I want to preface this by saying I'm not much of a racing guy. With the exception of NFS: Underground through Undercover I've never really had much interest in racing games. But this was one of those deep-childhood games that I first played before NFSU, so I was interested to revisit it. Just keep in mind that I have little frame of reference when it comes to this genre.

The presentation in this game is easily the best thing about it. Music is amazing, graphics are gorgeous, every track has its own personality and creative quirks, even the visual effects like smoke from burning tires or splashes from the water are reminiscent of the best movie chases.

When it comes to the gameplay, I feel like the same things that make this game great are the things that make it bad. Contrary to how the later games would function, Hot Pursuit 2 feels much realer. There's no rubber-banding, tracks are very intricate with many shortcuts that can either be helpful or harmful, just like it would be in the real life. This means that paying close attention to the road ahead and the mini-map is very important. So is making quick decisions on the fly and memorizing the track on your first lap to avoid making mistakes on the second. This is a game where your skill is genuinely rewarded... Well, for the most part. In my experience, I felt that choosing the right car can make a radical difference (as in coming first vs. coming last kind of difference). It seems like every event has its best car option, and you have to figure out which one through trial and error. Again this does kinda add to that sense of realism, as every car handles differently and has a different speed. Also, the cops are not as much a mechanic (as it would be in MW), as real genuine opponents. And the only way to win against them is to outsmart and outdrive them. Trying to ram them would usually only harm you.

Which brings us to probably the worst aspect of the game: the collision model. This thing can send your car flying and spinning for missing the turn by one millimeter. And this is why I said earlier that the same things that make this game great are the things that make it bad. It means that all those things I mentioned earlier like no rubber-banding, varied shortcuts, etc. can make the game insanely difficult.

The game has two modes: Hot Pursuit and World Championship. The former has cops and traffic, and is thus more fun. The latter is just normal racing. I beat the first one with relative ease and most of the second one, but then the penultimate event on the right branch there was a tournament, and it was FUCKING BRUTAL. I must've spent an hour just trying to beat that tournament. I somehow managed to finish 3rd on the first race, which means a Bronze medal. Which I took, having replayed it like 5 times to just get that. But the second race I just could not beat. I must've replayed it like 10 times or so with different cars (Murcielago is clearly the best option there), and I couldn't finish in the top 3 even once. It's like the game expects you to not make a single major mistake here. What I mean by major mistake is when you hit something in such a way that your car spins or goes flying. Do that once, you might still have a chance of getting Bronze, but do it again and you're done. And the track is very difficult to maneuver. The only time I managed to get a near-flawless run was with weaker cars, like Aston Martin or Lamborghini Diablo, but all those Carreras and Murcielagos would crush me every time simply on the account of they're faster. Eventually I just gave up. I'm not a kid anymore, I really cannot devote much time to just sitting there and "getting gud" at a game by replaying the same section a hundred times.

In conclusion, great game, but pretty unbalanced. It kinda feels like the line between winning and losing is very thin, and you're gonna be crossing it constantly unless you're an expert driver. Which I am not. I'm marking this as "abandoned", but that mostly regards the campaign. Otherwise this is a solid racer, which I might still come back to every now and then for single races.

P.S. There's also the mode where you can play as a cop, but I did not play that because I have no interest in being a cop. I was planning to give it a try just to see how it plays, but then that frustrating tournament I couldn't beat made me rage-quit, and I don't feel like going back.

Okay, since I've played the PS2 and PC versions, I'll just say this:

PC version: Lmao it's my entire childhood, along with high stakes and the underground series, I've used to rock these ones on Win XP, but what I like about hot pursuit is that it introduced me some good sh*t bands (alternative metal bands and rapcore), plus I've always picked the ford cars.

PS2 version: I've played this one recently, when I saw a random gameplay of it somewhere on youtube, I was hella amazed how the PC didn't looked like this one, and year by year, I've finally tried this one out and dayum, this thing rocks lmfao, I mean, I love the pc version and such, but it's a hard choice, but I prefer the ps2 version, it's like picking a similarly twin but with differences

