Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer. The return of cop chases means the stakes have never been higher.

However, Need For Speed: Underground 2 had enough car variety and customization to make the game stand on that alone. From here on out the list becomes even harder to rank, as we move into the crux of the Need for Speed franchise. Which is strange, considering Undercover had been in development for considerably longer than the games that immediately preceded it. Image credit: Electronic Arts Related Topics Lists Need for Speed. However, the in game campaign does offer the opportunity to race real life famous drivers, but disappointing AI took away from this fun new feature. By Dominic Rizzuto Mar 28, Play a variety of events as Tyler, Mac, and Jess. That's for good reason. Jess is a runner, a driver for hire to the rich and infamous who can get you out of trouble no matter how volatile the situation.

Need For Speed: Shift 2 — Unleashed is a huge improvement over its predecessor. Carbon was a brave attempt and threw in a host of new features that differed from its prequels. It wouldn't be out of the question to place Need For Speed: Underground higher on this list, given the amount of customization. The tracks are far too boring to justify their length, and the emphasis on gratuitous multi-race championships makes the experience feel like a slog from the very start. Driving mechanics are exceptional, and the game has high replay value. Hot Pursuit 2 was also the first game to feature rock music under the EA Trax label. And good news 3DO owners, the game is also on that system, so if you actually kept one of those, you can get the game on that system too! Every game has parts from this game, like the timeless circuit racing and point-to-point tracks, as well as the definitive police pursuits. By Dominic Rizzuto Mar 28, As a game that released in , the graphics don't look that dated.

The only downfall to Hot Pursuit 2 was that it was only perfect on one console, the PS2. Get on a roll and win big with risk-versus-reward gameplay. In retrospect, it was a bold spin on NFS' established formula up to that point, and an astute one given how Gran Turismo established the car-PG genre the year prior. And good news 3DO owners, the game is also on that system, so if you actually kept one of those, you can get the game on that system too! ProStreet also brought in realistic damage to cars, which affected the way you raced, while also allowing the player to drive around real life circuits. And like I even need to say it, you can speed this whole process up with microtransactions—the icing on a flavourless grey cake. Tom's Guide. It also had a shallow campaign, which is what has this title very low down on the list.

From here on out the list becomes even harder to rank, as we move into the crux of the Need for Speed franchise. The game even has role-playing game elements that allow players to improve their licensed real-world cars. Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit was the first game that allowed players to be behind the wheel of a police car. Topics Gaming. Image credit: Electronic Arts 5. As a game that allows you to use nitrous oxide in street races, it has genuinely fun gameplay that surprises at every turn. The countdown to 1 begins! Thematically, had the conviction to redefine Need for Speed for an exciting new era. It wouldn't be out of the question to place Need For Speed: Underground higher on this list, given the amount of customization. Play a variety of events as Tyler, Mac, and Jess.

Related Topics Lists Need for Speed. It also has less car customization than Need For Speed Underground. NFS: Underground 's Underground marks the first time Need for Speed was taken in a totally new direction — a tactic Electronic Arts would repeatedly fall back on in the years following, whenever the franchise appeared to meet a creative dead end. The pitch is remarkably simple. In the gambler's paradise of Fortune Valley you'll always have someone betting against you. The only downfall to Hot Pursuit 2 was that it was only perfect on one console, the PS2. It added a barrage of new Cop units, including a swooping helicopter! Along with this, the game failed to upgrade the realism of the driving and had lower quality of the production compared to other titles in the series.

It wants you to care about taking down crime syndicate The House. With every new game in the series brings a new feature and the original Hot Pursuit brought in split screen, as well as improving on the graphics greatly, which were impressive even for its time. So many things have to happen for a racing game to stand out. It wouldn't be out of the question to place Need For Speed: Underground higher on this list, given the amount of customization. This heart-pounding adventure is a ton of fun, and it's why Need For Speed: Undercover is considered one of the best Need For Speed games to date. It may have actually been the best on mobile devices. However, once again, it was the story that let this title down, with fans and critics alike voicing their distaste for the campaign. Although he rarely steps out of his workshop, he lets the crew use his garage out in the desert and helps them tune up their rides.

