Original approach of racing/cop chases, addictive and fun gameplay. Multiplayer is amazing. Definitely worth playing
I was very surprised to discover that the engine, physics and all the technical aspects of this game are very stable, bug-free and offer a smooth experience...no lag, no stutter whatsoever. Criterion involvement in this project definitely shows its benefit. I mean, except for the rear view mirror's simplified geometry (purposefully designed this way) which I find to be an unrealistic feature though, the rest of this game is amazing. Remember the previous NFS releases, especially NFS Undercover and the horrible stutter and other graphics/gameplay shortcomings in Prostreet or Shift. This game offers a far more improved experience.
Performance:
Smooth FPS( constant 60 with minor drops towards 45-50), if you have a high-end PC capable of maintaining a good framerate even when things become crowded with debris, cars crashing, helicopters and all.
Graphics/Physics:
Remarkably done, gorgeous detailed environments and cars, splendid level of debris upon crashes and spectacular cut-scenes. Also the lightning, wheather details and all other aspect deliver a very nice experience completing the gameplay.
The lack of antialiasing (AA) is no concern when you set a 1920x1200 resolution and drive at over 200 km/h, so don't listen to the critics regarding this aspect, you won't notice it. Or if you can't live without AA, force it through Catalyst Control Center (10.10 e hotfix only and further; nVidia users, tough luck, wait for new drivers)
Story:
None. Unfortunately there is no Most Wanted-like story/cut-scenes in Hot Pursuit but I prefer it without one better than to have one like that lame Undercover crap. The missions in career mode unlock as you progress on the map (just like they did in Most Wanted and not thrown to the user in tiers/categories like NFS Shift did, which felt very dull and checklisty).
Gameplay:
This is the most controversial part i saw in other reviews. I don't understand why people say you don't require any skill or that it's just like Burnout Paradise. That is so wrong, in multiplayer you have to drive flawlessly and know how to boost your car with NOS in curves to overtake your opponents.
Career mode is great as both Racer or Cop with a wide diversity of cars and missions unlocked ( especially if you own Limited Edition) and every car is differentiated by it's speed, acceleration, handling etc.
The FEELING of the races/cop chases combined with graphics/physics and smooth FPS is what defines this game, which offers a remarkable experience and very intense moments. It's hard to describe in words, it just feels very nice to drive and advance in this game, it offers a very thrilling and fun experience which I long missed in driving games.
Speaking of handling, I admit it is arcadish , but damn, this is NFS, what can you expect...a 1:1 reality simulator...no..it's a game, and the handling is very nicely done, far better than many other games in this genre (including every NFS game from Most Wanted, except Shift). It is as arcadish as Most Wanted was, and everybody loved that game, why not like this one..maybe people forget to much...
There is no car tuning, but I don't miss it cause many games tend to focus more on tuning rather than the driving experience itself. And the cars look pretty nice, I didn't even notice the lack of tuning until I saw someone complaining about the lack of this feature. Oh well...
Multiplayer:
Now this is where this game really shines. I was also afraid they screwed this part, like many game developers do in multiplayer for driving games. Fortunately, I was wrong again. The multiplayer is so much fun and very challenging/addictive. Either you play 1 vs 1 or more racers or Cop/Racer mode, the developers outdone themselves and offered a surprisingly well-built multiplayer.
The Autolog system is very original for this genre and user-friendly. I felt for it at first sight, being used with glitchy and faulty systems ( I encountered zero flaws). The Wall feature, recommendations, online friends systems etc are all surprisingly well done.
Conclusion:
As I said before, aside for some minor shortcomings, I don't understand the wave of complaints coming over this game. My personal opinion is that Hot Pursuit is a great arcade driving piece of work which offers an amazing experience, thrills and lots and lots of fun in both Career and especially Multiplayer.
I played a lot of arcade and simulators, for more than 13 years, so I'm no newb to like the first racer I see, and I'm telling you, Hot Pursuit is definitely worth it.
I give it a 10 for accomplishing something that was missed for a long time for all of us, gaming mortals, in an era with increasingly high expectations from day to day.