NFS Underground 2 can be considered one of the most popular and innovative racing games of its time. Here, for the first time in the series, a completely open world appeared, the graphics have greatly improved compared to the first part, the possibilities for tuning have become several times more and much more. Currently, despite their considerable age, racing game fans are making amateur modifications to the graphics and content. At the same time, the passage of NFS Underground 2 does not differ in the usual or modified version. We will consider this race in detail as part of our review.
System requirements
Before you begin the review and description of the passage of the game, you need to talk about system requirements. Despite the fact that the game was released back in 2003, on some outdated PCs or laptops it can “slow down”. However, it is unlikely that there will now be many users of such weak computers that can’t cope with the game even at low graphics quality: even the video chips built into the processor are capable of this.
So, to play NFS Underground 2 at low settings, you need the following computer:
- Intel Celeron processor or similar equipment from AMD;
- 64 MB of video memory or more;
- 256 MB of RAM on board;
- 1.5 GB of free space on the hard drive.
The game is fully compatible with operating systems Windows 2000 and newer. It works on both 32- and 64-bit OS.
If you want to play NFS Underground 2 in Russian and at maximum graphics settings, then you need a PC with the following characteristics:
- Intel Pentium 4 processor or equivalent from AMD;
- 128 MB on the video card;
- 512 MB RAM.
The amount of hard disk space remains the same.
At the moment, the popular graphical modification of NFS Underground 2 Redux, which will require a more powerful computer. If you set all the graphic settings to the maximum, then even on modern systems, modification can slow down. Therefore, prepare at least 4 GB of RAM, a 2-core processor with a frequency of 3 GHz and a video card no weaker than the GTX 650. These parameters are necessary for a comfortable game in Full HD resolution at 60 FPS.
Description
Before considering the passage of NFS Underground 2, we dwell on the game itself. The concept of this game is no different from all other races. The player begins his journey with a stock weak car and participates in races for a minimum reward. Gradually, you gain a reputation and move up the career ladder of an illegal racer. This entails new acquaintances in the street field, which means new opportunities for tuning cars. After each key stage, new cars are opened in the local salon. In your garage for all the time can be up to 6 cars at a time.
Between races, the player moves freely in the night city. This is not only necessary for entertainment, but also has useful implications. For example, when traveling through the streets, you can discover new stores with spare parts.
Passing NFS Underground 2 implies the completion of all plot races in the first position. It is also necessary to go through all the championships. However, after the main career, additional races will remain, which will stretch the pleasure of passing the legendary game.
Versions
Before downloading the installer of the game, check out the available versions. If we are talking about the original NFS, then you can choose between two options:
- version for the European market with Peugeot 106;
- version for the American market with a Honda Civic.
Both options are no different. It must also be said that the mods on NFS Underground 2 do not change the storyline component of the game.
What you need to know before you start?
As mentioned above, the entire passage of the game NFS Underground 2 is divided into several stages. Each of them opens a certain set of racing events, several championships, photographs on the covers of magazines or DVDs. As you progress, the number of tasks and races will increase. Therefore, the passage of the first stage can take up to one hour, and the late stage of the game will take much more time.
To complete the passage of NFS Underground 2 by 100%, you need to finish absolutely all the races in the first place. It is not necessary to do this at every stage - all races will be available even after completing a career through the garage menu. To see the current progress, you must press the "T" key during free mode. This opens a window with career statistics. Let's move on to the stages of the game.
Start
The story mode of the game begins with the main character arriving in a new city for him by plane. A friend of the girl, who is also involved in street racing, agreed to lend her car so that we get to the first garage.
Initially, we may not immediately go to the garage, as required by a friend. In the city you can find 2 hidden races that are not on the map. If you pass them, you can get a good initial capital. After that, you still have to go home and return the car to the hostess.
Now the hero is offered one of the free cars. By the way, here all the cars are free. You can change them, and take new ones to your garage only when you open additional places.
At the first stage there are very few races. The game introduces you to all the modes: lap racing, sprint (race from point A to point B), drift, drag and street X. The last mode is a race on closed tracks in harsh conditions. As a result of passing all the races, the first championship URL opens. The event consists of 2 races on the territory of a closed night track. According to the results of both races, the winner is identified. If you became one, the game will continue in the second chapter.
Second phase
After the transition to the second stage, we will be shown a splash screen, which says that the riders now have access to a new territory. Along with the uncharted area, a number of new races, hidden events and shops are opening. For exploring the world and participating in the races will have to take on new forces. Before starting the passage of NFS Underground 2 in the second chapter, it is not at all necessary to change the car to a new one - the initial car can compete for some time.
In addition to arrivals and shopping, in the second stage there is another type of entertainment - cover photos. To open this event, you need to pump the appearance of the car on a 10-point scale. With the full passage of NFS Undreground 2 by the end of the game, you must have at least one 10-star car to complete your career.
You need to collect stars in stages. First you will be asked to make a race car for 1 star of style, after which a new point on the map will open. Another new element is sponsorship contracts. After passing the first race at the stage, a window will appear with the choice of sponsor and the conditions that the rider must comply with. To receive bonus money you need to go through 3 sponsorship races, which are marked with crosses on the city map. Similar contracts will appear at each stage several pieces until the end of the game.
Third stage
As usual, after the opening of a new area, a number of SMS messages will come to your phone with notifications that new products have appeared in stores. Also on the map will appear marks with new races. The number of modes throughout the passage of the game does not change. New cars in NFS Underground 2 are also delivered to the car dealership, so you can check the receipts before the races.
