Game Preview

So, our shelves have finally been graced with the next installment of the long-lived car series - roughly the seventh. And the word underground in the title appeared, of course, not because the races this time will take place in subway tunnels - it merely means that in this case we'll be dealing with street racing. Which is, quite obviously, an underground pursuit. It should be noted that this time around the next NfS comes out in somewhat more difficult circumstances than before: previously everyone grabbed this game without hesitation - now only loyal fans of the brand will do so. For the niche is being squeezed from all sides - literally just now the magnificent in every respect Mercedes-Benz World Racing and Ford Racing 2 have become available, and in the summer Midnight Club II developed the street racing theme very well. And the previous game - Need for Speed Hot Pursuit II - pleased, frankly speaking, not everyone. However, surprisingly, NfS has distinguished itself again - presenting, which is unusual for it, something not only captivating but also on the whole very original.

The first thing that immediately catches the eye is the game's multiplatform nature. If the previous NfSHP2 was still made separately for PC and separately for consoles, and in terms of gameplay these were very different games - then in the case of Underground the PC and PS2 versions are simply twin brothers (of course, some details of the graphical execution differ somewhat - after all, the video systems of these platforms are substantially dissimilar). So identical, moreover, is the "filling" here - that EA connected PC and PS2 players to the same game servers, giving them the opportunity to compete with each other. A very bold step, but another was also taken, in a sense even a landmark one - for the first time in the online mode there is no play over a local network. The Internet was deemed to be such a method of connection - an alternative to which, in fact, is no longer needed.

Whether multiplatform development left its mark on NfSU, or the peculiarities of the technology showed themselves (the same thing was true in the previous game) - but the most unpleasant graphical component is obviously the unappealing, rather crude backdrops with which the tracks are one way or another "surrounded". If you look at either the distant skyscrapers or the nearby signs from a "standing still" position - it's drawn, well, very simplistically, the textures are rather crude. In motion, of course, everything looks better - except, of course, for the "distant skyscrapers" - they hover before your eyes substantially longer than the objects rushing past at insane speed. However, here a new, thrilling factor comes into play, which is precisely what allows NfSU to be called an insanely visually original game - namely, the array of special effects. Having availed themselves of the self-established postulate that all underground races will take place at night (while they obviously take place in the evenings and in the mornings too, and residents of arctic zones are forced to engage in this in the light of the sun altogether) - the game's authors turned the racing process into a extravaganza of light and color, a celebration of blurred forms. All light sources become covered in iridescence and coronas, and as speed increases all manner of smearing and blurring is added to them. Need it be said that the asphalt in the game is always "especially wet", and the cars are exceptionally polished - so that all these constellations of lights are also reflected in anything possible. Moreover, a good balance is maintained: although sometimes at very high speed it becomes difficult to distinguish one light source from another, and you begin to get confused to the point of a chance of driving the wrong way - the feeling that they've overdone the effects does not arise. To enjoy all the splendor to the maximum - it is recommended before starting the game to go into the options and enable everything possible (if the computer allows it), because by default some of the effects are disabled. And then something will appear before you that you have really never seen before - and, mixing with the sense of speed and the drive of the gameplay, it will blend into a cocktail from which you are unlikely to be able to tear yourself away, even while clearly realizing that by and large there is nothing special behind it.

The sense of speed here is truly stunning. NfS generally had this in good order anyway, but here they surpassed themselves. Plus excellent interaction with the cars on the track - they really do chase you, you gradually, painfully chase them, and quite fairly at that: they don't slow down specially for your sake. The rivalry is genuinely palpable and is perceived as an important component of the game - here you really can jostle and even simply "influence the opponent with the threat of collision". The possibility of "outmaneuvering" a rival and provoking his collision with an obstacle or with a participant in oncoming or same-direction traffic is also absolutely palpable (there is even sometimes cross traffic, since the races take place on the streets of a big city - pedestrians, however, cannot be wrapped around your tires due to their absence). Unfortunately, no less realistic is the prospect of getting into such a collision yourself, even on a familiar track - because the dynamics of the car's behavior differ depending on the current speed, and the risk of losing control is always there. And each time a new traffic arrangement brings new variety to the familiar streets each time.

In many cases a serious crash threatens a race restart - races are usually short, and it is not always possible to make up a serious deficit. The threat of a fatal collision hangs over the player at all times - despite the fact that the edges of the track are usually fenced off with a "smooth" barrier, there are always enough obstacles on it, moving and stationary, noticeable and barely noticeable. The gameplay formula rests on this too: if in previous installments the main role was played by driving skill and knowledge of the tracks - then here the key factor becomes the player's attentiveness, his concentration on what is happening, the ability to react quickly to an unexpected factor and at the same time stay in control. The game is made in such a way that external factors pose a substantially greater threat than the opponents themselves. In fact, this is also where the source of this game's drive lies, its adrenaline generator.

