Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit

 PC
User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 845 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 444 out of 845
  2. Mixed: 256 out of 845
  3. Negative: 145 out of 845
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  1. kristoffer15
    Oct 11, 2011
    6
    never a fan of DLC games! I just find it unfair! after buying an expensive game...we need to buy more to maximize the fun of the game?! did we bought a demo game? I just hope someday, EA will just sell a game that has everything for us buyers to explore, not to swipe before we explore
  2. choppy
    May 5, 2017
    4
    Great graphics, but as everyone else says, the gameplay sux. Every car drives the same - there are almost no noticeably differences beyond top speed. They all handle terribly on turns - which AI competitors always handle perfectly, hitting the exact combination of speed and brake that you're left to guess at.

    The AI cheats ridiculously. It keeps you at a the center of a pack at all    Great graphics, but as everyone else says, the gameplay sux. Every car drives the same - there are almost no noticeably differences beyond top speed. They all handle terribly on turns - which AI competitors always handle perfectly, hitting the exact combination of speed and brake that you're left to guess at.

    The AI cheats ridiculously. It keeps you at a the center of a pack at all times. When you crash or fall behind, the other cars slow down for you, which is an obnoxious way to handicap the play, but if you're winning, and pass everyone, the game gives every other car a powerboost, regardless of top speed. You can never be far ahead, no matter how many shortcuts you take or how many times the other cars crash or are stopped. EVERY other car is NEVER farther than 1 to 2 seconds behind you, and if they far behind, the AI speeds them or teleports them ahead. Ridiculous.

    The cop missions are just as frustrating. The unlocks are meaningless - although you constantly unlock cars, in the vast majority of missions, you get only one, or at most two choices - most of the other cars get locked out of that mission. You always are given a car that's slower than the racers. They drift every corner perfectly and never hit walls and obstacles. And you are given a pursuit helicopter that misses more than half the time, but drops its spike strips right in front of YOUR car every time. To add insult to injury, usually after scraping by in bronze or silver, you're given the equipment you just needed in order to win mission at the end of the mission as a reward: a better EMP after the EMP mission; a car that's actually as fast as everyone else was driving.

    This means the missions are designed purposely for you to lose on: you're expected to place 2nd or 3rd because you literally don't have the equipment to win, and then after 10 unlocks later, come back and actually have a chance of winning.

    Most frustrating of all is the fact that to win, you need a @#$*-ton of random luck - opponents must hit oncoming traffic, your heli must actually work for once, the AI must not tip you perfectly into the nearest wall for once. So, you play and play until you get that one lucky run, but it's not about skill, it's totally about random chance - just waiting for everything to get lucky. And that makes this a beautiful-looking, but ultimately terrible, game.    … Expand
  3. golfandcars2
    Jan 11, 2013
    8
    Well first off, my favorite racing game of all time is NFS: Hot Pursuit 2. NFS: Hot Pursuit did not over take that favorite slot of mine. The graphics are great, the gameplay is smooth, and the single player is close to the same as HP2, just a little different. My perspective of playing this game also is that I have never played it's online multi-player mode. The only thing I reallyWell first off, my favorite racing game of all time is NFS: Hot Pursuit 2. NFS: Hot Pursuit did not over take that favorite slot of mine. The graphics are great, the gameplay is smooth, and the single player is close to the same as HP2, just a little different. My perspective of playing this game also is that I have never played it's online multi-player mode. The only thing I really didn't like about this game was the tools and gadgets the normal racing cars would get, which are similar to what the police cars get as well; this kinda takes the purity of racing from the game. However, the game is balanced enough, and I would totally recommend it to any racing fan. One thing that I admired about HP2, after beating that game and everything, about twice a week I would get casually get on and do 2-3 races and get off; with HP I don't have the desire to play it like that.… Expand
  4. erwin_raptor
    Apr 6, 2012
    7
    Great graphics and the feeling of the original Hot pursuit series with a plus: Nitrous, Powerups and the great fun of a Burnout title (thanks Criterion). The choice of let Criterion Games to try to save de Need for Speed series was a great idea because they have created an awesome game. The car models are highly detailed, you can even see the animation of the Air break of the BugattiGreat graphics and the feeling of the original Hot pursuit series with a plus: Nitrous, Powerups and the great fun of a Burnout title (thanks Criterion). The choice of let Criterion Games to try to save de Need for Speed series was a great idea because they have created an awesome game. The car models are highly detailed, you can even see the animation of the Air break of the Bugatti Veyron.

