The Need For Speed series is sneakily one of the most influential ever made. It pioneered the racing game sweet spot of a car handling model that’s between simulation and arcade, it was one of the first to introduce the now ubiquitous boost and nitrous mechanics, and it always found a way to evolve with the times, from the cinematic sprints of the ‘90s to the Fast and the Furious-inspired Underground series of the mid-2000s.
But as the series stagnated toward the end of the ‘00s, the beloved franchise needed another big shake-up, and an unexpected move from publisher Electronic Arts turned out to be the perfect play. Criterion Games, the developers behind the heart-pounding Burnout series, were handed the Need For Speed license. While the two couldn’t be more different, Criterion proved it was the perfect fit for the series’ latest pivot with the release of 2010’s Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit. Now, the game’s 2020 remaster is free on PlayStation Plus, an absurdly great addition to the service’s monthly offerings.
As the name implies, Hot Pursuit is a soft reboot of 1998’s Need For Speed III: Hot Pursuit. The game returns to the pristine valleys and extended highways of the classic PlayStation and PC title, while also bringing back the focus on high-speed police chases, during which players can play either side of the law. It was a welcome step back from the tuner culture that dominated the series from 2003 to 2009, as it freshened things up while also stirring up the simpler, retro feel of its roots.
Simplicity is the name of the game here. Hot Pursuit may have an open world, but it's just as effective to pick a race from a map and get right into some competitive action. While previous games presented gimmicks via a story mode or special race types, Hot Pursuit’s only concern is to convey risky thrills and speeds to the player at all times. Drifting a car around a corner in a video game rarely feels as good as it does here, while hitting the upper limits of your speedometer feels like you’re just barely keeping control of your rocket ship on wheels (in a good way!).
And even today, the game looks pretty damn good while you’re speeding along. Instead of the realistic, open worlds of today’s racing games, every vista and roadside view feels as scenic as arcade classics like the Cruisin’ series or early Ridge Racer. There’s a flair to Hot Pursuit that isn’t as garishly obvious as the neon lights and blinged-out rims of the Underground series, and thanks to the fresh coat of paint provided by the 2020 remaster, the game looks better than ever on current-gen hardware.
Just two years removed from the equally influential Burnout Paradise, Criterion sneakily took much of what it did well in its own series and brought it along for the ride. Hot Pursuit rewards risky driving maneuvers and encourages players to trade paint with racers and police. Even Burnout 3’s popular Road Rage mode is disguised as one of the events you can participate in. Hot Pursuit is a secret sequel to the beloved and long-dormant Burnout series thanks to its white-knuckle road combat, and it's a better, more exciting game for it.
Hot Pursuit takes what those games did well and elevates them, introducing weapons to help you gain the upper hand. As a racer, you can set spike traps and EMP blasts to shut down law enforcement. As a cop, you can call in blockades to slow street racers down. These elements feel lifted from the underrated Split/Second, another 2010 racing gem, and Hot Pursuit’s focus on confrontation makes it a refreshingly action-packed game that could appeal to racing fans and non-racing fans alike.
Few modern racing games are as excellent as Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, which strips away much of the fluff that racing games often embrace and focuses squarely on creating the most exhilarating experience possible. Hot Pursuit is as perfect as racing can get, and playing it for free is about as easy a recommendation as we can make.
