Need for Speed: ProStreet

Need for Speed ProStreet is a striking example of how a legendary franchise can evolve while maintaining its core essence, all while daring to introduce radical changes. The developers made a bold decision to move away from the arcade-style gameplay and embrace more realism. This shift towards realism posed a challenge for both the developers and the players, who were accustomed to the fast-paced, dynamic arcade races of previous entries. Nevertheless, this decision proved to be quite successful, and ProStreet has plenty to offer, even to the most dedicated fans of the series.

One of the first noticeable differences that sets ProStreet apart from its predecessors is the absence of an open world, which had almost become the franchise's calling card since the release of games like Need for Speed Underground 2 or Most Wanted. Instead, the game presents races in a tournament format, which fundamentally changes the approach to gameplay. Gone is the free-roaming through the city in search of races or evading the police - everything is much more structured now. This creates a new dimension for the game, allowing the player to focus entirely on the races without being distracted by secondary elements.

The tournament format allows players to test their skills on various tracks and in different race types. Here, you can try your hand at different categories of competition, such as drag racing, highway battles, and drifting. This variety helps keep the player engaged, preventing the gameplay from becoming monotonous. Each race type demands different skills and a unique approach to vehicle control, adding a layer of depth to the gameplay.

Visual improvements are another important aspect that significantly enhances the overall experience of the game. The cars look incredibly detailed, almost like their real-world counterparts, which is a visual delight. Players can appreciate every little detail in the design of the cars, from the bodywork to the wheels. This heightened attention to detail enhances the immersion in the game, making each race feel more realistic thanks to the visual design.

Beyond the graphics, an essential part of realism is the car handling. It has also undergone significant changes compared to previous installments. Cars now handle more realistically, requiring the player to pay more attention and be more precise during races. This applies to how the car behaves on the road and how it reacts to different weather conditions or damage during the race. This aspect makes the game more challenging and, at the same time, more engaging, as players can no longer rely solely on speed - they must control every movement of the vehicle.

However, not everything in ProStreet is perfect, and one of the most controversial aspects of the game is the drifting mode. While the game offers excellent gameplay overall, many players encounter difficulties when it comes to drifting. The handling in this mode feels illogical and often unmanageable, which can spoil the gaming experience. Drifting, which in previous parts of the series was one of the most beloved modes by many players, feels less exciting here due to the difficulty of controlling the car. This can lead to frustration, especially for those who enjoyed drifting in earlier entries in the franchise.

Despite these shortcomings, Need for Speed ProStreet remains a significant step forward for the series. The shift away from arcade gameplay and towards a more realistic approach allowed the game to attract new fans and offer a fresh perspective on classic racing. The game has managed to retain its signature dynamism while also giving players more opportunities for tactical play and skill improvement.

Overall, ProStreet is well worth the attention of any racing game fan, especially those who value realism and visual beauty. While it has its flaws, particularly in the drifting mode, these do not make it any less appealing. ProStreet offers players a new racing experience, allowing it to maintain its popularity among fans of the genre.

For me, the "Need for Speed" series has always been about adrenaline, street racing, neon-lit cities at night, and cops constantly getting in your way as you speed down the road. But in 2007, the developers decided to break that formula - they threw away everything that made the series iconic and turned it into... tournament motorsport. No underground racing, no police chases - just sterile tracks, boring competitions, and an overly serious approach to car tuning. Personally, that was a disappointment for me - but since I'm a fan of "NFS", I still sat down to give it a shot. And here's what came out of it.

The story? Who even knows. Some guy named Ryan Cooper, a former street racer, decides to become a big shot in the world of official racing. He needs to earn respect by participating in different tournaments and eventually defeat local champions. But the more you play, the more you realize that the story is just background noise. There's no real development, no cool cutscenes, no characters you want to care about. Just racing for the sake of racing. I remember the main champion driving past my car in a static scene and frowning - like, "Who's this nobody who's already won a couple dozen races?" Pretty weak storytelling.

There are several types of races in the game: Grip (basically classic circuit racing), Drag (straight-line racing where timing your gear shifts is key), Drift (a familiar mode but with its own quirks here), and Speed Challenges (you need to reach maximum speed on the track without crashing when adjusting your car's position). Ideally, you'll want a separate car for each type of race.

The variety of races isn't bad, but the problem is that it all quickly turns into a marathon of repetition, where you're forced to fine-tune every little detail of your car's settings instead of just enjoying the race.

Tuning here isn't just about body kits and cool paint jobs - it's a real puzzle for engineers. You have to tweak everything: suspension, tire pressure, and some other fancy stuff... And if you mess up with the settings, you better be ready for your car to either be too slow or completely uncontrollable.

Racing here is tough - especially if you don't want to bother with the fine-tuning. The opponents are aggressive, and the cars behave realistically (which means one wrong move and you're flying off the track). In previous "NFS" games, you could just relax and have fun - here, you're tense at every single turn.

In "Underground" and "Most Wanted", I felt like I was part of a living world - there were cities, races, villains, police chases. But here... there's nothing. Just tracks that look the same and endless competitions. No atmosphere, no freedom, no feeling that you're driving through a world with life in it. I totally understand that this game was an attempt to breathe new life into the series, to create something unique and different from the usual - but for me, this "journey" turned out to be pretty disappointing. Repetitive competitions, excessive difficulty, constant messing around with tuning, and the complete absence of a living world - all of this made "ProStreet" the most boring "NFS" I've ever played.

Yes, it tried to be something new. Yes, some people might have liked it. But for me, as a simple player who just wanted to race - it was boring. The game completely missed the mark for me, and honestly, I don't regret saying goodbye to it.

4 out of 10.

If you're not into realistic games, and all about street racing, then don't buy this! This game is terrific! amazing. people hate it because cars in the game "Crashes" and gets "totaled", all you care about is street racing and speed. This game focuses on Customizing cars for different purposes. Customization for drifting, speed racing, dragging and others. also includes paying attention the air dynamics movement, the type of tire you use and the size of it. It's not about pressing on gas and using your handbrakes for drifting. It's all more than that and its extra challenging. All i can say, this game is for professionals only. Real world and real details. Tons of different cars. Cars being specified into different classes. Again, better customization. not (tuning). Recommended for Pros

Music soundtracks are very well chosen as for any need for speed games. What really amazed me and caught me out of nowhere is the graphics of this game. Previously i played the 2006 carbon game and the graphics of that game sucked, well its an old game so understandable. But this was made in 2007, and i checked if i got the remastered version or smth because the graphics difference between these two games was like a day and the night, and only 1 year apart!

Well i gave this rating pretty low because of the gameplay and lack of the story, even racing games needs a story personally for me because it gets too repetetive and pretty boring soon. Even the racing host who talks with his microphone is saying the same things the whole time every fricking race.. and there are too many race tracks made on the same location. Just becaus of that i give this game 5/10 thinking i gave for it even too much :)