Need for Speed III - Hot Pursuit

Does someone need more speed?

What !!? Again ? Some damn policeman is following me ! Won't this ever stop ? The Need for Speed III  Hot Pursuit, despite its long title, ressembles its prequels very much. Truthfully, I don't consider this game as a sequel since everything I find is here is pretty much what I saw in I and II. The programmers could at least have added a mode or two but none of that so if you already have one NFS, you know what you have to do. 

The multiplayer mode has not changed in the least and those who are now discovering NFS (where the hell have you been all this time ?) may spend their time unlocking tracks in the Championship Mode. The good thing remains the races themselves, particularly those where you get to ride on road with a very dense traffic. What about killing a couple of guys at the same time !? The real interest lies, of course, in the Pursuit Mode which, thankfully, hasn't changed in the least. For those who don't know it, Pursuit Mode (hence, the title - a very good one indeed) lets you control one car on those same ol' tracks but this time, there'll be dozens of policemen who'll do all their best to put an end to your dangerous skills. OK, maybe not a dozen but when you're playing the game and you keep hearing their damn sirens over and over again - and sometimes even after you've stopped playing the game too, you'll definitely feel that all the policemen of Chicago are after you. 

The mode is as fun as ever and it's really hard to get tired of it. The police cars will do everything possible to stop you and don't think that they'll abandon quickly. Oh, they have a tough skin all right ! We can rest assured, today's policemen are among the best ! Some of their less reprehensible methods are barriers where you least expect them and even trying to squash you against a tree. No need to tell you what happens if they ever manage to stop you ! Be prepared to pay a heavy fine and the third time, you're good for the electric chair under the Bush era. 

Other than that, same ol' NFS at its best ! The control hasn't changed in the least and is still easy to grasp although you're bound to have some difficulties if you're a newbie to racing sims. And feel lucky if you have a wheel because I suppose the game is even better then. In fact, I'm pretty much sure…Look, wanna bet ? Unlike Colin McRae Rally, the control doesn't vary too much if you change vehicle. Watch as I take my Mercedes CLK and produce an amazing acceleration to leave these idiot cops behind. Haha ! Hey, where did that truck come from ? *sound of handcuffs clicking* 

The graphics are extremely good with clear details but you need a pretty powerful PC and a good graphics card to enjoy the game to the maximum. The cars are very well-drawn and you'll feel as if you're truly in the race while playing the game. My favourite part is the races at night. Just check these out, the car's flashlight effects are one of the best I've seen so far (GT comes nowhere close) and the backgrounds are truly awesome. And what about the accidents taking place around you as you skid your way along a muddy track !? I was amazed the first time I played the game and saw an opponent mistaking himself for Tarzan while his car was on fire. Heh, that was just astounding ! By the way, did I tell you about the dead leaves which will even fly up as you pass over them !? NFS III is awesome in terms of graphics and I do feel that it is the best title on the PC when it comes to graphics. 

The sound effects have been worked upon almost as much as the graphics although there seems to be effects missing sometimes which makes things very weird !! The cars make totally realistic sounds as they desperately try to clinch that important first place and nothing is too much to make sure you are indeed the first one to reach the goal. 

As for gameplay, rest assured. Even though NFS III is none other than a little upgrade to the beautiful No 2, the game offers a high replay value and it is very difficult, if not impossible, to ask for more than that! The Pursuit mode is alone is bound to take all your time as you can just play it over and over again and never get tired ! Of course, you can unlock more cars and tracks by winning races and the mirror mode tracks have never disappeared. Look, are you taking EA for idiots !? 

Now, Need for Spped III : Hot Pursuit is a must-have if you just want to have fun in a racing sim without having to bother about long championships and repairing you cars. And just with its Pursuit mode, this game definitely kicks ass. And besides, you won't have the times to complain when you're desperately trying to accelerate with tons of police cars gaining ground on you and the perspective of your hard-earned cash going away !! WOUWOUWOUWOUWOUWOUWOU…….You are under arrest ! 

NAME: NEED FOR SPEED III - HOT PURSUIT

SYSTEM: PC, Play Station