Back in 2008, "Need for Speed: Undercover" felt like a breath of fresh air. After a few questionable experiments in the series, this game brought back the street racing that fans had come to love - and that was a welcome return. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that the developers had simply taken the best parts of earlier games, tossed them into a blender, and served it all up with a new label. Then again, what more can you expect from a racing game? There are cars, they go fast, the cops chase you. But you still want "something" special. And in this game, that something just isn't there.
The story is straight out of a low-budget action flick - passable, but nothing more. It feels like the kind of movie you'd stumble upon late at night on cable TV. You're an undercover cop, or maybe a federal agent (the game doesn't really care and neither will you), infiltrating a criminal street racing ring. Cars, chases, crime, betrayal - all the usual tropes. It's not "Fast & Furious" (or even a decent parody of it), but it checks the boxes. There are cutscenes featuring real actors, with Maggie Q in the lead role as a special agent. Her performance is... not exactly Oscar-worthy, and the direction clearly tries to play up her model looks in a way that feels more adolescent than cinematic. She struts around in what's supposed to be a business suit, but with dramatic focus on cleavage, long legs, and smoky, over-the-top "cool girl" cigarette moments. Because, you know, that's what kids want in a racing game, apparently.
Gameplay-wise, it's a mashup of modes from earlier entries - sprints, circuit races, police pursuits. It's all familiar, recognizable. One notable addition is a brutally difficult event: a high-speed duel on a busy highway. This was the real test of nerves. Cars fly past you, the handling suddenly feels a bit off, and you're expected to catch up with your opponent, overtake them, and then pull ahead by a certain distance to win. At times, it felt like the game was actively working against you, throwing in random crashes just to mess with your momentum.
Yes, your car can be totaled, but here's the kicker - it doesn't affect performance. Your ride might look like it just got compacted at a scrapyard, yet it handles like it rolled off the assembly line. And after each race? Instant magical repairs.
Visually, the game looked solid for its time - nothing groundbreaking, but respectable. The soundtrack, however, was pretty good. In fact, a couple of tracks from the game still pop up in my playlist from time to time.
When I first played it, I liked it. It felt like a step up from a few previous entries. But over time, it became clear that "Undercover" was a forgettable release, one that didn't bring anything truly fresh to the franchise. That said, cruising through the city, dodging cops (or being one), and racing to a decent soundtrack was still a good time. But honestly, if this entry had never come out, most people probably wouldn't have noticed.
6 out of 10.
