How The 'Need For Speed' Games Lost Momentum

ScreenGurus Sam explores where it went wrong with EA's Need For Speed franchise.

[Protagonist]

Love the series though and collected most of the titles for the PS3.

[LucasRuinedChildhood]

Hot Pursuit was my favourite PS3 Need For Speed game by far (I'm a huge lover of the Burnout games, but this was still different enough to be its own thing), followed by Most Wanted. Without Criterion Games, I have a lot less fate.

[Protagonist]

Never picked Ridge Racer: Unbounded up but always wanted to. Loved the Burnout series for the PSP. Picked Paradise up for the PS3 but never really got in to it, same for Need for Speed: Most Wanted as they are somewhat similar (if that makes any sense). NFS: Shift 1 & 2 are my favorites.

[LucasRuinedChildhood]

Quick question, btw. Did you play Ridge Racer: Unbounded (it came out 3 or 4 years ago)? I did in the last year or so (just out of curiosity), and I was shocked at how good it was. I'm now a very vocal advocate of the game. It definitely went under the radar, and it might be worth picking up if you're a big arcade racer fan, and if you enjoyed Burnout and Split/Second.

[InTheZoneAC]

I've passed on ridge racer since it's always been a fun for a little then gets old quick, not the type of game you stick around to beat and play the game again...

[LucasRuinedChildhood]

@InTheZoneAC

This wasn't really a normal Ridge Racer game though. It was done by a completely different developer (the guys who made Flatout), and take the franchise in a VERY different direction (so much so, that a lot of traditional RR fans hated it). It's really fun.

[ScreenGurus]

I was personally a huge fan in the PS2 era. Loved the games back then!

[Retroman]

Still play my ps1-ps2 need for speed titles. 7 ps1 titles with 2 ps2 titles.
1 ps3 title re-make of Hotpusuit. love how criterion crash elements allow cars flip over.

[LucasRuinedChildhood]

I highly recommend Unbounded, but i suppose we don't always have time to go back a play a game from a half a decade ago. Your Most Wanted comparison is pretty apt. I found Burnout: Paradise and Most Wanted really fun at first, but playing Unbounded made me realise that they were missing something (they weren't Burnout 3/Revenge). I recently tried to play Paradise, and it definitely wasn't as fun as I remembered it being. I think most open-world racers struggle to have missions and track layouts that are as memorable and varied as those in racing games with more linear, refined tracks.

Driver: San Francisco was the only one where I felt that it actually pulled it off. At first, I was relatively unimpressed (although I liked the handling and the drifting), and then it just got crazy: you get Ram (which you can also use going up a hill to soar, maybe, 50 metres in the air which is ridiculously fun), and Boost, a bigger map, along with missions that make better use of taking over others cars (a feature you can really do a lot what, and there's a lot of comedy there as well).

Every mission is different. One mission you take over a dad trying to save his kidnapped child and you have to try stay off the roads and stick to backroads and alleyways to avoid exposure; the next mission you're going against loads of racers, and you can take over a truck ahead, park it across the road and kill half of them; then, you can play a mission where you're chasing down a racer, and you can switch between 2 or 3 police cars with the tap of a button; etc, etc. And all of this with commentary from the people in the cars. What a game.

I've had Shift 1 on my shelf for a long time. It always meant to properly play it because it's like a sim, but with that extra bit of speed and adrenaline you expect from an arcade racer. So, I did play it recently and I think I'm going to put more time into it (although I'm tempted to just jump to Project Cars, since the same guys made it, and I spend a little bit too much time with my backlog - the PS3 is actually a really old platform now). Even the graphics have a slight bit more grit, colour and style than you would see in some other sims.

[Protagonist]

You know what! As it happens I was actually out just yesterday looking for Unbounded at a second hand shop. Always enjoyed what gameplay I have seen and will pick it up someday. Also I got no problem playing older games (not that Unbounded is particular old). Infact today I just completed some really old arcade games, I used to play as a kid ( If any interest - http://game-oldies.com/ ).

Seen Driver: San Francisco a couple of times, but never really gave it any attention, sounds like great fun though! Looks like a mix between Burnout Revenge and GTA.

You got the right Idea about NFS: Shift which was also the reason many fans/gamers hated about Shift. One can however regulate the game to either be more "arcady" or sim if you choose so. I like the balance as it is though as I'm not really hardcore in to racing sims.
As much as I enjoyed Shift 1 and probably spend close to hundred of hours on that game, I actually recommend NFS: Shift 2 even though I played it less, but it is simply the better game. Slightly mad studios optimized the second game in every way possible. It also made me become a fan of the developers and thus went out and bought Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends which is kinda similar to NFS: Shift but somehow feels more "empty" (the best way I can describe/compare it). Still a fun game, with all those beautiful Ferraris.

I' ve been wanting to play Project Cars for the longest time, but my impression is that is more or less a true sim (even though I'm sure some would disagree), at least compared to NFS:Shift.

[InTheZoneAC]

hot pursuit 2 and most wanted 2(the last ps3 games) were by far the best

underground 1/2 was fun at the time, but the new NFS fell short due to complete lack of content and a very very tiny map

[ScreenGurus]

The more they tried to be something they weren't, the more they fell short imo.

The original Underground games was the high tide for me, personally.

[Retroman]

Agree,

last good Need for speed (my personal opinion) was Underground. before that Hotpursuit 2 before that was Highstakes. For me the downfall was mixing Arcade/simulation together (reboot 2015) EA should keep NFS as Arcade. i'm very sure Ghost games able to develop NFS without all ways online,autolog,alldrive. or any other crap not necessary the spirit of the game. i want fast cars from point A to point B with cops and use of nitro, cross finishline race over as in Underground 1&2 Highstakes,Hotpursuit 1 and 2... not continuing racing pass finishline. and bring back (analog stick right for gas and breaking analog left for steering.) not left analog stick for steering and right 2 button for gas.
Criterion's attemp started the ball rolling down hill ,look like ghost games picking up steam where criterion left off a downward spiral.

[LucasRuinedChildhood]

Yeah, Criterion's PS3 games were definitely the best ones.

[DarkZane]

I loved Hot Pursuit, Most Wanted and Rivals. I hope the next game is like them and not like NFS 2015. I didn't hate the new one, but the other ones were far better.

[TheColbertinator]

Underground 1 and 2 were the best ones. Most focused too. Afterwards EA set the franchise into bad shape and poor direction

[MatrixxGT]

Yearly releases and the new always online killed it for me.

[Retroman]

Did you mean every 2 years releases and always online killed it for you??
i'm sure you know nfs not releasing yearly now. the way the reboot turned out i wish it were.
right about now i could use 2016 NFS Limited on ps4 instead on tablets.

[MatrixxGT]

I'm talking about up until the reboot. I know they took a year off having online mandatory made me not buy it. That and the no manual transmission option unless they patched that.

[StormLegend]

I loved the old NFS Hot Pursuit for Gamecube. It was one of the best racing games I ever played! Just race and run from the cops! Hearing the police call in for more units we're the best!

[WA3ER]

Always Online ... I see you! No thanks EA

[WheatBread]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. EA decided to fix it and now it's ruined.

[bestofthebest]

We need underground 3

[Ysmir6723]

Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit>Need for Speed: High Stakes>Underground 2,1>every other nfs game.

[ephoenix6]

Tl;dr because EA lost talent when employees sued over unpaid overtime back in 04. Just like when talent left infinity Ward after the Activision overtime scandal circa 09. Techmo had their own overtime scandal as well,