Need for Speed: ProStreet So here it is, finally, the long awaited Next Gen Need for Speed, (We'll ignore Need for Speed: Carbon because it was rubbish) and I must say...they've done it again. Its another brilliant installment from the Need for Speed team!! Lets run through in more detail, shall we?
Graphics
Right then, graphics! As you can imagine, being a next gen game the graphics are simply brilliant, especially when viewed in full HD! The crash sequences are simply breath taking and the tracks and surrounding are stunning. Put these two together and you've got the makings for a classic racing game. One of the best graphical features I found in this game are the dirt courses. Sounds boring I know, but trust me when you pull that perfect drift at 80mph through a dirt bend and you see the dust fly up into the air, you will know what I mean. You can tell that EA have spent a lot of time and effort trying to get this to look as real as possible and I thank them for it. I don't think this game would be half as good as it is if the graphics were shoddily made. "OK enough about dirt!" I hear you cry, "what about the cars?!" ....Calm down! I'm getting there! Well, Pro street has more cars than ever before. Which is always a good thing! They range from the Audi A4 to the Dodge Charger and all the way up to Lamborghini, Ford GT and even Zonda's Pagini shows up! These have all been brilliantly recreated to give you that proper Need for Speed taste. I'll tell you more about the upgrades in a bit...I like to leave a bit of mystery!
Controls
As you might expect the controls are exactly the same
as always...but you'd be wrong!! Need for Speed have moved their control layout to fit into the PS3 racing genre better. They have, of course, moved the accelerate button from X to R2, which I think is a good move. It allows for more play with the throttle. You can now (for those of you who have seen the new PS3 control layout) push the R2 button down at variable angles, allowing you to use as much or as little power as you like. This in turn lets you pull of some excellent drifts, and lets you have more control when racing. So overall a pretty good switch. Another thing, I'm sure you're wondering, is whether they have put in that brilliant slow motion button allowing you to slow time down to slide round corners as fast as possible. Well, sorry to disappoint, but no, they haven't. EA have really tried to make this game as realistic as possible, and if that means they have to take out slow motion cornering then so be it!!
Gameplay/Storyline
I'll start with the storyline, maily because its the same as usual and will be over in one sentence. You play a street racer who's trying to make it big in the legal racing scene. You go through tournaments and beat all the kings of different racing Genres (Grip, Speed, Drag and Drift) and eventually have to play the overall king and take his crown as the best racer out there! Ok two sentences, whatever! On to gameplay. Another hit here from EA. The realism from the cars and the scenery is also carried on into the driving simulations. I have never played a game that felt as real as this one (barring Gran Turismo obviously!) Each car has it's own unique way of behaving on the road and you need to realise that before you go headfirst into a wall, which, because of the new damage simulator, you will now have to pay a lot to fix!! So you don't wanna be crashing all the time!! Especially not if you're driving the Lamborghini Murchialago, (I'm sure that's not how you spell it but we'll just move past that!) if you total this, you're looking at a hefty £150000 just to repair it!! So remember to stock up on repair markers!! As I menioned before there are four main racing genres you need to master in ProStreet, Grip, Drag, Drift and Speed. But what I forgot to mention was that you can't use just one car for all these races. You need at least one car for each genre as each car needs to be specifically tuned to meet its racing needs. Which again adds to the overall realism of this game. The grip races have changed dramatically since the last NFS, when you could drift wherever and whenever you like. Now you have to carefully plan your drifts to match the curve of the road, and you have to give the car just the right amount of power to get the powerslide all the way around the corner. It's extremely difficult at first, but when you get the hang of it you will realise just how good it is!! The new speed genre is, I must admit, not my favourite addition. It's unbelieveably difficult! The main gist is, you have to race as fast as humanly possible through a desert course with no proper corners, only bends. I know that sounds easy but trust me it's not! Download the demo if you don't believe me, and you'll see what I mean! Oh I forgot to mention one of my favourite additions to the game, its in the Drag genre, they have added wheelie competitions!! In cars!! It's great! You just have to keep you're wheelie as long as you can to win! Brilliant! So onto tuning and modding! EA have kept the new AutoSculp feature which is a very good addition, it allows you to change every aspect of every item you put onto your car to make it look however you like! On the downside, this game is seriously lacking in options for modding. You can no longer choose each part of your body kit (i.e. front, side, back), you now have to choose from a premade bodykit and Autosculpt from there. There are also very few body kits to choose from! This is also true with Tuning your car. You can now quick tune, which allows you to just pick an aspect of your car you want to improve e.g. power, handling etc and then pick how much you want to spend on it, and it will upgrade all parts accordingly. Or you can manually tune the car and upgrade each performance part in turn. Good for the lazy man, not so good for the perfectionist!
Sound
Sound, where to start, well with the cars obviously! They all sound spot on! The muscle cars all have that low grunt, the tuners all have the high whizz from the turbocharger and the supercars have the pure roar from their giant engines! You can't go wrong! I realise now I'm starting to sound like Jeremy Clarkson, so I'll move on. The soundtrack has moved away from hip hop and into more of an indie scene. Which I don't particularly mind as they are both great.
Conclusion
Ok, to the downsides. Yes that's right downsides!! There's a reason I didn't give this game 5*s. You might think I sound stupid, but this game could be too real!! Is it just me who longs for the days when you could buy a Vauxhall Corsa and make it go 200 mph round corners while being chased by police in helicopters?? There's none of that any more. There isn't even a map anymore. You simply enter tournament. You can't just go for a drive around the city looking for other racers. I miss that!! That's what made the Need for Speed franchise so different. It didn't conform to the norm of all the other racing games out there. It let you be free to do whatever you want and go wherever you like! Don't get me wrong, this game is brilliant, and I highly recommend you to buy it. But if you're looking for that getaway from the realistic, this isn't the game for you. You should walk straight past Need for Speed in the shop and pickup Burnout! But if all I have been saying before has swayed you to come around to the more realistic Need for Speed, then hello and welcome aboard, you're going to love it here! Thank you for reading!
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Very good review.....Oh Yes I know all about the sound involved in this game as my bedroom is next to that of my son who will often get up early and play this. It is usually on the morning that I have a lie in on my day off !!! Yes I agree the car sounds are spot on. (that was said with tongue in cheek ) Lovely review though. Thanks. J.
Need for Speed ProStreet boasts impeccable precision and impressively detailed ... more
photo-realistic graphics, effectively transporting you to the center of the action. It pushes the Autosculp technology to a new level, allowing you to directly impa...
Postage & Packaging: £1.94 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Compete at the Highest Level of Street Racing.Raw, Adrenaline-Fuelled Racing: A brand-new ... more
physics engine and refined AI deliver the power of authentic street racing.Dominate Across All Racing Disciplines: Prove yourself in four distinct racing styles: ...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: Out of stock
Need for Speed ProStreet boasts impeccable precision and impressively detailed ... more
photo-realistic graphics, effectively transporting you to the center of the action. It pushes the Autosculp technology to a new level, allowing you to directly impa...
Postage & Packaging: free Super Saver Delivery Availability: Temporarily out of stock. Order now and we'll deliver when available. We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon...
Advantages: You can damage your car! New tuning system, length of the game, online capabilities. Disadvantages: No free roam, no neons, no police chases.
Advantages: You can damage your car! New tuning system, length of the game, online capabilities. Disadvantages: No free roam, no neons, no police chases.
Advantages: An amazing machine, expandable, some great features Disadvantages: Expensive (but for a reason), almost internet reliant, no browser security
ayanayuk 14.02.2008 (18.02.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
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Apr 17th, 2008
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