The second part of the blog about NFS. (First). Today I will look at the third and fourth phase.
Less foreplay, closer to the point.

PHASE 3

Even with NFS carbon, EA divided the team into 2 parts in order to continue releasing games every year, but at the same time the team had 2 years to develop. Only this time the distribution of the game was entrusted to a completely new studio – Slightly Mad Studios, kwho rethought Pro Street, only they brought their own engine (Madness Engine), designed specifically for autosims, unlike EAGL.

And in general, the studio has created a good autosim, but which can be mastered by an ordinary non-auto nerd on a gamepad, but at the same time get the very challenge for which people play this genre. And the action itself was much more action-packed than in regular sim races. More effects, the feeling of speed is conveyed better than ever. There are a lot of cars, and from half of them you can make a racing car, although it cost a lot. A bunch of legendary tracks, from Brands Hatcham and Spa to Nordschleife. And there is even a memorable track in the docks of Japan from Pro street.

Overall, it was a solid game with a memorable soundtrack that brought together bands from all over the world (including from Ukraine), and the original music was written by the inimitable Mick Gordon.
The game was received well by the press, but players did not like the fact that the game became a car sim and not a racing arcade.

The next time EA forced one of its daughters to make a game, namely Criterion Games. And this time they decided to make a game on the legendary engine – RenderWare. A truly universal engine, everything from GTA, MK, Burnout itself to PES, games based on Tony Hawk and games based on cartoons was made on it (the legendary Madagascar was made specifically on the renderer).

And Criterion decided to remake the third part of the series (Need for Speed ​​III: Hot Pursuit). Did they succeed?? Definitely yes!

Returning to the roots has benefited the game. Wide country roads with beautiful landscapes, along which equally beautiful cars drive, what could be better?? Yes, and all this is baked on top with an interesting multiplayer, which essentially does not differ at all from the story mode. Yes, there is no tuning, but the car models are very beautiful.

It seemed to critics that nothing https://howzitcasino.co.uk/withdrawal/ could be better, and therefore the game received the highest ratings in the series. Gamers also generally liked the game and now they remember it for the most part with warmth (although this cannot be said based on metacritic ratings).

But there were also moments that hinted at the future hell that would happen to the series. Namely sliding physics. In 2010, people didn’t pay much attention to it, although many people liked it. But the heads of EA got it wrong, now sliding physics will be the basis of all games in the series.

World was released in the same year, but this is a topic for a separate blog

Then followed Shift 2: Unleashed, EA hoped that if the game was deprived of the "NFS" name, the attitude of the players would change, but no. In general, the game adhered to the same principle as the second underground "more than everything that was in the first part". And so it turned out the same nfs shift, only with additional. lotions.

The critics already gave the usual high marks, but the players greeted the game coolly, as, in general, the first part.
All I can highlight is the most beautiful night mode and very atmospheric remixes of tracks for the main menu

The following year, the EA Black box studio took the helm of development, which ruled the series throughout the entire second phase.
And they decided to do something Hollywood-cool, keeping one eye on Fast and Furious 4.
They got it The run, but whether it worked out is another question.

More likely no than yes, it was received coldly by both players and critics. The production was of course at a high level, but the whole gameplay was rather bad. It’s not normal when a one and a half ton pre-engine Corvette zr1 feels the same as a rear-engine Ford GT and a one-ton mid-engine lotus elise. And the reason for it all is one thing frostbite 2. This engine is generally not suitable for anything other than first-person shooters. But EA is pushing it everywhere.

The game was the last for EA black box. After this, the studio was disbanded and merged with EA Canada.

Criterion again and again a restart, but this time the legendary MW. And this time, because of the decisions of the EA head, the game turned out to be absolutely disgusting.

The engine was still the same renderer, but this time something went wrong. Still the same sliding physics, but this time supercars fell apart at one glance in their direction. And on the ground they didn’t drive at all. The garage was absent as a view, all tuning was only through autolog, all rivals were not only impersonal, they didn’t even have names, just the names of the cars.
Absolutely idiotic choice of getting new cars “drive up and it’s yours”. There is no plot at all. No external tuning again.

And unexpectedly, the game was warmly received by the gaming press, the players’ ratings on metacritic were also normal, but in my life I haven’t heard anything good about the game.

The only positives I can highlight are a good varied soundtrack and interesting, funny, but meaningless cutscenes before the races.

About a year before this, the studio was formed Ghost Games coming from DICE. And NATURALLY they were going to use the frosty engine they were used to, but EA tasked them with making a new NFS game.

And now in 2013 it comes out Need for Speed ​​Rivals. Ideological successor to NFS hot pursuit 2010.

Do you remember what I said about hot porn?? So it’s the same thing, only there the open world was optional, but here everything happens only in the open world. There is a plot here that is served with ultra-serious cabbage soup, but the main character’s name is “marshmallow” (WHAT. ). The graph is good, but there is a very lack of driving music, but the film had it (except that there is a track from linkin park and brick+mortar that is memorable).
And in general everything.
The cars still feel the same because frostbite. Oh yes, the droplets in the garage are very cool.

I think I’ll end this today. And tomorrow we’ll talk about phase 4 and the future of NFS, but it’s not particularly rosy.