    Pure arcade gameplay, it feels good with a Gamepad. Don't expect for many camera angles or for manual transmission shifting (both available with modifications). If you want to use a Steering Wheel, you have to look for a non-official modification, because the original game just can't work with a Steering wheel.

    I purchased this game on a "Steam Daily Deal" expecting a great racing game to play with my friends on LAN parties... It was a very bad idea, because all the stuff on this game is Online. EA introduced the Autolog feature to stay in touch with your friends and compare your records, also offered to connect with facebook to make easier the way you find friends, BUT, the autolog feature is unique in the Need for Speed Series, so i couldn't use Autolog because Need for Speed: The Run uses Autolog, so I cannot find my friends in Facebook, making it a disposable multiplayer game if you buy it nowadays, unless you like to see that the 1st and unique records on the leaderbords are yours.

    It could have beed great to play this "Cops vs. Bandits" game in a LAN party, but that will never happen. If you want a good LAN party game, you could look at GRID, Dirt 2/3 or Blur.

    I don't know if it really worthed for 15 USD i payed for it.    … Expand
  5. Indrigis
    Dec 27, 2014
    6
    This here a glorified Facebook game with AAA values thrown in.

    All kinds of licensed cars? Yes. Any kind of tuning? No. No manual transmission either. Two careeers? Sure. Any kind of plot/reasoning? No way. Good graphics and FX? Yes, sort of. Good soundtrack? Eh... Um... There is not one, not really. There are some... tracks, but to call them a soundtrack would be a disgrace    This here a glorified Facebook game with AAA values thrown in.

    All kinds of licensed cars? Yes.
    Any kind of tuning? No. No manual transmission either.

    Two careeers? Sure.
    Any kind of plot/reasoning? No way.

    Good graphics and FX? Yes, sort of.
    Good soundtrack? Eh... Um... There is not one, not really. There are some... tracks, but to call them a soundtrack would be a disgrace to NFSU, for example. The music is bad and so quiet you can't hear it over the engine. It's for the best, though.

    And this game is tightly wrapped around around multiplayer. Sure, you can play alone all you want, but it's so much more fun to read news and updates from your friends on their racing careers and to compare your results on the speedwall and why not join them for a friendly race, too? Please! We built and entire dashboard for all your multiplayer needs!

    The Facebook game is real and sad.    … Expand
  6. graverobber83
    Apr 17, 2013
    4
    this could have been a great game. looks good. great multiplayer features. no scripts, just racing. but the "ridge racer" driving style ruins the game for me. i couldn't even finish it.
  7. SupaChigga
    Nov 19, 2013
    5
    Single Player/Multi Player (2/2)

    (If the single player is better than the multiplayer, review this section as if it had no multplayer) (If the multiplayer is better than the multiplayer, review this section as if it had no single player) Gameplay (1/2) Visuals/Story (1/2) (If the visuals are better than the story, review this section as if it had no story) (If the story is    Single Player/Multi Player (2/2)

    (If the single player is better than the multiplayer, review this section as if it had no multplayer) (If the multiplayer is better than the multiplayer, review this section as if it had no single player)

    Gameplay (1/2)

    Visuals/Story (1/2)

    (If the visuals are better than the story, review this section as if it had no story) (If the story is better than the visuals, review this section as if the visuals didn’t matter)

    Accessibility/Longevity (1/2)

    (Review this section only on Accessibility if the game has no longevity) (Review this section only on longevity if the game isn’t accessible)

    Pricing (0/2)

    Wildcard (0)

    This is a guideline for how to properly review games. Many reviewers like to get a “feel” for a game, and arbitrarily give a game a score that they believe it deserves. This results in wildly different scores between different reviewers, and vastly different scores between similar games. This guideline addresses these problems and scores games fairly and consistently. This guideline also gives scores that are usually similar to the metacritic score.

    The review score is based out of 10 points. There are no “half” or 0.5 increments. It is impossible to have a score above 10 or below 0. The review score will change as the game gets new dlc, drops in price, or if more secrets are found through the game increasing its appeal.

    The scoring is split into 6 sections. The first five sections can add a possible 2 points to the final score. The first 5 sections are Single Player/Multi Player, Gameplay, Visuals/Story, Accessibility/Longevity, and Pricing.

