Need for Speed Underground Preview

Ramen here, back from an action-packed night at the drag strip. Ok, perhaps not, but it did feel like it at times as I played the Need for Speed Underground demo:

This weekend, I got a chance to preview EA's upcoming Need for Speed: Underground. Bear in mind, driving games are not my forte. Given that, I was surprised at how much fun I had playing this game...

Need for Speed Underground
EA Games
PC demo available at:
http://www.eagames.com/official/nfs/underground/us/features.jsp

This weekend, I got a chance to preview EA's upcoming Need for Speed: Underground. Bear in mind, driving games are not my forte. Given that, I was surprised at how much fun I had playing this game (though I never made it "Underground" - that mode was unavailable).

The demo kicks off to the sounds of The Crystal Method's Born Too Slow, which I think they picked out just for me. I had a choice of Drag or Circuit racing, and chose Circuit. The only car available in the demo version is the Nissan 350Z, which is actually what I would have picked anyway. You can choose automatic or manual transmission, and I gratefully went with automatic. No other customization was available, but the full version will let you upgrade pretty much EVERYTHING: brand-name parts, spoilers, bumpers, paint jobs, decals, nitrous (ooh! I saw The Fast and the Furious!), even those funky neon lights.

Anyway, I selected the Z, and next thing I know, I'm there at the starting line. A skanky, err...stylin' young lady is signaling us to go...GO!!! I usually don't think of driving games as being PC-compatible, but the controls were totally intuitive, and I didn't even have to look at the command setup to operate the car. The first time around, I couldn't help but gawk at the graphics. The cityscape was awe-inspiring, plain and simple. It felt a LOT like driving through a real city. I know you aren't supposed to stop and take pictures during a race, but I couldn't help it. And at one point, as I'm looking at a big City Plaza arch, I wondered to myself, "can I go in there?" Sure enough I could, and it turned out to be an SSX-style shortcut. There were at least a couple of these on the demo course. Though I spent most of the time fishtailing wildly and knocking over garbage cans, I took a respectable 4th place (out of 4) and was enthusiastic to try again.

   

The next race, I was definitely getting better at controlling the car, and a few races later, I actually took THIRD place. It was time to take my game online. Signing up for an EA online account was simple and free. I made my way into a game lobby, and before too long was challenged to a race. Let's settle this on the asphalt, mister. I didn't win, but I still had fun, and encountered no lag whatsoever.

When you really think about it, NFSU is an RPG for cars. That I can relate to, and I think I would really enjoy detailing and decaling the car. It's a nice change of pace from my normal dungeon-crawling routine. It's nice that a newbie like me can choose automatic until the controls become comfortable, then move up to more complicated stuff. I can't speak fully to how it stacks up against other driving games, but I've definitely not seen any others with such delicious eye candy. I know this is a very popular series, but if you are new to driving games like I am, I think you'll find this one a nice entry point. Need for Speed Underground is due to ship on November 17th for all platforms, with the exception of the GBA version, shipping 12/22.

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