E3 2010: Criterion's Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit announced @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on June 15, 2010

News: Criterion reinvents a classic franchise.

After months of teasing, Electronic Arts and Criterion have finally announced the new Need For Speed project at the latter's UK studio. Titled Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, the game promises to return the NFS series to its root with "intense cops vs. racer chases." The game is currently scheduled to be released for the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on November 16 (November 18 or 19 in Europe). A Wii version, in development at Exient, will also be released on the same day.

Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit will include a full career mode for both cops and racers. This singleplayer mode will be linked with the game's multiplayer component through something known as the Need For Speed Autolog. What exactly is the Autolog? Well the Burnout developers describe it as a system "where players compare racing stats and automatically get personalized gameplay recommendations from their friends." They also tout it as "a feature that is poised to transform online racing for the connected generation."

In Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, your friends drive your gameplay experience. Need for Speed Autolog is a revolutionary system that connects friends directly to each other's games, enabling them to compare and share all their experiences, pictures and challenges. Need for Speed Autolog instinctively delivers challenges based on what your friends have been doing, creating a hugely dynamic, socially competitive experience.

Hot Pursuit will bring weapons and defensive equipment to the series for the first time. Cops, driving supercharged cop interceptors like the Lamborghini Reventon, will be able to obtain "takedown weapons." While racers, in high performance supercars like the Pagani Zonda Cinque, will have access to "evasion equipment" to outsmart the cops. The game will take place in the fictional Seacrest County, a west coast locale that includes "desert, forest, seaside and mountainous regions" all in an open world environment.

Craig Sullivan, Creative Director of the game said, УAt Criterion, we've been playing Need For Speed since it was first introduced on 3DO. We are honored and excited by the opportunity to reinvent the franchise for today's connected audience. Our goal has been to create cops vs. racers pursuits that are so fun, fast and exciting it really brings to life the adrenaline and intensity of the high speed cop pursuit experience with your friends.Ф

We'll have more on the next Need For Speed soon.