GameGemini – Video Gaming Heaven

To start with, here’s a few trailers from the game:

Obviously the game looks absolutely amazing, with graphics unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. The first time I saw a video of the gameplay I was blown away. Some of the screenshots of this game look so realistic you really can’t tell whether it’s a game or not.

So the game looks good – we’ve establish that, but what else is there? Is there any real substance to the game? Thankfully, the game plays just as well as it looks, and is amazingly fun. There’s no 2-player split screen, but everyone knows split screen is so 2005, so you’re given a great online mode instead (as is expected of today’s games). The developers have gotten rid of the story aspect that tainted their previous efforts, and have focused solely on the racing. The whole interface looks slick, and there’s a real feeling of anticipation and excitement as you sit behind the wheel of your car; in cockpit view – being able to see your steering wheel and gloves.

The only real major flaw in the game is a small one, but one that stops this game from being an all-time great. As you progress through the levels you’ll earn points for how you perform. Points allow you to by better and faster cars. At each level a new batch of cars becomes available to buy and use for the new set of races you unlock. However, the amount of points you earn hasn’t been calibrated very well, and by the time you reach each higher level, you’ll almost certainly have enough points already to buy the best car in the division. Compare this to a game like Gran Turismo, where you had to slog for hours winning races over and over to finally be able to afford that new car you’ve been dreaming of. While this might not sound fun, the sense of reward is fantastic. With Need For Speed you feel a bit like it’s on a plate for you, and you don’t really have to work too much.