Revamped NFS series launches this year

[Dennis M.]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/re...ches-this-year

After a few admittedly awful years in quality and sales for the Need for Speed series, EA decided to reinvent it yet again.

Starting this year the franchise takes a more realistic turn and ditches the street-racing/Fast & the Furious style it had in recent years which I think actually produced only one good game - NFS: Most Wanted back in 2005.

The game, called NFS: Shift will launch on all major platforms except the PS2 which they 're dropping completely and Nintendo consoles that will receive an entirely separate game called NFS: Nitro.

Here's a screenshot that I think looks very good and EA claims to be untouched gameplay footage.
NFS: Shift is being developed by Slightly Mad Studios, the creators of GTR2 which sounds promising.

There will also be a free to play PC game called NFS: World Online that will launch first in Asia, presumably to deter piracy in that region.

[Snadinator]

My favorite was the first one on the 360 with the cop chases. Most Wanted. It's been downhill since.

[jakebonz]

Carbon wasn't horrible, but I felt like I wanted to neckpunch all of the characters in that game.

[The Ebbtide]

This is a relief. While I enjoyed Carbon, I had no interest in the newest one.

I also like the lack of subtlety in the name by calling it Shift as they change the series.

[Dennis M.]

Carbon wasn't horrible, but I felt like I wanted to neckpunch all of the characters in that game.

No it wasn't horrible but it felt like a carbon copy (see what I did there? ) of Most Wanted. The only thing I really liked about that game were the graphics because I got it on the X360 as opposed to Most Wanted which I played on the PS2.

[Billbofet]

Funny they "re-invent" the series, yet are able to still release it year after year.

I wish they would just take a damn year off and make a game that blows everyone away. Plus, there is no way this wasn't already in the works before Undercover was out. They must have known they were releasing shit.

Most Wanted is still awesome though. It's as fun to watch as it is to play.

[Dennis M.]

Most Wanted is still awesome though. It's as fun to watch Josie Maran as it is to play.

Fixed it for you.

[grasp]

I tried underground and wasn't impressed. Driving just wasn't fun in it. Felt like the burnout series without the fun. I used to play NFSII endlessly.. buddies and I had epic battles on that, and it was balanced in terms of the cars.. I can totally remember battling it out to the finish, one guy in the fastest top speed car, but doesn't handle, one in the top accelerating car, but it has a slow top speed.. and going down to the wire many times..

I also played hot pursuit back in the day for quite a long time.. loved that game too. Carbon, I played, and the most fun we had was ricing up our cars to the point of absolutely ridiculous.. The driving was alright, but we laughed lots at the spoilers and skirting etc.. that's what kept us playing.. but a rental for sure.

The new one - Underground.. I wasn't interested at all.

Change in this case is good. Bring the fun back.

EDIT - I just saw over at Joystick that they called it "Hardcore Racing Simulator" Well, i'll believe that when I see it. I've never considered the Need for Speed series anything like a sim.

[Master X]

The screen looks nice

[Indy_aka_Rex]

How the hell can you re-invent NFS any further?

It's been an open-world racer, a closed-circuit racer, a closed-circuit street-racer, a sim, an arcade-racer...

What the fuck is next... CARS ON ICE?!

Need for Speed: Ice Capades!

[ben1080p]

Id care to see where they go. Im guessing they will try and do what Burnout Paradise has already done.

[Kenshiro]

EDIT - I just saw over at Joystick that they called it "Hardcore Racing Simulator" Well, i'll believe that when I see it. I've never considered the Need for Speed series anything like a sim.

The very first NFS on the 3DO was very simmy, a little too much so that it wasn't fun. Then it went all arcadey after that. My favorite was NFS Hot Pursuit 2 on the PS2, I didn't care too much for the series after that although I didn't play Most Wanted.

I'll definately be keeping an eye on this one, the devs have a lot of credibility.