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Need For Speed Underground Preview
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Developer |
Black Box
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| Publisher |
EA Games
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| Genre |
Racing
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| Release Date |
Q1 2004
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A Tuner's Paradise
The long-running Need For Speed series has had it's share of success. Over 10 million copies have been sold worldwide since it's debut on PSone nine years ago. And Hot Pursuit 2, the successor to 1998's PSone game NFS: Hot Pursuit, has done considerably well for itself. At the time of this writing, the game has already sold over a million copies.
Perhaps it is the blurring sense of speed that racing fans adore so much about the series. Or maybe it's the deep level of polish the NFS team put into Hot Pursuit 2 that has gamers coming back for more. No matter what it is, it's definitely something; something significant. Something that no other racer possesses.
We may just discover that something with Need For Speed Underground, the next installment to the series, and by far, one of the most exciting games to hit in early 2004. In fact, if Black Box can pull this off, Underground may become the tuner culture's Gran Turismo.
The Finish Line
The ultimate goal of Underground is to mesh the incredible sensation of speed, the tuner culture, and the pure adrenaline-pumping action of street racing in the style of The Fast and the Furiousfilm. The actual street racing underground scene has been around for years, and frankly, we're surprised that no one attacked this market sooner. There isn't anyone out there who understands the tuner scene more than today's youth, and the same could be said for videogames. The two seem like a perfect match.
Black Box is aiming to allow players to customize the way their rides look and perform, but not to get too intricate that will make tuning monotonous for the player. Again, the whole underground scene seems to fit the bill nicely. Need For Speed Underground will be host to 20 licensed cars in stock form, and the team is going to let gamers run wild with their cars and see just what kind of crazy, speedy combinations they can come up with, using literally hundreds of after-market parts.
Where's the Beef?
NFS Underground has an extraordinary number of cars and upgrades; all licensed and ready for use. Car manufacturers that have been confirmed are: Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Ford, Subaru, Dodge, Volkswagon, and Hyundai. And don't expect to see just the more current pocket rockets, but also included are a few from a couple of years back, like the '98 Supras, and '95 RX-7's. An impressive lineup of autos for sure, but that's nothing compared to the staggering number of after-market performance parts. All are licensed and endorsed by SEMA (Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association), and will be key to the countless customization options at your disposal. Currently, the confirmed participating companies include, but not limited to, are: HKS, Bilstein, DC, Greddy, Eibach, Turbonetics, OZ rims, and Kenwood stereos.
On the cars themselves, there will be 20 areas for players to visually trick out their rides. Expect to see ground effects kits, vinyl, and neon lighting. Customize the head lights, tail lights, hoods, spoilers, wheels, etc. You name it, and it's in there somewhere. You can even customize your paint job!
In addition to the cosmetic upgrades, the cars in Underground will also be host to 9 performance areas to tweak. Mostly, these will come in kits or packages, and they will increase the overall feel of the way the car drives. Some of these upgrades will change the look of the car too. For example, if you begin fiddling with the car's suspension, you can lower the car's ride height, in which the car is referred to as being "slammed".
But one of the unique elements of Underground is that not everyone will have access to everything in the game as far as upgrades go. One of the more prized items in the game are wide body kits. In this package, you get a front and rear bumper, fender flares, side skirts, and door mods. Not only will it change the look of your car dramatically, but it will alter the car's performance too. It will feel different, as your car now boasts a wider wheelbase and will now ride on fatter tires. Items such as wide body kits are rare, and aren't easily attained. If you see an opponent with a wide body kit, you'll know that they worked hard for it. And if you think that customization will stop there, think again. Black Box assures that you will still be able to fully customize your car, even with bigger upgrades installed.
The development team is aiming to offer a number of real-world cars and parts, and be able to customize each in different ways for literally thousands of possibilities. The goal? To virtually assure that gamers everywhere will be able to add their own personal touch to their vehicles without fear of seeing a bunch of look-alikes.
The Need For Speed
When starting the Underground project, Black Box knew that the genuine sensation of speed is an absolute must; it's the high racers get that has them stoked about racing to begin with.
But nailing the true speed sensation in a videogame can be tricky. It's much more than simply blurring the surrounding scenery, or changing the camera's focal length. According to Black Box, it's many, many different aspects that require a total team effort; the programmers, artists, and audio team all have to work in unison to get every aspect just right. For instance, the programmers are working with the artists to determine how lights should react when bouncing off the textures, and how the camera should move. The team says that the collaborative effort is a result of using science, advanced mathematics, and classic art techniques.
And who are we to doubt them? After all, we're talking about a game based on the combined efforts of the Hot Pursuit 2 team and a two-time Oscar nominee for visual effects, Habib Zargarpour. Zargarpour's work in films (Star Wars Episode I, Twister, The Perfect Storm) have come in handy in assisting the team to create some of the most believable visuals in games today.
Graphics, Sound, and Rumbling Screens
And speaking of the game's graphics, even though we're still more than six months away from release, Underground's visuals are eye-poppingly beautiful. At first, we couldn't believe the game was running on PS2 hardware, but sure enough, it's true. The car models are stunning enough; gloriously detailed and boasting some of the most realistic reflections we've ever seen. The lighting effects are simply superb, illuminating the background like dazzling light show. Flashing lights and neon adorn the streets of Underground's all-fictional cities. Reflection maps are in full force on the roads too, to give the city streets that post-rainstorm look.
The presentation continues in it's beauty when it comes to the actual racing itself. Most especially during the 1/4 mile drag races, the backdrops blur and the screen shakes at an eye-watering level. The DualShock rumbles violently, just as you'd expect, and the sounds of the engine screams. Everything just becomes that much more intense.
Underground Online Mayhem
NFS Underground will have the high-speed racing players crave in a number of ways, though most of these modes are tightly under wraps. Here's what we do know: Underground will contain a mode for two players on all three versions. If you own a PlayStation 2, you can play online, where up to four players can race at a time. There will be 1/4 mile drag races, and very likely races for pink slips too.
Though the PS2 version of Underground is the only version going online, there is more than enough meat of a game to satisfy Xbox and GameCube owners too. We should hear more about final modes and car rosters in the coming months.
The Underground Revolution
From what GWX has seen so far, Need For Speed Underground is going to be huge. The game looks fantastic, there are loads of tuner-oriented gear to play with, and the concept practically guarantees success. In addition, the PS2 version of the game will be going online for even more exciting multi-player action. We'll have more on Need For Speed Underground as the information becomes available.
Preview by Brendon Hivner
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