearly they have, since everything in this game exists to take your mind to a younger, crazier place. Imagine the speed of the NFS series combined with the battling aspect of Burnout, complete with vehicle destroying weaponry, combined with a typical racer vs cops scenario, topped off with gorgeous backdrops and slick graphics, reminiscent of Burnout. Hot Pursuit is the culmination of all of these factors, and it serves to make an unbelievably fun experience. The reason for the blending of these two styles is the incorporation of Criterion Games, the developers of Burnout.

This experience is further highlighted by the lack of a proper storyline; you take two non-sandbox career paths, one of a street racer participating in illegal races, and consequently running from the cops, and the other of a cop trying to shut these races down. The player takes part in events with varying scenarios to improve your rank, unlocking more events and cars. There isn’t any characterisation as such, rather just a generic ‘cool guy’ sitting in the driving seat (complete with typical ‘cool guy’ shades), who I think is actually the same if you’re a cop or a racer. Not much emphasis on story, then. But this highlights the gameplay more, emphasising that the meat of the game lies in the driving, rather than identifying with the fast-progressing racer/cop.