Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit

I just downloaded this game of of the Xbox Game Pass and it is abysmal. I only played it for a very (and i mean very) short amount of time. But everything i experienced in that short amount of time was atrocious. Even for 2010.

The driving is absolutely wack. Especially for a game all about driving. I understand it is probably trying to have more of an arcade feel than realistic feel. That all being said it is still atrocious, even if it is meant to be an arcade style driving game. I can't understand how someone can have enjoyment driving in this game.

The graphics are fine but nothing to be amazed at.

The story... well there is barely one. It isn't good but i guess the story doesn't matter too much in this game so it's passable.

How i see people give this game anything close to a 5/10 let alone higher i have no idea. It is definitely nostalgia talking for these people.

I didn't play the multiplayer and i don't have to. I'm sure it makes it more enjoyable but not by much i can assure myself of that.

Overall, unless you are under the age of 12 you will find this game terribly boring and it's not good at all. I can't imagine what types of games people like that think this is so good.

Terrible, do not recommend, 1/10.

Developed by Criterion, the same team behind Burnout Paradise, you can definitely feel a lot of Burnout DNA in this Need for Speed entry. Sadly, since it's published by EA, do not expect to get the full game, you'll have to plonk down a further £45 on the PSN for that privilege. And since the game is now almost 8 years old you can expect online play to be dead. Trust me, this is one Platinum trophy that you won't be winning.

As either Cop or Criminal Racer you take to the roads in the fictional Seacrest County and all of its varied wilderness on various missions including simple time trials, races, duels, takedown missions, utterly infuriating rapid responses, interceptors and, obviously, hot pursuits in which you must obliterate all other rivals. The game can frequently be very exciting and is very addictive but it is bogged down by lengthy crash cut-scenes, long load times, an overload of visual information bombardment between missions, and cars that handle simply terribly. The aforementioned rapid response missions are a nightmare as for every strike on any object the counter will add 2 seconds to your already tight time limit. Once you slam into the guard rail you'll never get control of your car back and you'll just be slamming from side to side across the road. You'll never beat the mission.

Also, unlike Burnout Paradise, the XBM option is not available, meaning you cannot play your own tunes during the game and must stick to the licenced soundtrack. It's decent, but it's nowhere near as innovating and visionary as the soundtrack to Need for Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed. Though, overall, it's a much better game than Need for Speed: The Run.

I managed to unlock just 37% of the trophies. Any higher would require online play and purchase of the DLC. It gave me a few days of fun, but I'll never go back to this.

EA strikes again. When I first saw the price for Need For Speed "Remastered" edition I chuckled and moved on, however this game has since came to EA Play and Xbox Gamepass so I had to check it out.

I remember playing this game (the original) back in the day and was pretty disappointed in its lack of pretty much anything, and the remaster is exactly the same. Simply put this is the exact original game with a lick of paint in terms of slightly improved graphics.

When it comes to gameplay it's one of the worst in the Need For Speed series with supersonic speeds, laughable "drifting" and boring Nitrous effects. The controls as always are basic and work well but most of cars steering mechanics are a cross between complete arcade with sudden and unexpected tankiness right when you need to avoid a car or stop from hitting into a barrier. There is no customisation at all, you pick a paint color for that specific race on a car that you don't own, only have unlocked and then you move on to another race and do the same again. However the worst part about this game is the events. There's absolutely no variety in races. You basically get two. One is a race. One is a time trial. That's it. They throw in a few special abilities in certain races like EMP, Spike strips, Turbo etc but why not have these as purchasable upgrades to your car and have some sort of progression ? The time trials are rage inducing routes that insist that you don't crash into any wall/barrier or you receive a steep time penalty, the "preview events" allow you to try out fancier cars than you already own but that's it, it's the same time trial. I HATE the idea of the time trials/no crash mode here as this is a Need For Speed game, not grand Turismo. It's frustrating as the cornering/drifting in Hot Pursuit is simply not good. Races are races, come first and you get a gold, simple but it can be fun.