Uh uh?
Wha wha?
Zoom boom boom boom,
Uh?
Wha wha?
Uh uh?
One on one,
Two on one,
Three on one,
Add one for fun!
Ya gotta flicky flicky flick flick flicky flick yo tongue,
Ya run it straight across her belly through her cooch and down her bum,
You could be the pony boy you could be the one,
You drive it like a semi to the setting summer sun,
Gettin' off just like the traffic at the local exit ramp,
Notice that the weather in the region getting damp,
Ya want to mail the letter,
Ya gotta lick the stamp,
Not once not twice,
But three times damn!
Pretty!
Wah!
See that!
Cha!
She go she go she go she goin' down on it,
We go we go we go we goin' down on it,
They go they go they go they goin' down on it,
He go he go he go he goin' down on it,
Who go who go who go who goin' down on it,
You go you go you go you goin' down on it,
They go they go they go they goin' down on it,
What side westside was your best side!
Wait a minute!
Lookout lookout!
Cha!
Uh uh,
Black on white,
White on black,
Used to love a black chick,
She loved me back,
Say wiggy wiggy wig wig,
Wiggy wiggy wack,
The big 'ol bouncin' boobies give your grandpa heartattack,
You run it through the front door but you leavin' through the back,
You jumpin' over fences and you almost rip your sack,
You suckin' down the juices like your favorite flavor tang,
The lover aborigine the baby boomerang,
The coochie be the kryptonite and you be supermang,
Wassup cussup now dizza dizza wang!
See that!
Cha!
Pretty!
Wah!
She go she go she go she goin' down on it,
He go he go he go he goin' down on it,
She go she go she go she goin' down on it,
They go they go they go they goin' down on it,
Who go who go who go who goin' down on it,
We go we go we go we goin' down on it,
They go they go they go they goin' down on it,
What side westside you go down on it!
Wait a minute!
Lookout lookout!
Cha!
Whoo!
Uh uh?
Zoom boom boom boom,
Uh uh?
Wuh wuh wuh wuh
This is the acid rock section of the song,
All you burned out acid hippies singin' along,
With your campfires goin' and your barbecues on,
With your cold beer campfires sing it along,
Hey!
(Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah),
(Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah),
Hey!
(Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah),
(Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah),
c'mon hey!
(Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah),
(Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah),
Hey!
(Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah),
(Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah),
Lookout!
Wait a minute!
Lookout lookout!
What's that?
Cha!
One on one,
Two on one,
Three on one,
Add one for fun!
Ya gotta flicky flicky flick flick flicky flick yo tongue,
Ya run it straight across her belly through her cooch and down her bum,
You could be the pony boy you could be the one,
You drive it like a semi to the setting summer sun,
Gettin' off just like the traffic at the local exit ramp,
Notice that the weather in the region getting damp,
Ya want to mail the letter,
Ya gotta lick the stamp,
Not once not twice,
But three times damn!
See that!
Wah!
Pretty!
Cha!
She go she go she go she goin' down on it,
He go he go he go he goin' down on it,
They go they go they go they goin' down on it,
Who go who go who go who goin' down on it,
You go you go you go you goin' down on it,
We go we go we go we goin' down on it,
They go they go they go they goin' down on it,
She go she go she go she goin' down on it!
Wait a minute!
Lookout lookout!
Cha!

Need for Speed Retrospective #6

Over the last couple of entries in the series, the story mode has become the centerpiece of any Need for Speed game. Yet somehow it's this title's biggest miss. There's no real sense of progression and the required tracks are often extremely long, feeling somewhat samey and uneventful. Were they trying too hard to become 'realistic'?

Other than that, the handling feels great, the graphics are nice and the strong police AI requires meaningful tactical decisions from the player. I remain a little on the fence about this one.

The biggest drawback to this game is its padded length. Some of the later events consist of 24 laps of racing. It doesn't help that there are two separate campaigns. After I finished the Hot Pursuit campaign, I considered the game finished. There was no way I was going to go through the same experience in the World Racing campaign, minus the police chases.

Other than that, the game itself holds up really well - especially the PS2 version. The handling model feels a little heavy at first, but it doesn't take long to get used to it.

The tracks are the absolute highlight. They are fun to drive around in and there are plenty of shortcuts to take. I wish the series would ditch the open world and go back to this track model.

As for the police chases, they are fun, but the cops have a massive advantage over the racers. They have infinite speed boosts, can set up roadblocks and call in helicopters to carpet bomb everyone on the road. As a racer, you have no way to defend yourself. I'm glad they've addressed this in the newer games.

Overall, I'd still recommend it to fans of the series, and fans of racing games in general. Just don't feel compelled to sit through the padded campaign.

Need for Speed Hot Pursuit II is an exciting racing video game that offers numerous positive aspects. Among its strengths, the game stands out for its wide selection of cars and tracks, allowing players to customize their driving experiences. Additionally, the game provides the option to use their own soundtracks during gameplay, enhancing immersion and providing a unique sense of ownership. The mode involving police pursuits is particularly enjoyable, adding adrenaline and tension. In terms of graphics, the game boasts excellent visual depth and the absence of issues like clipping and aliasing.
However, there are also some limitations to consider. The initial difficulty level may be too easy for experienced players, and the sense of speed is only felt when exceeding 200 km/h, which may disappoint those seeking a feeling of speed right from the start. Additionally, occasional slowdowns may occur, even in less complex action situations, compromising the gaming experience.
Despite these limitations, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit II remains an engaging experience for racing game enthusiasts. The wide selection of cars and tracks, the ability to personalize the soundtrack, and the police pursuit mode add fun and challenge to the game. Despite the slowdowns and the initial difficulty level, the excellent visual depth contributes to a visually rewarding experience.