By Logan Sawyer Oct 17, It also offered over licensed cars, a game mode called treasure hunt and introduced a new system of customization, which was based on skill points obtained through racing. The pitch is remarkably simple. Offering an open world MMO World and arcade style road racer Nitro , the series' second reboot also included a third game, the touring car simulator Need for Speed: Shift. He loves getting down and dirty on the trail, or executing that flawless line around a tight corner. As a game that allows you to use nitrous oxide in street races, it has genuinely fun gameplay that surprises at every turn. According to ea. A relentless risk-taker with a taste for long shots and impossible odds, he has risen through the Fortune Valley scene through wits and guts alone. That game had a world teeming with exciting moments, furnished with endless, fun events and a physics engine that encouraged a will to discover. Image credit: Electronic Arts 2.

The game was also the first in the franchise to offer a storyline and a garage mode, allowing players full customization on both a performance and visual scale. According to ea. Also, if you happen to have had a PlayStation at the time, High Stakes mode allowed two players to pit there cars against each other by inserting two memory cards. So please let us know how you feel about this list and enjoy! Underground 2 offered endless content for players to get lost in with plenty of customization, a lengthy storyline, interesting side missions and an improvement on graphics. The first Hot Pursuit does everything right. It nails the fundamentals too, handling well and looking fantastic for the time. Then there are Side Bets, a tonally consistent new mechanic which throws in added objectives each race and alleviate the sense of repetition.

What Payback does well is what the series has always excelled at: satisfying arcade handling and a sense of speed. Listening to the same songs playing over and over was frustrating. The Hollywood set-pieces are jarring cut-scenes that rob you of the satisfaction of pulling them off, and the corny dialogue comes across as inept, rather than knowing. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer. There are numerous styled races you compete in as you dash past picturesque settings. NFS: High Stakes With High Stakes, developer EA Canada applied the original Hot Pursuit's revolutionary chase mechanic to a fully fleshed-out single-player campaign that saw players purchasing vehicles and racing for pinks for the first time in the series. However, the choice to stick to just one make of car is the reason Porsche Unleashed is ranked so low. The Fast and Furious films boiled down to repetitive arcade racing.

Fortune Valley has it all. It may be hard to recall now, but once upon a time, Need for Speed was the only game in which you could drive a Porsche, thanks to a nearly year exclusivity agreement between Electronic Arts and the famed German automaker. A relentless risk-taker with a taste for long shots and impossible odds, he has risen through the Fortune Valley scene through wits and guts alone. Carbon was a brave attempt and threw in a host of new features that differed from its prequels. Play through an explosive adventure as three distinct characters united by one common goal: revenge. This one hurts. Which is strange, considering Undercover had been in development for considerably longer than the games that immediately preceded it. Logan Sawyer Articles Published Naive, passionate, and modest.

In collaboration with numerous developers, the Need for Speed franchise has rolled out 20 official main series games, making it one of the biggest series in history. The smell of burnt rubber lingers through the city streets, a remnant of the activities that were carried out during the early hours of the morning. It also offered over licensed cars, a game mode called treasure hunt and introduced a new system of customization, which was based on skill points obtained through racing. The speeds you can reach in this game are absurd. It may have actually been the best on mobile devices. Need For Speed: Shift 2 — Unleashed is a huge improvement over its predecessor. And while Payback is still utterly dismal to drive, the misery is compounded by the game's unbearably overwrought card system for vehicle upgrades and heavily scripted police chases fraught with cutscenes. The game didn't contain drag races like it should have. Games such as Need For Speed: Underground have tremendous nostalgic value.

The perpetual night setting certainly doesn't do Carbon any favors, nor does its personality-less metropolitan map that holds few, if any, memorable features. And then, last but certainly not least, there are the cop chases. So many things have to happen for a racing game to stand out. The game offered incredible detail on each of the cars included, allowing fans of not just the game, but of the German made sports car, insight into the vehicle they were driving. The pitch is remarkably simple. In retrospect, it was a bold spin on NFS' established formula up to that point, and an astute one given how Gran Turismo established the car-PG genre the year prior. Take down cops to gain an edge, when they push you, push back harder. The tracks are far too boring to justify their length, and the emphasis on gratuitous multi-race championships makes the experience feel like a slog from the very start.

