Need for Speed: Underground

 PC
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 644 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 519 out of 644
  2. Mixed: 99 out of 644
  3. Negative: 26 out of 644
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  1. MaxmilianKohler
    Feb 23, 2020
    3
    Would not recommend due to the fact that you do these long races and frequently at the very end some edge will clip you, or some car will appear in front of you, or one of the other racers will bump you, or some other random occurrence, causing you to have to redo the entire race. Which is extremely tedious.

    The drag racing is awful. The mechanics of it are extremely tedious, and then    Would not recommend due to the fact that you do these long races and frequently at the very end some edge will clip you, or some car will appear in front of you, or one of the other racers will bump you, or some other random occurrence, causing you to have to redo the entire race. Which is extremely tedious.

    The drag racing is awful. The mechanics of it are extremely tedious, and then it doesn't even make sense because I can get all perfect shifts and still lose. Then they randomly put cars in front of you and don't let you turn out of their way. You should never come away with a "god that was awful" feeling after winning a race.

    I'm giving this a 0 just for the drag races. It's unplayable on both a keyboard and a controller. I don't play games to get tortured. I play them to find enjoyment. I uninstalled this game before the end due this trash designed race.

    It also gives you lots of useless cars to choose from but no apparent reason to use any of them. You don't get better cars till late in the game.

    The ebrake basically does nothing, except for during drifting. In Underground 2 the ebrake is way more useful.

    Underground 2 I think is overall better, particularly as far as the cars, handling, gameplay, hud, etc.. Only thing better about this one is that the upgrades stick with your car when you trade it in.    … Expand
  2. Lukesky
    Nov 20, 2003
    0
    What a poor game..midnight club 2 reigns supreme over this... with cheap graphics..poorly rendered cars it can go back into the christmas stocking i want my money back.. underground racing? cartoon racing more like.. being able to tinker with the car didnt make me feel any more interested as the game had the look of a cheap budget made game..and people spoke so highly of this.. save yourWhat a poor game..midnight club 2 reigns supreme over this... with cheap graphics..poorly rendered cars it can go back into the christmas stocking i want my money back.. underground racing? cartoon racing more like.. being able to tinker with the car didnt make me feel any more interested as the game had the look of a cheap budget made game..and people spoke so highly of this.. save your money as there are better games out there..… Expand
  3. sinadoom
    Nov 19, 2011
    3
    It's arcade alright, but don't expect anything fast. More fun than the second one but still nothing special. To enjoy this game you have to a chav.
  4. drone2beats
    Sep 18, 2018
    0
    Dumpest Game Ever.
    The cars have good handling on easy by cpu but when i get the same car i cant control it.
    **** Game.
    Underground2 way better
  5. CaioOrsolini
    Nov 27, 2003
    1
    I haven't got it yet, but from what I've read, it has a very poor career mode, and all tracks look the same. And... Where are the Ferraris, Porsches, McLaren? And it seems like its driving doesn't feel too real... Come on, EA, looks like each year your games are getting worse... I already hated Hot Pursuit II... Here's what we want: expensive cars, nice tracks, real I haven't got it yet, but from what I've read, it has a very poor career mode, and all tracks look the same. And... Where are the Ferraris, Porsches, McLaren? And it seems like its driving doesn't feel too real... Come on, EA, looks like each year your games are getting worse... I already hated Hot Pursuit II... Here's what we want: expensive cars, nice tracks, real driving and a good career mode!… Expand
  6. AidanG.
    Nov 21, 2003
    3
    This could've been great, but there is no LAN mode. What were EA thinking of? Please release a LAN patch, EA.
  7. ChicoSuav
    Nov 15, 2020
    2
    This game did 2 things good. The customization and the vehicle choices. That's all. Everything else was completely horrible. For starters, the crash physics were as if gravity was never a concept. Often times, hitting a car at slow speeds would launch you up into the air or send you cartwheeling 5 times over. Next, the driving physics were atrocious. Any small bump in the road, especiallyThis game did 2 things good. The customization and the vehicle choices. That's all. Everything else was completely horrible. For starters, the crash physics were as if gravity was never a concept. Often times, hitting a car at slow speeds would launch you up into the air or send you cartwheeling 5 times over. Next, the driving physics were atrocious. Any small bump in the road, especially on shortcuts, would completely unsettle your car. Doesn't matter how good your tire and suspension upgrades are, you're still going to end up hitting a wall or another civiian car and end up doing a 1080 while flipping over. Next up, the rubber banding in this game is awful and flawed actually. Not only will your opponents close in on your 10+ second lead despite you driving flawlessly, if they pass you, the game will basically tell you that your race is over because no matter how good you are, chances of you catching back up, is almost none, especially with the crash and driving physics working against you. The “catch up” feature i suppose turns off, and is shown when your opponents start making turns without braking and leave behind smoke trails of their unlimited grip around corners. If you've played this game, you know what i mean. Despite these flaws, it is still a fun arcade racer.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

38
#38 Best PC Game of 2003
12
#12 Most Discussed PC Game of 2003
43
#43 Most Shared PC Game of 2003

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. Computer Gaming World
    90
    Racing doesn't get much better...unless you're in a real car. [Mar 2004, p.75]
  2. GameSpot
    80
    With just a bit more variety to its tracks and a slightly better career mode, it definitely could have been better, but it has great graphics, solid sound, and the sort of easy learning curve that makes it a driving game that anyone can excel at.
    Read full review
  3. Yahoo!
    90
    That break-the-mold game that longtime players of the franchise have been waiting for. And if you're already a street-rag reader, you have permission and reason to drool - just keep it off the AirFlow controller, please.
    Read full review
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