Need for Speed ProStreet

"Dear EA: This franchise is dead, please bury it."

In this, the latest edition of EA's annual franchise, things have taken a dramatic turn for the worse. There have been numerous changes, overhauls and tweaks intended to keep the franchise fresh, yet most of them do just the opposite. While I've been wishing for something different for some time, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind.

STORY
I can't put into words how much it pains me to have to put this in my review. Yes, EA is still trying to incorporate stories and plotlines into their racing games and as always, they fail spectacularly. In fact, this is probably the most asinine plot to date.

You start out as Ryan Cooper, a street racer who is trying to break into the legit scene. However, at his first event, Street King/Smart-mouth punk Ryo claims that he doesn't think Ryan is all he's cracked up to be. And so the game begins. What really irritates me is that EA expects this story will somehow motivate me to care about this character. Naturally, there isn't even any character development and since I never even saw Ryan's face for the first time I never cared what happened to him. I wish EA would just get the message: There is no place for story in a racing game!

GRAPHICS
I have really mixed feelings about this category. While everything is well rendered it all just looks bland. There are numerous locations for the races and yet they all look nearly identical, due to a lack of distinction landmarks or surroundings. In most cases, you'll just be driving along a desolate road with grass on either side. And what little decor there is on the tracks is mostly due to the advertisements. On the other hand, cars are perfectly rendered and look gorgeous (even the ugly ones).

SOUND
Yet again, EA has delivered a strange, but sometimes catchy soundtrack. I am always amazed how EA finds an entire soundtrack of people I've never heard of, I just wish they would mix in some better known artists.

As for the announcer, which everyone seems to be complaining about, I daresay these people have never actually been to a car show or racing event. Yes, he's irritating as hell (I turned it off after an hour of playing) but from the moronic comments to superficial, wannabe coolness, he's about as authentic as it gets. However, the real problem with the announcer is that he has a very limited pool of comments to choose from. When drag racing I heard this one every two to three races, “If you can't take the heat, get out of Ryan Cooper's car because he's on fire!” It was lame the first time and it started to become painful after the twentieth. However, his comments in the menu sections are often funny and actually make it feel as if you're at a real event, but even that gets old quickly due to repetition.

GAMEPLAY
The problem with EA is that they can't leave well enough alone. They have an irrepressible urge to try and reinvent the wheel with each new game. While I appreciate the fact that they at least try to keep things fresh, I really can't comprehend why they would throw the best parts of the franchise out the door for this worthless heap.

Change number one, and quite possibly the single factor that killed this game for me, is the sim-like physics and car controls. While there has been quite a bit of debate over what makes NFS what it is, nobody has disputed that crazy fast cars with awesome (and unrealistic) handling is part of the formula. Strange then, that those physics are nowhere to be found. Instead, we've been left with some of the most crap-tacular handling I've ever witnessed. Cars handle stiffly (and not the good kind of stiff) and it really takes some pushing on the analog stick to make them go where they need to. Plus, the new physics dictate that a car can no longer slide around a turn at eighty. Now it must brake to forty, and take it nice and slow so you don't spin out and hit a wall. To make matters worse, even at that speed I still ended up hitting walls because of the crappy handling.

Change number two, which I could have dealt with were it not for change number one, is that all racing is strictly track based. That's right, no more open city, no more traffic, no more cops, and most importantly, no more FUN. I recently played a game that used tracks (Juiced 2) and it was a lot of fun since I was still sliding around turns with the nitrous flowing. There simply isn't much excitement to be had when you're in a car that struggles to make it to 80, while navigating turns. It almost seems as if EA was so intent on being completely different from the previous games that they totally neglected the fun department.

The races themselves aren't anything to get worked up over either. Basically there are Grip (Circuit), Speed, Drift and Drag races to choose from, but you'll have to have separate cars for each. I do appreciate that you'll have to separately tune cars to compete in these drastically different events (even if it is a strain on the bank account) but it doesn't really matter, seeing as the same parts go on every car and there isn't any real “tuning” to be found. You select a part from the menu, install it, and you're done.