    Notice that 3 of these sections have two parts. These particular sections will be scored based on the stronger part of the game of the two. For example, if a game has a lousy single player campaign, but an excellent multiplayer component, that section will be based solely on the multiplayer as if the single player did not exist. This allows games to be based on their own merits, as many unnecessary features are shoehorned into video games by publishers to reach a “feature quota”. Games that excel in both areas of a section don’t receive should be noted in the written review, but cannot increase the score past 2 in that section. However, it can be taken into account in the final section

    The final section can add 1, add 0, or subtract 1 to the final score. This final section is the “wildcard” section. This section is for how the reviewer “feels” about the game, but limits this only to this section, rather than the entire 10 point review. This section can include any positive or negative point that was not covered in the previous 5 sections.    … Expand
  8. GamrXprt
    Dec 31, 2013
    1
    I expected more from this game. I got it for $10 and feel totally ripped off. Another great series being ruined by EA for the sake of saving on developmental costs.

    This is more of a Grant Turismo type game using high end highway cars since most racing is done on gravel, if you want to win anything. So they pretty much took your regular highway cars and put them in a race where half    I expected more from this game. I got it for $10 and feel totally ripped off. Another great series being ruined by EA for the sake of saving on developmental costs.

    This is more of a Grant Turismo type game using high end highway cars since most racing is done on gravel, if you want to win anything. So they pretty much took your regular highway cars and put them in a race where half of it is done on gravel but you aren't able to upgrade your car to make it so either. The cars handling is so unrealistic and awful that my 10 year old car would put to shame a freaking brand Porsche at 130 MPH according to this game. Not good commercial for those manufacturers. I will play NFS: HP on PS2 long before I play that stupid game again.

    I gave it one and could have given it less. Avoid at all costs if you are older than 25 years old and have a keen understanding of handling vehicles at high speeds.

    Good game for kids and beginners to racing games as it can be quite challenging but not fun for those who like to race other cars. Honestly, I have nothing nice to say about it. You get what you pay for and even at $10, unless you're a collector and want bragging rights then there is no reason to get this game.

    Anything made by EA after 2008 is total garbage and this game is falling victim too.    … Expand
  9. athoma13
    Jan 18, 2014
    2
    Was expecting something like the old NFS. But this has no story, no plot, you get a car after every race or so - there is no feeling of being rewarded. The game play is ok, but there is a very annoying 'feature' that will switch the camera to the cop car waiting for you, while you're busy taking a corner, and when it switches back, well you end up pretty much in the sticks.
  10. BaSsGaz
    Jul 12, 2014
    1
    We play games to have fun, this is not a fun game at all.
    in brief : Career mode is not worth it, it has so much flaws, and it's mostly not fun, Multi-player is still good but it also has so much flaws..
    in detail this game has so much bad points in it : 1st : The repetitive of many points in the game, this is mainly for races against time, they're hard to achieve, and they want you to    We play games to have fun, this is not a fun game at all.
    in brief : Career mode is not worth it, it has so much flaws, and it's mostly not fun, Multi-player is still good but it also has so much flaws..
    in detail this game has so much bad points in it :
    1st : The repetitive of many points in the game, this is mainly for races against time, they're hard to achieve, and they want you to get the best record to mark it as done, if you get second best, it's not enough, so all you do is keep playing a race over and over again until you succeed or give up, this is a cheap way from Electronic Arts to keep players playing their game for a long time.
    2nd : vehicles are a paint in the bu** they're not as responsive as they should be, sometimes i get the feeling tat the car is not turning at all.
    3rd : Tracks sometimes are not clear, especially in shortcuts, i never do good the first time going in a shortcut, i have to do it twice or trice to get familiar with it, which is what EA want me to do, keep re-playing over and over again..    … Expand
  11. RemoteSynergy
    Oct 13, 2014
    10
    The thing that most people crack down on NFS Hot Pursuit are the controls. Honestly, who uses a keyboard to play a racing game? I have used the keyboard myself and I have to say, IT'S AWFULLY HORRENDOUS. But is that how you're supposed to drive in real life? Using A and D to go left or right? No. I say, get an Xbox 360 Wired controller and you'll already have an amazing experience drivingThe thing that most people crack down on NFS Hot Pursuit are the controls. Honestly, who uses a keyboard to play a racing game? I have used the keyboard myself and I have to say, IT'S AWFULLY HORRENDOUS. But is that how you're supposed to drive in real life? Using A and D to go left or right? No. I say, get an Xbox 360 Wired controller and you'll already have an amazing experience driving this masterpiece. This graphics are still amazing. The controls (now with the 360 Wired controller) is pretty damn tight, especially the drifting. The control of your car is definitely the best reason to buy this game. It just feels so BUTTERY SMOOTH. The physics engine...... seriously the cars act like 1 Kilogram ragdolls when they're busted. Online is nice. The framerate may drop significantly, interfering with gameplay. Awesome music. But overall, it's the best LATEST NFS. (Emphasis on LATEST). Just don't play this with a keyboard, you'll regret it. PLAY WITH A JOYPAD!!!!!!… Expand
  12. LazyDevelopers
    Jul 1, 2016
    7
    I don't play many pure racing/driving games, but this one is decent. It's unfortunate, because for the longest time I was really hyped for this game for the 6 years it was out. I finally bought it this year and, while I don't regret purchasing it, I don't really feel like I'll devote myself to this game as much as I thought I would. To begin, let's start with what I liked:

