Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit II is the sequel to Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit, which was released in 1998 and was the third in Electronic Arts' venerable series of arcade-style driving games. Between then and now, however, EA has released two other Need for Speed games--High Stakes and Porsche Unleashed--which makes Hot Pursuit II the sixth game in the series, if you don't count the two V-Rally games that hit the market in the mid-'90s, that is. Confused? Well, never mind all that. All you need to know is that Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit II for the PlayStation 2 is not only one of the best games in this long-running series, but also one of the fastest, most visceral, and most polished racing games currently available for Sony's console. To be sure, Hot Pursuit II is no driving simulator. It's not the next Gran Turismo, nor does it set out to be. This game is all about arcade-style racing, where car-handling properties are wildly exaggerated, and physics are more like loose suggestions than strict laws. Nonetheless, like all of the previous games in this series, Hot Pursuit II has a number of highly coveted licensed cars from American and European manufacturers like Lotus, Lamborghini, Dodge, Chevy, BMW, Mercedes, and the two most prestigious car makers, Ferrari and Porsche. What's more, all of these cars will take damage if you're too careless, though they'll take a good deal of punishment before they show signs of wear and tear, and no matter how badly you treat them, the cars and their performance will never be affected by the damage they absorb. Realism is not this game's forte, and that's what makes it so fun. As its name implies, Hot Pursuit II largely focuses on the illegal art of outrunning the law. Actually, Hot Pursuit II is two games in one. Unlike other racing games, this one has two equally large championship modes, only one of which involves the police. Called ultimate racer, this career mode is composed of 30 individual racing events that force you to beat a number of opponents, while contending with the police, through a handful of different race types. Ultimate racer is laid out in a branching manner, and you're required to successfully finish one race before unlocking the next. As you'd expect, your opponents will get tougher, your goals harder to achieve, and the police less forgiving as you progress through this tree. Cops will come after you if you break the speed limit, and since you're tasked with crossing the finish line before your opponents do, you'll be breaking that limit constantly. At first, the cops will just send a couple of Crown Victorias after you, but if you refuse to pull over, they'll pull out all the stops to bust you. Much like in Grand Theft Auto III, the number of cops that are thrown at you is measured by the number of stars in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. When this meter is full, the police will place barricades and spike strips on the roads, they'll chase you with faster cars, and they'll even call in a helicopter that drops, of all things, explosive barrels in front of you. If the police manage to pull you over three times in a given race, you'll have to start all over.Read full review
This game is so nostalgic! Can be difficulty set up on pc if not researched first, but absolutely still an awesome game
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
This game has to be one of my all-time favorites for the PC. The game offers excellent graphics even by today's standards, it has many modes to keep you entertained for months, and even offers the ability to customize the cars and tracks for yourself (if you know how to manipulate the game files). The AI are agressive and much more realistic than in previous NFS titles. The cops actually make you try hard to get away, and even I, 18 years old, will play the game on Advanced difficulty and will struggle to escape the cops. The 2 career modes offer an increasingly-difficult tree of events that will keep you entertained for a long, long time. The driving environment is absolutely gorgeous. There are actually lots of places where the road/path widens and allows you to drive along multiple paths or between trees, buildings, etc. This game is still one that I play today, alongside NFS Porsche Unleashed and NFS High Stakes (the previous two titles in the NFS series). Overall 5/5. You drive cars such as the Lotus Elise, Mustang Cobra R, Dodge Viper GTS, McLaren F1, Ferrari 550 Barchetta, and many more...and to make things better, NFScars.com offers a massive array of downloadable cars if you want to replace some of the less exciting cars (if there is such a thing). If this is your first NFS game, I would strongly reccomend purchasing it. I still have mine even 10 years later. Do yourself a favor and get this game.Read full review
It was good for an old game. It was bad for an old game. It was a ugly old game.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
If playing on windows 10 you will have to do a work around that is easily done by watching a YouTube video. Gameplay is fantastic and graphics hold up for a game over a decade old
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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