Need for Speed Underground 2
will challenge gamers to immerse themselves in the tuner culture,
exploring an expansive, free roaming city divided into five distinct
neighborhoods. Gamers will encounter rival racers who will initiate
events, tip players off to the hottest racing spots, and show them where
to buy the most sought after licensed aftermarket upgrades. The game
will feature new game modes, deep new performance customization and
tuning, and more than 30 licensed cars. The game also delivers twice the
visual customization upgrades as the original game, providing a
staggering 70 billion possible car combinations for total automotive
self expression.
The sequel to Need for Speed Underground
has big shoes to fill, and it does so admirably, with vastly improved
graphics, new gameplay modes, and an improved interface. The demo also
pushes beyond the scope of the original, offering a “free roam” mode to
explore the cityscape and challenge competitors at will, two types of
“quick races” on two different tracks, and the ability to race other
drivers online.
The graphics are the most obvious
improvement. We only can describe them as truly awesome, even on lower
settings. Lights on the bridge sparkle in the night sky, and mannequins
in store windows catch your eye as you blaze past. Little things, such
as pumping your hydraulics and bouncing down the avenue, make the
experience even more fun. Racing is arcade style (it’s awfully hard to
destroy your car) and easy to learn, yet power drifting is an acquired
skill that keeps the learning curve gradual, but long. The only knocks
on this top-notch driving game are the ubiquitous product placements (a
Cingular messaging system?), high system requirements, and large
download size. Considering the depth and quality of Need for Speed
Underground 2, though, most gamers can forgive those details.
System= Pentium 4 CPU 1.7 GHz
RAM= 512 MB
Size= 464 MB
Video Memory= 96 MB
OS= Windows XP, Vista, 7 and Windows 8