    - Cars in    I don't play many pure racing/driving games, but this one is decent. It's unfortunate, because for the longest time I was really hyped for this game for the 6 years it was out. I finally bought it this year and, while I don't regret purchasing it, I don't really feel like I'll devote myself to this game as much as I thought I would. To begin, let's start with what I liked:

    - Cars in police livery: I just have a love of police cars and seeing a fairly large assortment of supercars in flashy police livery is just eye candy for me.
    - Police chases: I love playing as the pursuing police (even before I got this game). While sometimes I wish I had back-up, as in other pursuit vehicles alongside me, I thoroughly enjoyed the concept, aspect, and execution.
    - Graphics are terrific: Even by today's standards, I feel the game does very well visually. Not only the cars, but the environment is spectacular. I wish there was an urban setting in this game, but the countryside is beautiful all its own.
    - Cars are very responsive: For the most part (the least part to be discussed later), cars handle very well. Fishtailing happens, but it's an uncommon occurrence. There are hardly any sharp turns, so the truckish turning isn't all that a problem.
    - Power ups: The spike strips, road blocks, signal jams, etc. are a nice touch. They aren't necessary, but they're good alternatives to screwing over racers and cops alike. Still, you can get by just fine with the good old PIT manoeuvre.
    - Very fun at the beginning: This one is good and bad, but I'll just keep it in the "good" section. It's very exciting for the first few hours of the game. Whether you're taking down crazy carjackers or trying to play dirty in an illegal street race, it's initially addicting and extremely entertaining. But then you notice that the missions are just basically the same, but with new tools and new cars. While there is variance between cop and racer missions, both sides are very limited (~3 mission variants each).

    Now the stuff I not-so-liked:
    - Rubber banding AI: No matter what game it is, I will never forgive this design decision. As far as I know, this is a problem that plagues all NFS games. Cars catch up to you or speed away from you at impossible speeds to keep the challenge of the game. The way the rubber band AI works in this game almost makes it feel scripted when I'm allowed to take out racers as the police (for example). Almost like only at/until certain points are you allowed to catch up or take someone out. If anyone has played Ace Combat: Assault Horizon, it's like that garbage "Dogfight mode".
    - Stupid AI: Namely NPC traffic. Why do they not move out of the way? If you saw 7 illegal racers and a police car racing down the highway RIGHT AT YOU at 300 k/h, would you just continue driving at a casual pace? Police sirens mean you get out of the way or pull over. For a game that emphasises police pursuit, Criterion sure forgot to programme decent traffic reaction to it.
    - No cockpit view: This one is very minor, but I prefer my racing games to have a POV camera, complete with steering wheel, dashboard, etc. There is a "first-person" camera, but it's just over the hood.
    - Weird (sometimes nonsensical) physics: This happened twice in one mission, but it still frustrated me. I tilted left on my control stick and my police Corvette veered right in a crummy preview time trial. Sometimes a car is right on my six o'clock and the spike strip misses. Damage seems to be inconsistently applied. If you ram an enemy car from behind, they take damage. If they ram YOU from behind, YOU take damage (even if they're a racer with no bullbar). If you ram an NPC traffic car from behind, you will most likely wreck. If an enemy racer smacks right into oncoming damage, they don't wreck (though still take heavy damage). Newton's third law of motion, please.
    - Not all cars are available for all missions: As you progress and unlock more missions and more powerful cars, you actually lose the ability to use the earlier cars in later missions. While I haven't gotten far in the racer missions, this is at least true for the police missions. Unfortunately for me, this means I can't take my trusty Crown Victoria to try to take down Ford GTs.
    - Time trials: I hate time trials. I hate time trials that penalise you for hitting something even more. When a game only has about 6 modes and 1/3 of them are time trials, I say "no thanks". To my knowledge, you don't need to do them to unlock everything, but as a completionist, I feel sort of obligated to do them.

