racing and customization heaven!! (Need For Speed Underground 2 (PS2))

Member Name: nitrocide

Product:	Need For Speed Underground 2 (PS2)
Date:	06/03/08 (37 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: the races are fun, good online facility

Disadvantages: driving between races and shops could be a pain in the ***

Need for Speed Underground 2 takes place in one big city. This idea could possibly come from the GTA series. You decide what race you want to take part in and at what time. In underground 2 customizations happen in garages scattered around the city, you can unlock new parts by visiting new garages. Need for Speed Underground 2 consist out of 5 racing zones, if you finish one zone you move on to the next which has tougher opponents and more challenging races.

You start of like most other games in one of the slowest cars in the game and the racing are not much of a challenge. In Underground 2 6 main race types are available they include: circuit, sprint, drag, drift, URL and street X.

* Circuit races are races that take place round an enclosed track. The player that reaches the finish first wins the race.
* Sprint races are races that go from point A to B again the player that reaches the finish first wins the race.
* Drag races are races that go from point A to B and the player that reaches the finish first wins. You will have to shift your car which isn't to hard. Do try to avoid traffic, trains and obstacles as you will crash and automatically loose the race.
* Drift races are races where you have to go fast and take some crazy turns to make your car start sliding. The faster you go the more points you earn and the same goes for the angle your cars and when you take a corner. I've found out that you do not need to reach the finish before times runs out. This is helpful as you can concentrate on drifting and not on reaching the finish. Underground 2 has added a extra type of drifting where you drift down a mountain.
* URL or underground racing league or similar to circuit races but to win you need to earn points. There are 3 to 4 different races you have to complete to win the event.
* Street X is again similar to circuit but these races are short with loads of sharp corners.

Graphics...

The graphics of the game are very strong in the city detail and car detail. However when it comes to crashes the graphic lacks. Although the detail of the crash is good no damage is done to your car and you just wonder how. I have had a crash where I was doing 320km per hour and crashed into a car, I was doing 30 seconds of strait somersaulting before I finally stopped, there was no damage to the car nor the performance which just makes it a bid unrealistic.

Sounds...

The sound system of the game again in strong some parts but lacks in the other. When you crash the sounds are realistic enough and sound they are from a real crash. Every car has a different sound to it which does make it more interesting, when you drive a Ford Mustang GT you really hear the rumbling of the V8 which it has inside. When it comes to the songs in the game Underground lacks a bit. The tracks are so different from each other that it feels like they just placed the first songs they could find in the game.

Controls...

The controls are pretty easy to use and are strait forward ones you get used to them. In the game I ad some trouble getting the car into reverse which could ruin your chance of finishing first.


I will probably rate this game at an 8 as the story mode, game play, fluency of the game and the online mode are all good. However the music and sometimes graphics do lack a bit in attention and detail. Don't play it to often as the game could get boring and a bit monotone and that could prevent you from buying later series. The difficulty of the game is easy to medium hard. To get round all the controls it will probably take you about 0 to 15 minutes which isn't too bad.

Thanks for reading nitrocide

Summary: good game but sometimes lacks in detail and attention and could be addicting