Instead, it added yet another notch to the franchise's long list of failed reboots. The first Hot Pursuit does everything right. Carbon was a brave attempt and threw in a host of new features that differed from its prequels. From here on out the list becomes even harder to rank, as we move into the crux of the Need for Speed franchise. Then again, it is far superior to the lows. The only downfall to Hot Pursuit 2 was that it was only perfect on one console, the PS2. Of course, once again, this list is sure to upset some fans as undoubtedly one of their series favourites will situate somewhere near the bottom. These drops, and the occasional car you drive right though in the game world, suggest a less than stellar technical foundation.

Underground 2 offered endless content for players to get lost in with plenty of customization, a lengthy storyline, interesting side missions and an improvement on graphics. So we here at TheGamer have decided to try it, ranking every Need for Speed game from best to worst. Unfortunately for Shift and the Need for Speed franchise, it was going up against two long time touring car simulators in Forza Motosport and Gran Turismo , which were superior games making look Shift look underwhelming. The countdown to 1 begins! These drops, and the occasional car you drive right though in the game world, suggest a less than stellar technical foundation. Stand out from the crowd with exclusive customization items and receive in-game discounts, Rep bonuses, and five shipments to get your adventure started. Jess is a runner, a driver for hire to the rich and infamous who can get you out of trouble no matter how volatile the situation. Take down cops to gain an edge, when they push you, push back harder. Back to School The game didn't contain drag races like it should have.

Related Topics Lists Need for Speed. With High Stakes, developer EA Canada applied the original Hot Pursuit's revolutionary chase mechanic to a fully fleshed-out single-player campaign that saw players purchasing vehicles and racing for pinks for the first time in the series. Carbon, conversely, has aged into one dark, murky blur. According to ea. What was cool about The Run was how different it was from the rest of the series. The first instalment of the Hot Pursuit franchise, the game allowed you to be both the felon and the police. Offer an eclectic selection of tracks set in exotic locales, teeming with inventive track design where not a single corner or moment is wasted. The game didn't contain drag races like it should have.

NFSU's drag races and time attacks were fun. Nostalgic players can go back to Need For Speed: Carbon without thinking twice. It also has less car customization than Need For Speed Underground. However, the story is under development and the online modes fail to capitalize on the opportunities at its disposal. By Logan Sawyer Oct 17, As a game that allows you to use nitrous oxide in street races, it has genuinely fun gameplay that surprises at every turn. Image credit: Electronic Arts 3. This game stood out when it released.

The only downfall to Hot Pursuit 2 was that it was only perfect on one console, the PS2. From a technical standpoint, High Stakes happens to be one of the franchise's high points; it's just a shame it's such a chore, too. The concept of the game looks good on paper, but it had poor execution. However, even with that minor hitch, the game was a huge success and built on the first game. By Dominic Rizzuto Mar 28, Image credit: Electronic Arts 3. A natural-born racer, Ty possesses killer racing instincts and an unwavering will to win that make him a formidable opponent whether in a street race or on the drag strip. That's for good reason. In the gambler's paradise of Fortune Valley you'll always have someone betting against you.

Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit was the first game that allowed players to be behind the wheel of a police car. Image credit: Electronic Arts 6. Then again, it is far superior to the lows. However, following the success of the open world format, ProStreet , also without any inclusion of police intervention, lacked the fun factor its predecessors brought. Its driving mechanics and exotic vehicles are extraordinary. While the pivot to tuner culture was controversial at the time, Underground remains a competent, well put-together street racer with an inspiring customization suite, at a time when customization was priority number one for street racers. This heart-pounding adventure is a ton of fun, and it's why Need For Speed: Undercover is considered one of the best Need For Speed games to date. Its races feature a wide range of tracks against top-tier drivers. Need for Speed This one hurts.

Shift aimed itself at real hard-core driving fans, turning its attention to the touring circuit, which presented gamers with 60 plus super cars, which were all customizable on both a cosmetic and performance level. Which happened to get us thinking: in a franchise as vast and diverse as Need for Speed, which games rise to the top? Then there are Side Bets, a tonally consistent new mechanic which throws in added objectives each race and alleviate the sense of repetition. This classic arcade game is where the inspiration for all of its successors stems from and every new game that is introduced has elements of this first instalment. The AI of your teammates was decent for its time, as you could team up with them and give them orders to help you win events. Games such as Need For Speed: Underground have tremendous nostalgic value. By Dominic Rizzuto Mar 28, And while there's some merit to that assessment, it's also pretty unfair to Paradise. It laid the foundation for the other Underground and subsequent Need For Speed games. Thematically, had the conviction to redefine Need for Speed for an exciting new era.

