Pre-release preview of Need for Speed ProStreet

IGN has published a pre-release preview of Need for Speed ProStreet.

“We tested the game to see what awaits us on store shelves in a few weeks.
Earlier, we detailed the online game mode. Single-player works on a similar principle. Competitions are grouped into so-called “Race Days,” and your goal is to win or dominate each of those days. Every competition in a “Race Day,” whether a Grip race, Drag race, etc., earns you a certain number of points, which depends on the place you take, the time you set on the track, and the amount of damage your car has sustained. When you accumulate a certain number of points, even if you haven’t completed all the races, you become the winner; and if you earn enough points, you’ll be considered to be dominating the event (meaning the “Race Day” – author's note), and then extra opportunities will become available to you.

At the end of the event, you’ll receive a cash reward and some additional prize. Five “Cards” will appear on the screen, and you can choose one of them. Randomly, you may get a prize: from extra money to a new car.

Damage significantly affects the car’s performance. There are 3 levels of damage. Light and serious damage affect your car’s acceleration, top speed, and handling. It doesn’t matter which part of the car is damaged, since the effect of a crash spreads across the whole car. This is good, because you always know what damage a collision can cause.

The third level of damage is the “wrecked” state. If you wreck your car, you won’t just be knocked out of the race; you also won’t be able to use the car in other races until you repair it. With light and serious damage, you’ll be allowed to race, but you’ll have a hard time, since your car won’t be performing at full strength. However, after wrecking a car, you can “restore” it with a special ticket that can be won in competitions. Without that ticket, you’ll have to rely on the other cars in your garage.

The game has a total of 55 cars from a wide variety of model years. “Internal” tuning lets you replace many components and also tune them to your driving style. We managed to tune a Porsche 911 GT2 (2008) and raised its power to over 1000 horsepower. Then, in this rocket, we accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.19 seconds. If the game had a greater percentage of simulation, the car would have been torn apart when we pressed the accelerator.

When you dominate most “Race Days,” you’ll get the chance to race against one of the 4 Race Kings. These drivers are your path to more serious and larger competitions.
Unfortunately, we haven’t yet had the opportunity to race against these guys, but we’re working toward it.
NFS ProStreet is still a few weeks away from release, but we’re already preparing for the event. Stay tuned for our next full review.”