Need for Speed ProStreet Review
EA makes tricked out muscle machines feel like the same, tired ride.
Posted by Chris Buffa on Tuesday, November 13, 2007
[Editor's note: Since Electronic Arts didn't host multiplayer sessions, we were unable to test Need for Speed's online play. Expect an update, and possible score adjustment, in the future.]
Electronic Arts' Need for Speed franchise needs to go into hibernation and re-emerge as a vehicular orgasm full of twisted steel and sexy automobiles. It should not, under any certain terms, remind us of an old Ridge Racer game, yet that's the first thing that sprung to mind upon playing the latest effort, Need for Speed: ProStreet. Not only is the game repetitive, but it's also jaggier than a box of serrated knives.
Instead of focusing on underground night racing (the subject of the last 900 Need for Speed games), this one takes place during the day at organized and sponsored events. And instead of completing individual races to progress through the career mode, you must win entire Race Day events, earning enough points by placing first in a series of competitions. Some task you with crossing the finish line first, while others challenge you to earn the best lap time or through the new personal hell, 1/4 drag events. These require you to build up enough grip on your tires (essentially achieving a solid burnout) and then burst from the starting line, the goal to get the best time without blowing your engine. Problem is, we struggled getting the car to move. Our opponents almost always got the jump on us, and although the game shows you how to win, thanks to a helpful intro cut scene, it only plays once. We hoped that practicing would at least walk us through the event, but that isn't the case. It's probably fun in real life, but it doesn't translate well to a video game.
In addition, the game sometimes suffers from anti-aliasing issues that make the cars and tracks appear jaggy. This is unacceptable given the advancements in technology and the better-looking racing games on the market, namely Project Gotham Racing 4, Motorstorm and DiRT. And although EA's welcome to disagree with us, ProStreet's presentation blows compared to previous Need for Speed video games. Forget about a flashy intro, slick looking menus and actors set behind computer-generated visuals. Menus sport faded colors, the 3-D characters are merely passable and the game loves to load; just getting into the Career Mode takes several moments. And for whatever reason, you can't load your profile (called an Alias) from the Career tab. You have to manually scroll to the bottom of the menus and load it from there, which makes little sense. Basically, EA phoned in the presentation.
Yet despite all of these complaints, the game doesn't suck. Car junkies will enjoy unlocking real world parts and tinkering with their rides to produce the ultimate speed machine, as well as uploading the blueprints online for other gamers to enjoy. You can even see how your adjustments improve or hurt the car in real time. Furthermore, EA did masterful work on the car modeling and damage. Smack into a wall and you'll scrape the paint and lose a side mirror. Hit someone from behind and you'll dent the grill. Collide with something at ludicrous speeds and wheels fly off, the hood pops up and other pieces shoot through the air. A busted car results in your losing the event, but the eye candy justifies it, especially since you can always restart.
In addition, the cars move really fast. Switch into first person mode and you can imagine the wind zipping through your hair and bugs splattering against the windshield. And while we're not going to be dramatic and tell you that all of the cars handle like their real world counterparts (hard to tell using two analog sticks to steer), they handle exceptionally well and grip the road. Of course, if you find yourself sloppily bumping into things, you have three driver assist options, two of which aid you in breaking around corners. Even better, you can change them in between races.
We also like the variety of courses. EA ditched street racing, but the numerous locations, including North America and Europe feature varied scenery and fun things to improve the atmosphere, such as sexy girls and giant balloons. The smoke that billows from tires and tailpipes looks very realistic, and for whatever reason, sometimes those aforementioned jagged edges don't seem nearly as bad as in other scenes. At times, the game looks pretty damn impressive.
It's not that Need for Speed: ProStreet is a bad game per se. We just expected more, especially since EA hyped it up as a new direction for the franchise. That, however, is a partial truth. Sure, the developers took a different path, but at the end of the day, you still go through the same motions as in previous Need for Speeds. Until we see a dramatic shift, this series is stuck in first gear.
Final Score: 6/10