Its races feature a wide range of tracks against top-tier drivers. It wouldn't be out of the question to place Need For Speed: Underground higher on this list, given the amount of customization. Offer an eclectic selection of tracks set in exotic locales, teeming with inventive track design where not a single corner or moment is wasted. In retrospect, it was a bold spin on NFS' established formula up to that point, and an astute one given how Gran Turismo established the car-PG genre the year prior. Carbon also introduced team racing into the franchise, where you could recruit teammates for your crew and raise their stats. Listening to the same songs playing over and over was frustrating. As a game that allows you to use nitrous oxide in street races, it has genuinely fun gameplay that surprises at every turn. Both games have cinematic crashes, and both games are open-world.

A natural-born racer, Ty possesses killer racing instincts and an unwavering will to win that make him a formidable opponent whether in a street race or on the drag strip. Payback also badly is misjudges its pacing and draws out any sense of progression. Logan Sawyer Articles Published Naive, passionate, and modest. Offer an eclectic selection of tracks set in exotic locales, teeming with inventive track design where not a single corner or moment is wasted. From a technical standpoint, High Stakes happens to be one of the franchise's high points; it's just a shame it's such a chore, too. In other words, if you want to do the thing Need For Speed has been about for over a decade turning road cars into wide-body monstrosities , you need to grind for it. The action packed street racer made its debut back in and single handily took the racing genre to a higher level with a plethora of exciting features. Topics Gaming. However, the choice to stick to just one make of car is the reason Porsche Unleashed is ranked so low.

The game even has role-playing game elements that allow players to improve their licensed real-world cars. The game was also the first in the franchise to offer a storyline and a garage mode, allowing players full customization on both a performance and visual scale. So please let us know how you feel about this list and enjoy! Shift aimed itself at real hard-core driving fans, turning its attention to the touring circuit, which presented gamers with 60 plus super cars, which were all customizable on both a cosmetic and performance level. As the first reboot of the series, EA hit the nail on the head and Underground would start a chain of games that defined the series. Instead, it added yet another notch to the franchise's long list of failed reboots. A cool feature, but not enough for the game to be seen as a high point in the series. It laid the foundation for the other Underground and subsequent Need For Speed games. Image credit: Electronic Arts 6.

It may have actually been the best on mobile devices. Offer an eclectic selection of tracks set in exotic locales, teeming with inventive track design where not a single corner or moment is wasted. However, once again, it was the story that let this title down, with fans and critics alike voicing their distaste for the campaign. The pitch is remarkably simple. Image credit: Electronic Arts 7. The game offered incredible detail on each of the cars included, allowing fans of not just the game, but of the German made sports car, insight into the vehicle they were driving. Image credit: Electronic Arts 3. But the darkness of night now gives way to the light of day as the city of Silver Rock begins to spark into life as the sun breaks across the entire Fortune Valley region. In fact, Rockport remains one of the finest open worlds in any racer thanks to a mix of different environments, spanning dense, urban streets to winding mountain roads, that each hold something for everyone.

That's for good reason. Related Topics Lists Need for Speed. Here's how it all shook out. Focusing on a unique market, the game targeted Porsche enthusiasts, as it was the only kind of car available in the game, but had a range of cars from the s all the way to A relentless risk-taker with a taste for long shots and impossible odds, he has risen through the Fortune Valley scene through wits and guts alone. Everything about Payback—the quasi-Vegas setting Fortune City; the revenge plot; the love for tuners getting airborne and smashing things—harks back to those movies. Need For Speed: Shift 2 — Unleashed is a huge improvement over its predecessor. Underground 2 offered endless content for players to get lost in with plenty of customization, a lengthy storyline, interesting side missions and an improvement on graphics.

