"Good, but not as good as Gran Turismo"

Introduction
Honestly speaking, the last Need for Speed (Hot Pursuit 2) just didn't cut it for me. There was nothing unique about it that stood out of the ordinary. There were better options available out there and Hot Pursuit 2 got lost in the crowd. A year later EA has released a new Need for Speed with an all-new underground street-racing angle to it. By the looks of it, this time EA has done its homework because this game has taken Need for Speed to its highest point ever!

Gameplay
NFSU features cars like the Honda Civic, Dodge Neon, Subaru Impreza and Mazda Miatas, but it's not really about the core car you buy; it's more about how you modify it. By modifications I don't mean just boosting engines and upgrading key parts for better performance; I mean physical modifications too. You have to modify all the physical parts of the car like the hood, the sides, the bumpers, adding accessories like new headlights, rear lights, neons under the car, tints, adding decals around the car and decorating the overall body with up to four layers of vinyl. (Phew!) Yep, there's a lot to upgrade and you're going to love every minute of it. You get alot of customization options, including neons, graphics, spoilers, window tints, 15 to 18 inch alloys etc. You also get to beef your motor up via engine mods, suspension etc.

The races are cool, and all the races are set in like a town, and each race features different parts of the town.

The cars handle very well, but not as good as Gran Turismo in my opinion, but they handle well. The courses are big, and great to look at.

Story
Basically there is no story in this game, there's like a semi story, where people challenge you and if you win they will give you a prize (this is underground mode). There are a few cut scenes of them challenging you to a race and what will be involved.

Every so often, you will be on the front page of magazine covers which is pretty cool, when you win your race that is.

Graphics

The graphics are fantastic providing you have the system to run it. The cars are sexy, the courses look great and i don't see any problems with them. The buildings and scenery are all great.

Sound
The sound in this game is good, the car engines sound amazing, but the music sucks, i don't like the rock type music, but the good thing is that you can turn it off in the options menu. The sound effects are OK, skidding, crashing etc.

Re playability
You will be always coming back to this game, especially to play the online mode against other people around the world. You can even use your own created car from underground mode and use it to race other people online and you get to see their cars as well. The online mode is real fun, you can basically do what you do in underground mode, circuit race, drag etc. You will always come back to play online.

Conclusion
Not as good as Gran Turismo, but if your a fan of The Fast and Furious then i really recommend this game.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/29/03