The innovation in the third stage is off-road racing. By default, they do not appear on the map until you drive the right car. After that, orange marks will appear. These races will have to take place to complete the career of the game 100%.
However, not only special races are suitable for huge and slow SUVs. You can take part in any other race. In this case, all your opponents will also transfer to cars of this class, so that the race takes place in equal conditions.
In the third stage, the entire upper part of the map, on which the mountain serpentine and the northern part of the city are located, immediately opens. Due to the nature of the roads, many drift rides will take place in this region. If previous drifts were organized on special closed routes, then the regime has undergone changes. Now the drift is a sprint on a winding road with city cars. Collision with traffic or fences removes points.
Fourth stage
The full passage of NFS Underground 2 is 100% nearing completion. At this stage of the game, half of the industrial area of the city opens, which is located in the south of the map. You can get into it through the highway. In addition to the already "native" races in the race adds variety in the form of a dirt road. The fact is that part of the round-robin competitions or sprints will be held on the territory of construction sites. A dirt road will not greatly affect the behavior of the car, because this game is still completely arcade.
The fourth stage is characterized by a rather modest in size territory with small streets. Therefore, most of the races will capture the previous parts of the metropolis.
It is worth noting that with each level the requirements for the rider and his cars increase. For example, here you already have to reach 7-8 stars of visual rating in order to appear on the cover. And in the professional league URL, the number of races, circles and their duration will significantly increase.
Final stage
At the fifth stage of the full passage of NFS Underground 2, the entire city opens. Now the races are scattered throughout the map. The last stage includes only a small piece of territory adjacent to the industrial zone. Basically there are docks, parking of trains, wagons and the like.
At this stage there will be the largest number of races of any kind. To get closer to the end of the game, you need to modify the appearance of any car to 10 stars of attractiveness, and then take a picture on several covers. By the way, all the images from the covers of magazines and discs are saved in the menu, so you can see them after your career ends.
The NFS Underground 2 finale implies a long race with the main boss. Since you defeated all the outstanding racers in the city and earned a reputation, the most influential and capable of them drew attention to you. Check-in will take place almost around the entire city, affecting most of the district highway. Your opponent will race in the Pontiac GTO. The race is 5 laps.
After you take first place in a one-on-one competition, the game will end. According to this algorithm, any of the versions of NFS Underground 2 is traversed, regardless of modifications or regional publications.
Save game
So that you do not have to think about constantly saving progress manually, be sure to enable the Autosave function in the settings of the main menu. You can also copy NFS Underground 2 saves manually from a folder. This can be useful if you need to transfer career progress to another computer. Replaying the game is quite problematic, as it takes a lot of time. Therefore, you can take the old "saves" or download from the Internet a career option, passed 100%.
Racing tips
Since this game belongs to the genre of arcades, it is full of conventions and simplifications. All of them are aimed at making the player comfortable to ride even without preparation.
The first thing you need to know about is the mechanics of nitro-acceleration. After installing the appropriate equipment in the car, a blue bar will appear near the speedometer. When you press the acceleration key, it will decrease, and the car will accelerate. To replenish the supply of nitro, you need to do tricks. These include a close ride to traffic, a slip stream, drift, a clean passage of a circle. You can also get a little margin by blowing the engine. To do this, press the "nitro" button, standing still. However, you must install the right equipment before doing this.
Outdoor activities
In between racing and tuning, you can drive around the city in search of random opponents and hidden bonuses. In the first case, the implication is that you can challenge any opponent who roams the streets. To do this, you need to drive to it at a fairly close distance at the back and signal. The enemy will answer the challenge and the race will begin. It is necessary to come off a certain number of meters ahead to count the victory. Also, computer racers can challenge you back. This is evidenced by the appearing icon in the upper left corner and a characteristic sound signal. Unfortunately, these races are practically unprofitable from an economic point of view. Only $ 100 is given for a victory, and the same amount is taken for a loss.
You can also find hidden money and tips on the game. They are located in all corners of the night city. They look like competition icons, only money or the “i” sign is drawn instead of the mode image. The collection of these bonuses also does not go into the overall standings of passing the game, but several bonuses collected along the way will add $ 500-600 to your account.
Tuning
All options for improving cars in this game are divided into the following categories:
- engine modernization;
- changing body components (cosmetic effect only);
- discoloration and vinyl;
- installation of accessories and additional equipment (cosmetic effect).
All changes, except the first, affect the overall rating of the style of this machine. As you progress through you will discover new details that increase the rating. After completing a career, body extension kits will be available. However, they can only be applied in a quick race. And in career mode, all parts created from carbon fiber will appear.
If you bought several sets of the same type of parts (for example, bumpers), then they are placed in your garage, marked with a purple icon on the map. At any time, you can change the details from there. In a free race, all parts are completely free and available in unlimited quantities.
Conclusion
So, we examined the Russian version of NFS Underground 2 in all aspects. Passing the game can take you more than 20 hours if you set a difficult level of difficulty and set the goal of victory in all competitions. In this case, you will get a 100% mark in the statistics menu.
After completing a career, no one forbids continuing to ride around the city, dropping through the remaining races, changing cars, remaking them, and so on. Also, all tracks, cars and parts in the quick race menu become available to you. By the way, you can race on stock cars, mining cars and those cars that you created in a fast race.