NFS HP Remastered is a great game and it was one when it originally arrived a decade ago. I wish these tales had found a place to intersect because a real sense of conflict opened up as I enjoyed the game once more. Now you can compete with anyone, not just friends who share a copy of the PC, Xbox or PlayStation version. The feature, which tracks your friends every step of the way to fuel competition, was pretty groundbreaking back in 2010, and in 2020 it supports cross-platform play. The gameplay balance between being cop and racer is *chef's kiss.*Īnd Autolog is back. A little bit of coastal love, some deserts, deeply wooded areas and some snow are all part of the fictional area that is Seacrest County. It's top-notch NFS fun to race around a seriously diverse map with what feels like a greatest-hits of nostalgic NFS tracks.
Racers can jam an EMP blast and unlock a powerful turbo boost as cops unleash road blocks and police helicopters as the chase goes on. Racers and cops have EMP blasts to damage opponents and shut down communications, and both share spike strips. Just like the original game, each side has weapons to gain an upper hand. It's because Criterion originally took the helm for this entry into the series, and I thank it for its contribution. If you played the Burnout series, a lot of the progression and UI will feel very familiar. Plus, the remastered version includes all past DLC for an even wider variety of cars. You'll have to prove yourself and unlock the best machines racers and cops have at their disposal. Not only are early 2010 staple police cars available to play with (Ford's Crown Victoria and Taurus Police Interceptors) but anything from a Mazda RX-8 to an Aston Martin One-77 police vehicle is at your disposal. Naturally, with so many fast cars zipping around, SCPD looks a lot like a young car enthusiast's dreamiest police squad. Players flip between events as either a racer or part of the Seacrest County police department. If you never picked up the original (not remastered) version, you're in for a grand NFS experience. Now, let's talk about the other tale that unfolded during my time with the game: the gameplay itself.
NFS HP Remastered is legit a time capsule with the cars featured. Yet, for a remastered game, it's a letdown because it feels like the developers left a lot on the table. This isn't all a dig because NFS HP still looks pretty decent by today's standards. The car models are nearly identical, and some improvements to sharpen them led to more washed-out touches, like the taillights illuminating in a foggy fashion. True, the ambient lighting is gorgeous and some of the textures pop a lot more than they did in the past with 4K support and 60 frames per second, but the final product looks shockingly similar to the original game.