The Fast and Furious films boiled down to repetitive arcade racing. Image credit: Electronic Arts 6. See all comments 0. These drops, and the occasional car you drive right though in the game world, suggest a less than stellar technical foundation. Taking on the form of the previous editions, Hot Pursuit added on a playable career mode for both the police and racer. The helmet cam was an excellent added feature and was a popular addition to the game, as the head of the driver would move according to the physics of the car, which included tunnel vision as the speed of the car increased. NFS: High Stakes With High Stakes, developer EA Canada applied the original Hot Pursuit's revolutionary chase mechanic to a fully fleshed-out single-player campaign that saw players purchasing vehicles and racing for pinks for the first time in the series. He loves getting down and dirty on the trail, or executing that flawless line around a tight corner. By Dominic Rizzuto Mar 28, But the darkness of night now gives way to the light of day as the city of Silver Rock begins to spark into life as the sun breaks across the entire Fortune Valley region.

Hot Pursuit 2 perfected both. Although he rarely steps out of his workshop, he lets the crew use his garage out in the desert and helps them tune up their rides. Driving mechanics are exceptional, and the game has high replay value. Image credit: Electronic Arts 6. Every game has parts from this game, like the timeless circuit racing and point-to-point tracks, as well as the definitive police pursuits. No comments yet Comment from the forums. Related Topics Lists Need for Speed. While the pivot to tuner culture was controversial at the time, Underground remains a competent, well put-together street racer with an inspiring customization suite, at a time when customization was priority number one for street racers. Sneaking in at 8 is Need for Speed: Undercover. Need for Speed This one hurts.

What is it? Some of these games were hot, while some smelt like burning rubber and it has been a long time debate as to which of these main titles ranks best amongst the rest. Along with this, the game failed to upgrade the realism of the driving and had lower quality of the production compared to other titles in the series. NFS: Underground 's Underground marks the first time Need for Speed was taken in a totally new direction — a tactic Electronic Arts would repeatedly fall back on in the years following, whenever the franchise appeared to meet a creative dead end. There are numerous styled races you compete in as you dash past picturesque settings. Then there are Side Bets, a tonally consistent new mechanic which throws in added objectives each race and alleviate the sense of repetition. The perpetual night setting certainly doesn't do Carbon any favors, nor does its personality-less metropolitan map that holds few, if any, memorable features. What Payback does well is what the series has always excelled at: satisfying arcade handling and a sense of speed. Unfortunately, Need For Speed: Rivals has its fair share of bugs and glitches. NFSU's drag races and time attacks were fun.

That's for good reason. However, the choice to stick to just one make of car is the reason Porsche Unleashed is ranked so low. Naive, passionate, and modest. This game released around the time that The Fast and the Furious released, so the underground car scene was trendy. It doles out cut-scenes like rewards. It wouldn't be out of the question to place Need For Speed: Underground higher on this list, given the amount of customization. From here on out the list becomes even harder to rank, as we move into the crux of the Need for Speed franchise. Get on a roll and win big with risk-versus-reward gameplay.

Image credit: Electronic Arts 6. The action packed street racer made its debut back in and single handily took the racing genre to a higher level with a plethora of exciting features. It nails the fundamentals too, handling well and looking fantastic for the time. Jess is a runner, a driver for hire to the rich and infamous who can get you out of trouble no matter how volatile the situation. Who could've guessed that a game that released on consoles such as Android, iOS, Xbox , and PlayStation 3 could be enjoyable? The problem for developer Black Box proved a familiar one: half-baked physics that render certain vehicles undriveable, coupled with a predisposition for gimmicks like a minigame in which you heat up your tires before drag racing that were no replacement for a satisfying driving experience. When it comes to iconic franchises, Need for Speed is one of the all time classics. The speeds you can reach in this game are absurd. Related Topics Lists Need for Speed.

So please let us know how you feel about this list and enjoy! Unfortunately for Shift and the Need for Speed franchise, it was going up against two long time touring car simulators in Forza Motosport and Gran Turismo , which were superior games making look Shift look underwhelming. It added a barrage of new Cop units, including a swooping helicopter! Tom's Guide. Image credit: Electronic Arts 2. The perpetual night setting certainly doesn't do Carbon any favors, nor does its personality-less metropolitan map that holds few, if any, memorable features. In collaboration with numerous developers, the Need for Speed franchise has rolled out 20 official main series games, making it one of the biggest series in history. NFS: High Stakes With High Stakes, developer EA Canada applied the original Hot Pursuit's revolutionary chase mechanic to a fully fleshed-out single-player campaign that saw players purchasing vehicles and racing for pinks for the first time in the series. However, following the success of the open world format, ProStreet , also without any inclusion of police intervention, lacked the fun factor its predecessors brought.