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Tuesday 15 January, 2008
GAMEPLAY
My next game session began with customizing my car for the Grip mode. Each car I own can only be used in one out of four race types. I started with the body design to improve my car’s aerodynamics, such as adding a spoiler. The paint and vinyl decals don’t have any effect on the car’s performance, but it’s fun to personalize the cars because of the vast selection of paints and decals. When I was satisfied with my creation I decided to enter the next race day. It was another assortment of Grip races, with some variations. A Grip race is basically a circuit race and is usually 2 or 3 laps depending on the length of the track.
During the second half of my play time, I invited a friend to play in split-screen mode. It was fun seeing my opponent’s reaction to crashing into me and the many times we passed each other up. I was disappointed that there weren’t any AI cars on the track because it would have made the race more enjoyable. The mode that I liked the most was Speed Challenge because it is simply a sprint from one point to another, with little turning required.
DESIGN
Need for Speed ProStreet may lack some of the features that made the previous games lots of fun, but it adds enough to keep the player engaged. The new physics engine displays incredible car physics such as flipping over on a turn or hitting a bump at high speeds. Everything the player hits affects the control of the car, and all of the damage is shown. Every piece of the car that is torn off lies strewn on the road throughout the race. It encourages the player to drive carefully so that he does not have to pay for the damage. The particle effects such as the smoke have greatly improved. It looks picture-perfect when a plume of smoke jets out from the burning tires.
The tracks vary from clusters of hairpin turns to the large sprawling roadways of international speedways. This helps to keep the player interested because it would not be fun to go around the same tracks over and over again. The reward system in the game is based on winning races. The player receives a sum of money depending on how safely he or she drove, the place, and the time achieved. The money is used to buy car upgrades or new cars. This system encourages the player to save up his or her money to choose the magnitude of his or her reward. Buying a really expensive car will help the player win races, and of course, win over that video crowd.
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