Undercover cops and robbers (Need For Speed: Undercover (Xbox 360))

Member Name: mchitty

Product:	Need For Speed: Undercover (Xbox 360)
Date:	25/01/09 (29 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great variety of gameplay modes, awesome multiplayer, pretty graphics

Disadvantages: Graphical slowdown, may be too easy for some veteran racers

Do you have a need for speed? If you do then the long running 'Need for Speed' series of racing games may have the answer...

Need for Speed: Undercover is the latest title on the Xbox 360, and fans of the series should rejoice, because this game is great!

Unlike most racing games, you may be surprised that this one has a storyline. Now, whether this storyline is any good really is up for debate - in a nutshell, you're an undercover cop impressing crooks with your driving skills, and the game is full of cheesy characters and sequences. On the plus side, this sets the game up for a variety of game modes that otherwise wouldn't have been possible.

And these modes are where this game shines. These are the Pursuit events, in which you take part in high octane police chases. There's the basic 'escape from the cops' mode, as well as two slightly more destructive modes that involve destroying the environment and using it to your advantage. These modes aren't hugely interactive but they're very cinematic and fun. Although you may now be wondering why an undercover cop would take part in such activities!

This cops and robbers gameplay extends into the multiplayer mode, resulting in an excellent team game of pursuit and tension. I've had a lot of fun playing this, probably the most I've had with any multiplayer racing game I've played so far on the Xbox 360.

Now I'm not very good at racing games, so I found the slow learning curve in Need for Speed: Undercover to be a welcome mercy. I recognise that this may be a little bit two easy for hardened racing veterans, however don't fear, it gets much harder the further in the game you get, and although you might skip through the first 12 or so stages, the real challenge begins.

The graphics here are brilliant looking, however there are some problems with frame rate. This is a problem to me, because, well, it's a racing game, and you kind of expect and need the visuals to be as smooth as possible. This is only occasionally a problem, however I have taken off one star because the slowdown is occasionally rather irritating.

Overall, Need for Speed: Undercover is a brilliant racing game with some great gameplay options. Even if you aren't particularly into racing games, there should be enough variety here that most people will find something to enjoy.

Summary: A few problems, but for me one of the best racing games on the 360!