NEED FOR SPEED HOT PURSUIT MULTIPLAYER SERIES
NEED FOR SPEED HOT PURSUIT MULTIPLAYER FREE

Arms Race resembles the chaotic nature of Mario Kart, as players can use equipment such as EMPs and spike traps in their race to the finish line. Sadly, I wasn't able to access online multiplayer ahead of launch, but I am aware that the remaster adds two modes previously introduced within DLC, and these are Arms Race and Most Wanted. Multiplayer is now cross-play which means lobbies should be pretty stacked, as players across PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One will be able to race together. It's all a bit messy, and I can't describe how stressful late stretches of races can feel knowing that you can be dethroned at any point. Gaining the lead always feels within reaching distance, even if you've spent much of the race clipping the barrier when attempting to make tight turns. When racing, the AI sticks together like a flock of seagulls, and even if you've led the pack confidently throughout the race, you can still find yourself pushed back into fifth after a minor slip-up. Rubberbanding, however, is a major problem here, and it's disappointing that this wasn't fixed within the remaster. All the gadgets that you have access to playing as a cop can be used on you here and you need to focus on driving as speedily as possible whilst also avoiding the onslaught of the police. Hot Pursuit sees you evade capture from the police, as this time you're the one being hunted. In Preview you're handed the keys to a luxury ride which is leagues ahead of what is currently in your garage and must bolt to the finish line in the fastest time possible. There is, of course, your typical races and time trials here, but the events that stood out to me the most were Preview and Hot Pursuit. Playing as a street racer, the events are a little more what you'd expect from a typical Need For Speed game, but that's not to say they aren't fun. Here, you must make it to the crime scene as quickly as possible, but you'll receive time penalties if you damage your squad car or slam into civilians.

I also liked the Rapid Response events too, as these provided their own twists on typical time trials. As well as giving these vehicles a hefty nudge, you can also call in road blocks, throw down spike strips, and fire EMPs to stun targets. In events such as Hot Pursuit and Interceptor, the goal is to hunt down racers using brute force and a whole arsenal of police gadgets. Playing as the cops and slamming runaway racers off the track was easily where I had the most fun, and it was reminiscent of a personal favourite of mine - the Burnout series. Hot Pursuit is great at making the player feel rewarded, and there was always that itch to play just one more race to see just what I would be walking away with afterwards. There's an abundance of cars here, and at times, it feels like you're handed the keys to a new ride at the end of every event. Players have a progression system linked to each side of the law and earn themselves points for advancing the career and pulling off some impressive mauveres.

NEED FOR SPEED HOT PURSUIT MULTIPLAYER FREE

There's a lot of freedom here, as you don't have to commit yourself to one particular side and are free to select events in any order.

NEED FOR SPEED HOT PURSUIT MULTIPLAYER SERIES

Hot Pursuit features a series of events in its Career Mode that are dedicated to both law enforcement and illegal street racing. The Need For Speed series hasn't really been known for its engaging narratives, so the absence of a story I found to be refreshing coming off the back of Heat and Payback. It does hurt the pacing a little, as I often felt like I was skipping from event to event with little to keep me occupied in between, but I would honestly prefer no story over a half baked one. Right off the bat, something which I admire about Hot Pursuit is that it lets players jump right into the action and is absent of some painfully weak FMV story to try and hold things together. This new revamped edition runs at 4K 60fps, features cross-platform play, and all the DLC that was included for the racer post-launch. With the series' popularity waning, EA has decided to give Hot Pursuit the remastered treatment. Last year's Heat, on the other hand, was a noticeable improvement from its predecessors, but it was a far cry from the series' glory days back on the PS2. Its self-titled 2015 release missed the mark with its painful use of FMV sequences and eternal night time setting, and Payback irked fans and critics with its insidious use of microtransactions. The Need For Speed series has been in a bit of a troubled spot for years now.

Need for speed hot pursuit multiplayer