Essentially when you play this game you chose the cop events or the racer events and hop from one event to the other selecting the car furthest to the right as it's the fastest, win it and then click on another event. Very boring and definitely not a game you could play for a long period of time in my opinion. Instead I suggest you use this is a go between game when you want something to put on for 20-30 minutes and do a few quick races before bouncing on to something much better.

Now it's sounds like I totally hate this game but I don't. The variety in cars is quite nice, lots of lambos, Jaguars, Audi's, all the way down to Nissans and mazda's, and they all look very good. Some of the races get your heart rate up as you're locked in a dead heat with another racer and have that last spike strip left to deploy or that last turbo use. The time trials are annoying but can be exciting at the end as you've got 5 seconds left with nothing but a long straight ahead, can you make it and grab the gold, that's the one exciting part here. Tracks are well varied and offer some nice weather effects. It's not all bad, buts it's far from good.

Overall this is one of the poorest Need For Speed games in the series, it has zero story, zero customisation, lack of diversity in events and no progression. I do not recommend you buy this, but if you have Gamepass or EA Play it's a decent game for jumping on, playing a race or two each day and then moving on to another game.

I still remember the day going to GameStop with my friend after school and buying the physical disc for this around the time it came out back in 2010. Probably one of the best multiplayer experiences ever to be had around that time period. Looking back at this now, I never realized how much this game was ahead of its time, especially when it came to innovation and multiplayer involvement.

"Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit" (2010) turned out to be the game I didn't just want - I truly needed. Finally, I got to feel that nostalgic spark from the legendary series that I hadn't felt in years. I waited five long years (since the release of "Most Wanted") to get back behind the wheel of a virtual street racer and relive the adrenaline of those "good old days". Not just play - "feel". "Carbon" and "Undercover" couldn't deliver that thrill. But "Hot Pursuit"? Absolutely. It's got everything you want: breakneck speed, screeching tires, sirens on your tail - the full package.

There's not much of a storyline here, but what you get is a phenomenal campaign: you can play either as a street racer outrunning the law or as a cop dishing out justice at full throttle. And let me tell you - that is insanely fun. Smashing into a racer at 200 km/h with a cinematic takedown is just pure bliss. It feels like a blockbuster movie - just without the popcorn, because your hands are glued to the keyboard.

The gameplay impresses with its arsenal of tools: there's turbo boost, EMP blasts, spike strips for those chasing from behind, and even roadblocks and helicopters. It's like a full-blown action toolkit for speed freaks and tech lovers alike. Some tools are exclusive to cops, others to racers, but the beauty is - everyone has toys to play with. And your opponents? They've got the same gadgets, so expect dirty tricks, flashy maneuvers, and adrenaline-pumping showdowns on equal terms.

The car selection is massive. You start out with modest vehicles, but before long you're tearing through the highways in high-end dream machines - it's like building your own fantasy car dealership. With each race, the cops get meaner, the cars get faster, and the chases more dramatic. And that's how it should be. The same goes for playing as the police - every new racer is tougher, sneakier, and harder to take down.

Controls are classic, nothing overly experimental. Cars handle just the way you'd expect - they drift, accelerate, hug the corners, and push to their limits when it counts. It's familiar, responsive, and super satisfying. The graphics? A real treat - beautiful cars, bright and detailed tracks, and atmospheric environments. The scenery changes, time of day shifts, and whether it's day or night, the visuals are impressive and immersive.

And the music! The soundtrack pumps you up and pushes the pace of the race. Without those high-energy tracks, the game wouldn't hit nearly as hard - but with them, it's spot-on.

"Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit" (2010) isn't just another entry in the franchise - it's a glorious return to form, done smartly and with soul. Personally, I felt the same rush I got from the best of the classic titles. If you're craving speed, chases, adrenaline, and cinematic turns under blaring sirens - this is it. A really solid game that still looks great and plays even better.

8 out of 10.