Gaming Target - Xbox: Need For Speed: Underground

Written by Leigh Culpin on May 16, 2003

Updated Look: If only they had my car in the selectionЕ

I drive a white 1991 Dodge Spirit. Woo-hoo, right? It doesn't get a whole lot plainer than that Ц no, it's not a Focus or a Firefly, so it could be worse, but we aren't exactly talking high performance vehicle here. Having said that, I still have a sound system that's worth at least a grand, woofers and all, and a nifty blue neon light under my passenger side dash. Why? Well, if I can't own a Civic or Eclipse (and thus can't mod the crap outa one) I can at least joke around and enjoy driving around in my 3 speed (5 if you count reverse and neutral) automatic non-descript car. Hence, the latest Need for Speed game, Underground, is pretty much a dream come true for me.

Why you ask? Well, that's simple. While I certainly wouldn't mind driving a Viper, 911 Carrera or Ferrari, that's not a very realistic mode of transportation for me for the next few years, and furthermoreЕ well, while you can do lots of cool stuff with cars like that, half the fun of racing is being in a car that you more or less put together Ц a vehicle that's been changed from a way to get from A to B to something that'll make you look, sound and feel good doin it. Underground simulates this driver-car bond by letting you pick your stock cars and mod the junk outa them, to be put to the test in a good ol' street racing scenario. Mmmmmmm.

Unfortunately the term УcustomizeФ in recent driving game memory has been turned into a rather pathetic cousin of the intended meaning Ц games let you change your gear ratios, down force, tire types and the like, but that's pretty much the extent of the majority of Xbox's customizable car games. Underground goes a step or ten further and promises to deliver that which all car and driving game enthusiasts have been waiting for Ц a game that lets you change practically everything in and on your car. And by everything I mean body kits, spoilers, scoops, hoods, wheels, neon effects, your lights, muffler, and of course paint colours and decals. What about actual car performance you ask? Well you can also alter your suspension, drive train, tires, engine options, turbos, and other aerodynamic features that'll alter the performance of your car.

All of that makes the game sound more like a simulation than an arcade game (which is what the other NFS games are) doesn't it? Well, despite all of the customizations possible, the dev team made a special point of making sure that you don't have to be a car guru to know what you're changing on your vehicle, yet it's in depth enough to please the hard-core racing audience out there. Seems a little impossible? Maybe, but then again stranger things have come forth from EA in the past. While it certainly isn't a hardcore racing simulation like say GT4, it certainly will bridge the gap between uber-realistic racers and the impossible physics of the arcade realm. The team initially implemented a realistic physics engine and then tweaked it where they felt that those physics were detrimental to the player's experience, something that hasn't been done right in ages. Let's hope EA Canada gets it right.

52 real world after-market mod makers have been included in the game Ц an impressive number no doubt Ц but what about real world cars? Well you'll find vehicles as old as 8 years or as new as a 2003 model, but unfortunately only around 20 base cars are likely going to be available when the game ships (though that's not to say more won't become available through Live). Having said that, there's so many customizations you can make to each vehicle there's more than enough to work with to keep you playing for quite some time, as while only the performance options will alter the performance of your car (i.e. body kits, lights and chassis changes won't affect how your car handles as they would in real life) the visual elements still have some serious impact on gameplay Ц your car will be rated for it's visual УwowФ by a star system, and certain races require so many stars, so if you haven't tweaked your car's visual style enough, you won't be able to partake in that particular race. An interesting and welcome gameplay mechanic to be sure.

The game's only potential problem is that there hasn't been any talk of Xbox Live support! While it has been mentioned that PS2 and PC will have online options, for reasons this author cannot fathom word of Live support doesn't seem to exist, something which will quite possibly be the game's one and only shortcoming. Unfortunately it may be one severe enough to drop off the popularity of the gameЕ