    In conclusion, while quantitatively I listed more dislikes than likes, I still feel this is a solid game. It's just not for me. If they make a direct sequel, I'd probably be interested. But I've played this game for 3 hours, and it won't likely go much more than that any time soon. In short: Good, but not the game I expected.    … Expand
  13. XDavidX
    Nov 17, 2015
    6
    This NFS its a average game for me. Handling is arcade but its fit very well. Car Selection is good also. There's no story or car customization. Races are exicting & awesome but its not so motivating to do next events.
  14. TatsMcGee
    Sep 9, 2018
    9
    Why did I want to play it?

    Growing up, Need For Speed Hot Pursuit 2 was one of my favorite games on the PlayStation 2. Unfortunately I never really liked any of the other NFS games and it was obvious EA favored the other NFS titles more than Hot Pursuit so I stopped paying attention to NFS. Then one day I saw Hot Pursuit on Steam for sale so I bought it for very cheap. How did the    Why did I want to play it?

    Growing up, Need For Speed Hot Pursuit 2 was one of my favorite games on the PlayStation 2. Unfortunately I never really liked any of the other NFS games and it was obvious EA favored the other NFS titles more than Hot Pursuit so I stopped paying attention to NFS. Then one day I saw Hot Pursuit on Steam for sale so I bought it for very cheap.

    How did the game age?

    This game has aged very well. It looks good for an 8-year-old game and plays well. This may be the best racing game that I have ever played.

    What is the genre and subgenre of the game?

    It's an arcade racing game

    What did I think of the story?

    There are two different campaigns, neither one has any story which is fine. I don't want this game bogged down by a narrative. Just let me race. One of the campaigns is from the street racer side and the other is from the police side. Both you just kind of advance by racing and as you do well you unlock new cars and equipment.

    Favorite Character?

    My favorite car in the game was the Koenigsegg CCXR Edition. It was so fast but also controlled well. I could zip around corners almost seamlessly.

    Are there puzzles and How are they?

    No, no puzzles. Just get from point A to point B as fast as you can.

    What is the gameplay like and how does it feel?

    The gameplay is what makes this one of the best racing games that I have ever played. For the most part, the cars control so well and the game does an amazing job of making you feel like you're going very fast. When you're playing an arcade racer, that's what you want. You want to feel like you're going 200+ miles an hour.

    What is my favorite moment or sequence from the game?

    Its nothing major but there are so many cars to unlock in this game and you do it so quickly. The game gives you instant gratification by having you constantly unlocking new cars.

    Was it fun?

    Yes, of course, some of the most fun that I have ever had with a racing game.

    How is the sound design and music?

    The music is weak in this game but luckily that's easy to fix. Go into settings, mute the in-game music and then play your own music while playing the game.

    Recap: The Good

    Controls well and feels good

    Recap: The Bad

    Music

    Recap: The Okay

    N/A    … Expand
  15. modimagic
    Dec 5, 2017
    4
    PROs
    ********
    + Beautiful graphics + Day-Night cycles and varying weather system. + Spectacular crashes (only mine. The other AI involved in crash keeps on going unaffected). CONS ******** - Cannot takedown racers & cops by ramming them. Ramming has no effect on them. - Rubber band AI - Unfair advantage of almost perfect driving skills to AI racers. This is NOT a SIM game !! -    PROs
    ********
    + Beautiful graphics
    + Day-Night cycles and varying weather system.
    + Spectacular crashes (only mine. The other AI involved in crash keeps on going unaffected).

