As long as there are people like Jeremy Clarkson in the world – people who think it’s a good idea to drive a lorry at speed into a brick wall – there will always be a demand for street racing titles: especially ones with as much weight behind them as the Need for Speed series.
The latest incarnation makes it a dozen NFS titles, with no end in sight. And all the signs are that Undercover is going to be the best yet.
EA has taken a lot longer than usual putting the title together, and purports to have gone back to basics: returning the franchise to its street racer roots and bringing back some of the features that so riled fans when they were left out of Need for Speed Pro Street, such as the free roam race mode.
“Conversely it’s a return to the core values of Need For Speed,” says product manager Kevin Flynn. “The cops are back, the chase is back and it’s exactly what the fans wanted. We’ve taken the key advancements from ProStreet – damage, physics engine – and added that to the spirit and ethos that has made NFS the biggest driving game franchise there is. There’s also the introduction of genuine, world-class cinematic production values which really drive the storyline within the game.”
So essentially we’re looking at the best bits from the series so far combined with some serious storytelling devices, which should lead to success for NFS. A raft of new features tie in with both the plot and give players an excuse to do a bit of gratuitous smashing up of police cars. This points towards the sort of things racing game enthusiasts can really get into character for – dangerous stuff that wouldn’t want performed in your mum’s Corsa with the shopping in the back, but are clearly an awful lot of fun on the small screen.” “Players can go deep undercover, and race into an action-packed story of pursuit and betrayal,” continues Flynn.
“They must take on jobs and compete in races to prove themselves as they infiltrate and take down an international crime syndicate.
“Highway Battle allows players to fight off the cops and others as they take down their prey in high-speed, high stake multi-car chases. New and vastly improved AI mechanics mean more aggressive and intelligent cops focused on taking players out fast and by any means necessary.”
Meanwhile, an all-new system – the Heroic driving engine – brings an extra little piece of driving fantasy to the proceedings, allowing players to get to grips with some pretty impressive moves. “The Heroic Driving Engine allows the player to race with an unprecedented level of control,” continues Flynn. “It empowers the player to pull off heroic driving moves with ease (J-turns, 180’s 360’s, etc.).”
Thanks to its many years’ service amongst racing fans, Need for Speed is a title that guarantees shelf space at most retailers. “In the current climate retail understandably wants to back the winners, the sequels that bring success and drive customers in store,” says Flynn. “Need for Speed is such a title – it’s the racing game hit buyers pick up for Christmas and Undercover will only complement those needs – from both the retailers and the fans.”
The release is also backed up with a marketing plan that includes a large scale print and TV presence. “ATL plans are in place as you’d expect for such a prestige releases” continues Flynn. “It’s a huge unmissable campaign and covers traditional and innovative media outlets from TV and cinema to Digital Escalator Panels and Lovefilm envelopes.”
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