The Need For Speed ​​racing series is a true legend in its genre. The first part of the race came out in 1994, when no one could suspect that it was the brainchild of Electronic Arts that would set the trends in the world of computer racing for a long time. The series has 23 pieces on different platforms, with completely different concepts and themes. Among them are both the very successful and best parts of Need For Speed, and frankly failed games. All races can be divided into several time periods and distinguish among them the most successful and significant for players and the industry. Consider each era of NFS in more detail.
1994 to 2002
Many gamers still believe that all the best parts of Need For Speed ​​were released in the first generation of games. In 1994, the first part was seen on 3DO, and a year later she got to personal computers. The player was given access to all vehicles and tracks at the very beginning of the game. The description of each car has a separate video and text with specifications. NFS was one of the first games in which developers tried to copy a real physical model of cars. This part cannot be called the best, but it can easily be attributed to the most significant, since it was with NFS 1 that the era of “Need for Speed” began.
Second part
In 1997 Need For Speed ​​2 was released. Every aspect of it prettier, from the graphic component to the fleet. The creators have added new modes, design tracks, variability and much more. One of the main chips is that only in the second part was the opportunity to ride on exclusive supercars of that time.
Hot pursuit
1998 and release, according to most, the best part is Need for Speed ​​3 Hot Pursuit. Based on the name, the chase mode with police was added to this race, which means that the dynamics and diversity of the project have grown significantly. Due to the strong progress in graphics and 3D technologies in the third part of the series, the developers managed to achieve excellent pictures, changing weather, time of day, and so on. The game was simply amazing, so it remains the best part of Need For Speed ​​so far not only during the release period, but also today. The love of millions of fans can indicate that Hot Pursuit is a true legend and can make many gamers nostalgic even in 2017.
High stakes
In 1999, High Stakes was released, which improved and refined all the ideas presented in the previous race. The main innovation was the High Stakes mode, where riders fought for their own cars. This moment added excitement and interest to what is happening. Now for victories in the championships you get a cash reward and you can install on auto upgrades. To the delight of gamers from personal computers, the creators added absolutely all the tracks from their favorite Hot Pursuit. The game High Stakes did not become legendary, but it got its audience and fans, so it can be considered a good and successful part.
Porsche unleashed
The next game of 2000 is somewhat out of the series. Porsche Unleashed was entirely dedicated to Porsche products. The whole game was built on the love of cars of this brand. This can be seen in everything - a description of sports cars, tests, level design and tasks. The game was appreciated not only by Porsche fans, but also by other gamers. Porsche Unleashed can be considered the best last part of the Need For Speed ​​of that generation.
The game captivates with its landscapes and requires that the rider love and respect his car. Before the start of your career, you had to take tests, and unlocking vehicles went through eras, which added interest to the process.
Hot pursuit 2
After a successful experiment, Electronic Arts returns to its origins and its previous ideas. Hot Pursuit 2 was the first game for the new EA Black Box studio, which will continue to release the best parts of Need for Speed.
The game continues to develop the concept of the third license plate. Racing is now divided into two championships - regular competitions and chases with the police. If the first mode was quite boring, then the race with the cops could entertain and challenge any gamer. That’s why fans loved this game. Hot Pursuit 2 was also the first game in the series where the entire soundtrack is represented by licensed tracks of various artists, which is why the songs from NFS became the face of the game.
The era of street racing and tuning
In the early 2000s, the movie “Fast and the Furious” was released, where the main themes are night races, neon lights, chases with cops and girls. In the wake of the success of the film, the company takes on the development of the thematic part of NFS and in 2003 released Underground.
This game has become truly iconic and significant in the fate of the entire series. A radical change of direction has benefited the project. Instead of expensive supercars, cheap Japanese women and city cars are waiting for you, which you need to improve on your own and by your means. The police disappeared from the streets, but a full-fledged night city with neon lights, music and other paraphernalia was added. An underworld has not yet been added to the Underground, but that didn't stop the players. The complexity of the races also bribed - at the end of a career, it took several attempts to get to the finish line first (the rest, as you know, were not rewarded in any way).
EA caught the wave and realized what gamers needed. Exactly one year later, the continuation of Underground 2 is released. The creators left the concept untouched, and decided to add more features and improve the graphics. Until now, many players are arguing which part is better: Need for Speed ​​Underground or Underground 2. On the side there is a second open world, improved graphics, more tuning options, modes and a tolerable plot. The first captivates with complexity, soundtrack and dynamics. Underground 2 gave truly complete freedom to the player. For example, to improve the appearance, you first need to find the appropriate store with details. To gain fame, you need to earn style stars and print on the covers of automobile magazines, and sponsorship contracts provide a discount on components. The real dream of a street racer started in the early 2000s.