    CONS
    ********
    - Cannot takedown racers & cops by ramming them. Ramming has no effect on them.
    - Rubber band AI
    - Unfair advantage of almost perfect driving skills to AI racers. This is NOT a SIM game !!
    - Good driving skills are not just enough to win races. Luck is a major factor here: a couple of slip ups and the race is gone.
    - There are innumerable ways you can crash and many times it is unavoidable. A minor crash and you can go from 1st to 6th in a matter of seconds after driving flawlessly for 95% of the race.
    - No description of finishing time of opponents at the end of race, the cars they were driving or anything else.
    - No customisation except body colour change.
    - No photo mode in offline mode. Can't even properly admire the looks of the car I am going to drive.
    - No mouse (Playstation game rushed for PC after minimal thought).
    - After a couple hours of gameplay, it stops being fun- and a long long grind ensues.    … Expand
  16. Mollomomo
    Apr 5, 2019
    0
    This game had me quit and uninstall it after mere 5 hours of playing it. I WANTED to like it, because i love driving games, cop 'n robbers type action and on top of that it's made by Criterion. Except that it takes all what was executed well in Burnout, throws it away and delivers total utter garbage. The only positive I can find is that the graphics look nice. Presentation is bland atThis game had me quit and uninstall it after mere 5 hours of playing it. I WANTED to like it, because i love driving games, cop 'n robbers type action and on top of that it's made by Criterion. Except that it takes all what was executed well in Burnout, throws it away and delivers total utter garbage. The only positive I can find is that the graphics look nice. Presentation is bland at best, cutscenes and loading sequences are unskippable, monotonous and infuriating, no customization, no manual shift, cars of the same class all handle the same despite being RWD, FWD or AWD and they all drive like motorboats, downright cheating rubberbanding AI that makes your driving skill irrelevant, boring and repetitive tracks with no personality and finally horrible invasive always on DRM even for single player. If you have any love for yourself, stay away. They still have the guts to charge $15 for it (on steam) in 2019.… Expand
  17. dimadima423212
    Jul 13, 2022
    8
    Хорошая игра! Рекомендую вам купить её, оригинал, а не ремейк, ремейк ужасный просто у этой игры, оригинал намного лучше, быстрые машины, которые даже без прокачки очень быстрые, в игре нету прокачки, но она не нужна, но игра немножко надоедает, но кайф можно получить, 8/10Хорошая игра! Рекомендую вам купить её, оригинал, а не ремейк, ремейк ужасный просто у этой игры, оригинал намного лучше, быстрые машины, которые даже без прокачки очень быстрые, в игре нету прокачки, но она не нужна, но игра немножко надоедает, но кайф можно получить, 8/10
  18. Izoeros
    May 30, 2022
    7
    qqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq
  19. Iky009
    Jan 6, 2014
    7
    bem divertido
  20. Karmatic
    Nov 13, 2012
    5
    race design aside, the game was really hindered by the awful (or nonexistent) driving physics. Every car drives the same, and it's not very good. I was a fan of the old skool NFS games, even the more arcade ones, because even though they felt "arcade-y", they still displayed relatively accurate driving physics, giving each car a different personality and driving style. Not possible here
  21. Pazzo7
    Jun 2, 2014
    9
    First and foremost.Thanks to Criterion for reviving the NFS franchise.This is not only a revive but new and solid entry in the NFS series.I've never been so excited to do a drift in any other racing game like I am in this one.The races,the cars,the scenario,the speed,the crashes.Everything works and its fantastic.I was a little skeptical about this one after playing all the other NFSFirst and foremost.Thanks to Criterion for reviving the NFS franchise.This is not only a revive but new and solid entry in the NFS series.I've never been so excited to do a drift in any other racing game like I am in this one.The races,the cars,the scenario,the speed,the crashes.Everything works and its fantastic.I was a little skeptical about this one after playing all the other NFS episodes (except for Undercover) but I have to say that it was different for me in the beginning because this game is from a different studio and it had a different feel so I had to adapt a little bit but when I did it became my favorite game.My favorite NFS.The story is good with all kind of races if either you play as a Police officer or as a racer.Sometimes it feels like it lacks some diverse game mods but when u drive a Bugatti or a Lamborghini at 300 km/h you don't think about that.ITS PURE FUN AND ADRENALINE.The great little improvement that was made is about the normal cars appearing when you are going into a curve or when u come down a hill.It was so annoying in the previous games but here it was fixed and I really like that.The soundtrack is a great one.It fits the races and it even puts u in a good mood.The customization was getting boring (at least for me) and I just wanted to choose a car and drive it so I am not crying about that.There are some bugs and things that should get changed but the game overall is hella fun with the crazy speed of the top world cars you don't even mind about the other NFS games because in my opinion this is one of the best ones.GG Criterion… Expand
  22. morfil
    Nov 1, 2013
    6
    I have never liked the Hot Pursuit series from NFS, so this one is just another bad game, at least, for me. From recent years, NFS The Run is the only who made me fall in love again with NFS.
  23. GuthixScapeMC
    Jul 13, 2013
    6
    Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit was half and half for me. I have been a huge fan of playing as a police officer in the previous games however I was disappointed with the campaign for cops this time around. The racer campaign was good, however it was filled with an annoying amount of drifts, way too much traffic, and at times outrageously lengthy races. The cop campaign was filled with bugs,Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit was half and half for me. I have been a huge fan of playing as a police officer in the previous games however I was disappointed with the campaign for cops this time around. The racer campaign was good, however it was filled with an annoying amount of drifts, way too much traffic, and at times outrageously lengthy races. The cop campaign was filled with bugs, and civilians who shouldn't have their licences (will explain).