Each race type has a number of variants that attempt to keep the racing fresh and exciting. Unfortunately the philosophy of “Who cares if it works as long as it's new” carries on into this segment of gameplay as well. A good number of these variants are fundamentally flawed and/or completely idiotic. For instance, Sector Shootout involves taking control of track segments by driving through them faster than everyone else. The winner is determined by whoever has the most points. Problem is, the first person through automatically gets points for setting a record even if it immediately broken, which makes the whole thing a lesson in futility.

The second thing that caused me to shake my head and proclaim, “Now just what in the great holy hell is this?” were the wheelie competitions. For a game that wants to be realistic, these are as stupid as it gets. Don't get me wrong, I know cars can have so much power that the front tires actually lift off the ground, but there isn't a car on this planet with so much power that the tires lift four feet off the ground. The fundamental laws of physics wouldn't allow it, the frame would twist like an aluminum can from the pressure.

During these races, it's possible to wreck your car (another first in the franchise). Some people got really worked up about this, but I don't see what the big deal is. First off, it's not even done consistently or realistically. I hit a wall at seventy miles an hour on the right side, and for some reason the mirror on my left side fell off. I hit another wall a different time at twenty miles an hour and it registered damage, but prior to that I hit the side of a car doing sixty with no repercussions. And to top it off, you have to pay to repair the damage, even if another car slams into you.

CARS
I have to say, this is the single area I'm really impressed with. With fifty five cars, it's not a massive list, but it is well rounded. A good selection of muscle cars, tons of tuners, and a few exotics. On that note, those coming to ProStreet wanting to drive really high end cars are out of luck for the most part. Depending on your definition of “exotic” there are anywhere from just two to eleven.

I do have a few minor issues with the car list thought. First and foremost, where the hell is my S2000? EA went to the trouble to get Civics but not the best car in Hondas lineup? There are also a few more that should have been included but are nowhere to be found such as the Celica and MR2. Secondly, there were a few dumb decisions made with the repeat cars. For instance, who in their right mind would get a Corvette C6 when they could have a Z06? And why is there the prototype and production version of the new Skyline GT-R?

And finally, this is something that really pissed me off. Thoughtfully inserted into the case of the game is an invitation to download the “Collector's Edition” (for a price, naturally). This includes new cars and race days. Imagine my surprise when I saw a Lexus IS350 and Pontiac Solstice in a few races! These two cars are only available through the download and yet they are already in the games code and available to the computer! Just another screw-job by EA. Oh, and that's not to mention you can buy anything you want using Microsoft points, meaning you can buy anything from the start with your real, hard earned cash.

CUSTOMIZTION
As has been typical for the past few editions, this area is an utter letdown. Not only has the number of kits and options been dramatically reduced, these kits were already in Carbon. Typically there are three or four normal kits and one wide body. I had hoped (in vain) that with the adopted realism, EA would try to license some real-life kits. Unfortunately that is not the case, so players are stuck with the same tired body pieces, some of which have been around since the first Underground.

As for the Autosculpt, which EA reputedly heavily modified, my only question is “What's the damn difference?” I kid you not, there isn't a single difference between this version of Autosculpt than the last, except that there are negligible effects on the cars aerodynamics.

THE VERDICT
Simply put, if people continue to buy this garbage, EA will continue to create it. Although I like the fact that the franchise changes every year, this time things went too far. Try as I might I can't find a single redeeming feature in the whole game. To me, this doesn't even feel like the Need for Speed I know and love. Unless EA pulls one out of the hat next year, this will be the last I buy.

HIGHS
- Extensive car list

LOWS
- Gonzo physics
- Track-based racing
- Customization is almost nonexistent
- Bland environments
- Sponsored achievements (by insurance companies for crying out loud!)
- EA expects us to pay for stuff that's already in the game

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 12/10/07, Updated 05/05/09

Game Release: Need for Speed ProStreet (US, 11/15/07)