Most wanted
So we got to the game, which, by right, is considered the last best part of the game Need For Speed. In the wake of the success of night racing in the open city, the developers begin to develop their idea. Night is replaced by day, law enforcement officers are added and rates are increased. In Most Wanted, the fleet has been changed - now the player is available not only with cheap city cars, but also supercars. The tuning system was simplified, but this did not affect the gameplay. The main pride of the Wont Bridge is the chase. Competing with the police is really interesting and difficult. The plot is represented by a “black list” of 15 riders who need to be defeated in stages: gain reputation points, win races and complete tasks in pursuit of cops. The last part is the most interesting in the game. Need for Speed ​​Most Wanted deservedly received high marks, warm community feedback and a long life. At the moment, you can safely launch the "Wonted Bridge" and not be afraid of the outdated schedule, but according to the dynamics, this part "devotes" a lot of modern racing.
Controversial Parts
After the very successful Most Wanted, developers fall into the middle of a setback. In 2006, the continuation of “Bridge Walled” in the form of NFS Carbon. Almost all the favorite elements remained in place - bosses, police, tuning and racing modes. However, the game lost its face and was too short, besides, the graphics left much to be desired. Passage, which is not recommended for review at this time.
In 2007, EA Black Box changed direction and launched Pro Street with semi-professional racing. The concept with tuning, a large fleet of vehicles and bosses in each type of competition turned out to be interesting, but other decisions were controversial. Firstly, many did not like the physics of car behavior. Secondly, the passage of the career regime is too long and annoying in the middle. We recommend that you read if you are tired of the topic of street racing.
Need for Speed ​​Undercover 2008 is considered one of the worst games in the series. The creators returned to street racing and police, adding a plot with cinematic accents. Undercover was supposed to return Most Wanted fans, but in reality it turned out differently. Affected by poor performance, a low level of artificial intelligence, boring tasks and many other little things. Of the advantages, you can highlight a large fleet and tuning.
NFS Shift is difficult to put on a par with previous races. EA Black Box was developed together with another studio. Part is aimed at serious professional races with a realistic model of behavior. However, normal physics did not work the first time, so the players had to admire beautiful graphics and a large fleet of vehicles.
NFS Return
In 2010, the developers of the game were Criterion Games, known for Burnout Paradise. Hot Pursuit 2010 is a remake of the original part with many improvements. This game boldly joins the legendary Most Wanted and is called by many the best part of Need For Speed. Reviews on it are extremely positive. In Hot Pursuit 2010, everything is fine: luxury cars and beautiful graphics, picturesque landscapes on the tracks, a variety of competition modes and chases. Also worth noting is the excellent multiplayer, in which you can still meet nostalgic players. Hot Pursuit 2010 is the second part of the series after Most Wanted, which is recommended to be introduced to.
The run
The Run is also an experiment, like Shift. The game completely abandoned the open world and tuning in favor of the plot and entertainment. It turned out not as good as we would like - the plot was not enough, and the race, in turn, was too boring. Nevertheless, The Run is worth getting to know because of its uniqueness and graphic component - it is really interesting to watch the constantly changing locations of North America.
Most Wanted 2012
The line of remakes of their own projects at Electronic Arts did not work out right after the re-release of Hot Pursuit. Criterion Games is already taking over the series and releasing an unsuccessful game. In Most Wanted 2012, only graphics are pleasing - a beautiful city and well-developed car models. Otherwise, the concept turned out to be a failure - a complete lack of plot, tuning and even the slightest sense of what is happening.
Rivals
Work on the bugs was very successful. The plot still left much to be desired, but the gameplay compensated for everything. The Rivals are invited to go through a campaign for riders and for the police separately. Dynamic chases, special skills and an open world made this part a good online entertainment.
Restart
In 2015, the series was restarted. The new part is called Need for Speed ​​2015 and returns the player to night racing. Expensive cars, tuning, police - everything seems to be as it should be, only each of the elements disappoints. The police are considered the weakest among all parts of the series. The physical behavior model causes pain for real fans of computer racing, and the storyline is naive and does not correspond to its time.
As a result, Payback came out in 2017. A newly discovered world, a plot with real actors, a lot of cars and tuning. It’s too early to say whether this game will be the best. But intermediate reviews suggest otherwise.
Summary
Judging by the community’s reviews, it’s recommended to play NFS 3 from the list above: Hot Pursuit, Most Wanted and Hot Pursuit 2010 (as in the best parts of the series), Porsche Unleashed, Pro Street, Shift, The Run (as in interesting experiments ) Also, a lot of fun the player will bring both parts of Underground, relatively fresh Rivals and extreme Payback. Now you know which parts of Need For Speed ​​are the best and which ones you should not spend your free time on.