    When I started the game I was expecting the cop campaign to be interceptor, and hot pursuit missions however I was surprised by the preview and rapid response missions. Rapid response requires you to be almost perfect giving you a 2 second penalty for touching a wall and a 3 second for a civilian, not only is this difficult but it doesn't make sense. Everyone and their mom knows to pull over when they hear a siren or see the flashing lights however the civilians in rapid response choose to ignore it and continue driving. This makes rapid response missions almost impossible to play on highways due to the three lane traffic and 90 degree turns, to conclude the rapid response and preview missions were poorly thought out and are almost certain to disappoint (4 rapid response missions are the only gold medals I have left before 100%). The only other complaint I had about the cop campaign was hitting a suspect car head on does cause damage to them (it should cause the most) causing me to lose at least 3 gold medals.

    Finally the racer missions. The racer missions were thought out a little more, the only complaint I really have is the poor level design. It seems like I spent the majority of the gaming drifting around sharp bends and dodging traffic. I would like to see some more hot pursuit missions, the best part of the racer campaign were the hot pursuits.

    In conclusion I would not suggest buying this game unless it is less than $6 (wait for the steam shop to put it on.) Besides the disappointing times in game play, and the repetitive missions, the visuals live up to EA Dices horrible reputation of adding ridiculous lens flares making the road and traffic hard to see at times. Buy this game if you are desperate or it is on sale.    … Expand
  24. Vas
    Jun 29, 2014
    8
    This is a rather good game. I mean it's like a lot of the racing games out there, kind of hard to be different when all of them involve driving really fast. Hah.

    My favorite part is hot pursuit, I love racing against other racers and the police. Smashing into other cars and destroying police cars that are chasing me. This game works real well, and isn't that intense on your GPU.    This is a rather good game. I mean it's like a lot of the racing games out there, kind of hard to be different when all of them involve driving really fast. Hah.

    My favorite part is hot pursuit, I love racing against other racers and the police. Smashing into other cars and destroying police cars that are chasing me. This game works real well, and isn't that intense on your GPU. The graphics are well done, the selection of cars is pretty good, and the city is nicely designed.