The authors, by the way, tried to give players the opportunity to enjoy the spectacle of crashes just as they have the opportunity to enjoy the spectacle of the race - every major collision triggers a cutscene in which the scene is shown in close-up in "slow motion" - the cars spectacularly fly into the air, roll over, skid and tumble. Alas, this is exactly where the simplified backgrounds make themselves felt - the cinematic quality of the scenes is badly spoiled by the striking contrast between the graphics and the atmosphere of "liquid fire" in which the player was immersed a second earlier. On top of that, the "invulnerability" of the cars, capable of coming out of the most unthinkable somersaults without the slightest scratch, is perceived as very unnatural. Although the manufacturers' reluctance to see their licensed cars smashed and mangled is understandable - one wants to reproach the complete absence of any damage system at all, at least in the form of a "bar" and failing components: in this form the game too strongly encourages the player to pay no attention to minor crashes at all, which does nothing to add realism. Although certain moves in this direction are noticeable - not only a sideways touch of a railing or tunnel wall reduces speed, but even a collision with a small obstacle like a wooden post (although it simply flies off to the side, as does a road sign).

At the same time, other aspects of realism are handled in Underground perhaps even better than anywhere else. The car responds excellently to the controls (playing with an analog gamepad is highly recommended), is far more controllable in each individual quantum of time - and is actively capable of stunting. That is, taking corners with controlled drifts and slides - an experienced player will be able to substantially improve his results this way. Not to mention that some of the 113 events included in the "campaign" are precisely "style demonstrations", in which on a wide ring you need to score as many points as possible specifically for driving tricks. And since you need to demonstrate style anyway in order to progress through the campaign - you will willy-nilly already apply what you have learned in the traditional modes as well. Style points are accumulated in absolutely any mode (and in race mode you can get them, for example, for a "close side-by-side pass with oncoming traffic", and you can also lose them - for touching a traffic participant) - it is they that "unlock" locked content. Another "original" mode is "pure" drag racing, that is, who will get to the end of the straight faster (closer to the end, however, maneuvering is added to optimal gear shifting due to the appearance of obstacles). Despite this entertainment being "discredited" by a multitude of primitive implementations - in this particular case they managed to make even such a simple thing captivating (not least, again, with the help of special effects). The more "classic modes" include laps around a closed track, a run along a linear track with a start and finish, and closed "survival" races, where the last one in the lap is eliminated from the competition.

Alas, unlike Midnight Club II, where you drove through a carefully crafted city - the tracks here are exactly tracks. Traffic flows disguised as a city. If you suddenly "turn off" onto a cross street - you are instantly "placed" back on the track. What is even worse, unlike the previous NfS style, each installment of which possessed a set of huge, carefully conceived and elaborated tracks - the two dozen Underground tracks are obviously assembled from the same "pieces", similar to each other to an indecent degree. A feeling constantly arises - aha, I have already driven along a boulevard like this, such a (exactly the same!) fork has already been here … And yet there is no variety of time of day, nor of weather conditions. Not even any particular differences in the cars creating the background traffic. That is, in terms of scenery the game is not simply lacking in variety, but rather indecently monotonous. And although in reality the drive of rare strength, the feeling of being involved in an intense race, overpowers the despondency generated by the sameness of the scenery - the game could have been substantially better if it could boast variety in them. At least they could have made the cities different, for example. However, there is a considerable chance of seeing all this in the form of an add-on for separate money.

The points mentioned above help unlock, and the earned cash helps "purchase" various "upgraders" for your car. Upgraders are divided into mechanical improvements and decorations. The mechanics, to the great displeasure of real-hardware enthusiasts, boil down to gradually leveling up all onboard systems - engine, transmission, tires, computer, nitrous booster, "lightness" and so on. Just like in an arcade. But when it comes to "decking out" your "ride" with all sorts of decorative exotica and plastering it with pretty pictures - the scope is enormous (all of it, of course, also not for free). In principle, this is not surprising - a substantial part of the charm of street racing in general lies in visual showing off. But in the case of a computer game, all this tinsel makes sense primarily for online multiplayer - where players can compete in cars they "assembled" during the single-player campaign (though points earned in multi also count toward the "driver profile"). Indeed - surprising yourself with a motley paint job is not nearly as interesting as showing off in front of the whole Internet. Unfortunately, our players can only wait for cracked servers to launch (if that will even be possible, www.playground.ru will probably react quickly enough) - or buy the original from Softclub, if one follows.

It is very much worth additionally noting the absolutely remarkable music tracks, perfectly suited to the insane speeds. Even those who usually don't listen to such music will surely appreciate its rhythmic contribution to the symphony of the engine. The gamepad vibration also doesn't seem out of place at this festival of nightlife. The short clips that keep happening throughout the campaign could be better, but overall they set the mood well. Sometimes, though, creating associations that are all too unhealthy with the movie The Fast and the Furious

Summary - a superbly bright, fascinating, driving, insane game for … a completely ordinary gamer. Professional drivers - virtual and otherwise - will prefer games with a more serious level of simulation. True fans of street racing will stay with MClub II, which reflects street realities far more truthfully. Even fans of car arcades probably won't abandon their playthrough of Mercedes-Benz. But all of them, and indeed all gamers, can take a break from their truly deep passions for the sweet-sweet candy that NfSU undoubtedly is. For a week. And every time after, when they want to perk up with a good dose of adrenaline.