    I don't like how police seem to be faster than you always, even if you use turbo. Just a bit annoying. Maybe they just chose a faster model, who knows. I also wish you could break through the rails and drive around in the dirt and city areas, though those areas may not be rendered so that might be why the game is less stressful on your machine. No need to make the game like Just Cause 2 after all. xP    … Expand
  25. themblues
    Nov 25, 2013
    4
    Please read Colonel_Panic's review in 2011 for a perfect review of this game. While I won't give this game a 0, I will say this game suffers many shortcomings. As many people who bash the gameplay have said, this game looks great. Graphics are steady and accurate and the cars all look great. The cars all do indeed drive very much the same, but there are differences. I don't play that manyPlease read Colonel_Panic's review in 2011 for a perfect review of this game. While I won't give this game a 0, I will say this game suffers many shortcomings. As many people who bash the gameplay have said, this game looks great. Graphics are steady and accurate and the cars all look great. The cars all do indeed drive very much the same, but there are differences. I don't play that many driving games and only picked this one up on Steam because it was cheap. I'm not sorry I bought the game, but it is very frustrating at times. This frustration comes from a few things. First and foremost, I know a game is supposed to increase in difficulty as the game progresses, but the computer drivers are simply better than they should be at the later levels. They go faster than their actual top speed when you get very far ahead. Also, they "know" where the traffic is before they "see" it, so they can avoid it about 9 times out of ten while you are left crashing right into them about twice as often. This is especially true when you use turbo, which is basically complete luck that you don't crash into anything because the difficulty of turbo is that the gameplay speeds up about 150% so your handling is completely off & you are forced to react 50% faster (which is a little difficult to do when you are travelling at 240 mph on a crowded highway.) Cops in pursuit of the car in first place accelerate 160-500 mph in one second, very realistic there. With all this, it's pure, blind luck in winning some of the levels. Overall, not a great experience, but fun at times.… Expand
  26. DarkSoul47
    Mar 10, 2014
    7
    NFSHP is a good game for me even though i prefer play underground-like games with modification features, playing as law breaker driver or police was good. There aren't so much weapons in game and i think it's good for me. If i wanted more weapons, i might be playing Blur. Driving mechanics are good, but it's not a smiulation don't forget it. For an arcade racing game with runners andNFSHP is a good game for me even though i prefer play underground-like games with modification features, playing as law breaker driver or police was good. There aren't so much weapons in game and i think it's good for me. If i wanted more weapons, i might be playing Blur. Driving mechanics are good, but it's not a smiulation don't forget it. For an arcade racing game with runners and chasers, that's a great game.… Expand
  27. mclure
    Aug 23, 2014
    10
    Good game with a different assortment of cars, you're rewarded as a racer for driving really dangerously and as a cop for being a straight driver, there are some vehicles that are cop and racer vehicles the game has no plot other than to get experience and be most wanted or top enforcer and the online matchmaking is ok you do find large races or 1x1. The coast is nice, there are someGood game with a different assortment of cars, you're rewarded as a racer for driving really dangerously and as a cop for being a straight driver, there are some vehicles that are cop and racer vehicles the game has no plot other than to get experience and be most wanted or top enforcer and the online matchmaking is ok you do find large races or 1x1. The coast is nice, there are some forest parts, the graphics are very good and the gameplay depends on your taste if you like something more arcade then this game will not dissapoint altough you do crash a lot all the time everywhere.… Expand
  28. azeitona
    Dec 10, 2014
    9
    The best Need for Speed from the new generation. Yes, the core gameplay of Need for Speed has changed A LOT, and yes, you must power drift every corner... but man, is it fun. And I found the races much enjoyable, as the game never bored me. The cherry of the cake is the excellent environment and the stunning visuals. I never thought a game could look this gorgeous back in 2010. I justThe best Need for Speed from the new generation. Yes, the core gameplay of Need for Speed has changed A LOT, and yes, you must power drift every corner... but man, is it fun. And I found the races much enjoyable, as the game never bored me. The cherry of the cake is the excellent environment and the stunning visuals. I never thought a game could look this gorgeous back in 2010. I just can't give it a 10 because of the **** indie soundtrack (I would prefer something more like hard rock or heavy metal -but it is not as bad as the soundtrack in Most Wanted from 2012) and because of some nitpicking... for example, when you crash, the game takes control of your car. Or when a race starts you aren't in control of the car... I can see NFS purists hating the new gameplay mechanics, but Need for Speed needed a change, particularly because of its "mid-life crisis" with the previous titles, like Undercover, Pro Street and Shift.… Expand
  29. dimike
    Jan 10, 2021
    9
    Graphics - good
    Gameplay - great
    Music - good
    story - ok
    stability - good
    10 alised edges of 10
  30. LifeHistory
    Jul 9, 2018
    4
    I am really tired of every damn game today is an OpenWorld crap. I specially hate OpenWorld-Racing games. Why can't we have Racing games like the original NFS Most Wanted and NFS Carbon when you have a carrier and you choose your Race from the menu without the need to drive around. Even NFS The RUN which many hated but I liked it a lot because it was new idea and was hell lots of fun. TheI am really tired of every damn game today is an OpenWorld crap. I specially hate OpenWorld-Racing games. Why can't we have Racing games like the original NFS Most Wanted and NFS Carbon when you have a carrier and you choose your Race from the menu without the need to drive around. Even NFS The RUN which many hated but I liked it a lot because it was new idea and was hell lots of fun. The only bad thing was that the game was short.
    And another thing I hate about this game and other NFS games like it... is the COP/RACER carrier its just stupid no one wants to be a cop. I play a racing game to be a racer no a cop you brainless devs.

    I DO NOT CARE ABOUT MULTIPLAYER CRAP........    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

10
#10 Best PC Game of 2010
20
#20 Most Discussed PC Game of 2010
12
#12 Most Shared PC Game of 2010

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. PC Format
    Jan 29, 2011
    91
    Intoxicating. [Jan 2011, p.104]
  2. PC Games
    Jan 12, 2011
    82
    Criterion Games hits the old and trusty NfS-Series with a welcome and refreshing blast from the past. It offers fast and furious oldschool-action, plenty of mileage and an overall good ride. A lack of modes, some rather bland racetypes, the always present rubberband-A.I. and a lack of challenge bothered us. But overall we liked what Hot Pursuit had to offer. A lot!
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  3. Gamers.at
    Jan 12, 2011
    82
    NFS Hot Pursuit will not reinvent the genre but it is great fun and perfect for quick races inbetween. If you aren't the competetive type however the game starts to lack soon.
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