Need for Speed: Multiplayer Hotness From IGN.com

It's always funny to travel around the world and arrive in Tokyo, only to play a game developed outside of Japan. I happily did that, however, following EA's press conference at the Tokyo Game Show when I sat down for a multiplayer session with Criterion Games' Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. Although I respect the Need for Speed series, I've never been an avid follower of it -- until now. This is one of the tightest, most exhilarating arcade-style racers I've gotten my hands on, and multiplayer is a total blast. 

The folks at Criterion Games, of course, are no strangers to well-polished racers. Having nurtured Burnout Paradise long after its launch, the studio seems to be putting a lot of effort into Hot Pursuit. Players will be able to experience the thrill of chasing down illegal racers or, alternatively, running from the long arm of the law while burning over the asphalt. During my multiplayer session, I was able to get behind the wheel of both sides of the chase. In doing so, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit became one of my most anticipated games yet. 

The multiplayer suite of Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit is incredibly robust, especially when you consider the Autolog system, which seamlessly tracks your friend's accomplishments in-game and creates a hyper-intuitive system for launching into those same challenges in order to best them. But the real competition, of course, comes from playing with your friends online in one event. And that's where things get beautiful.

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit has three different modes for online play: racing, hot pursuit and interceptors. Racing, as you might expect, is just straight competition with no bells and whistles. Hot pursuit is the mode that pits the cops against the racers, and interceptors puts you in a more involved, elaborate chase that can take up to 30 minutes to complete.

At EA's event, hot pursuit was the mode on display, so I quickly found myself amidst the cops, chasing down the racers on a dangerous forest road. The first thing I noticed when it comes to Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (and what might be obvious to those familiar with Criterion's projects) was how brilliantly the cars controlled. There's a degree of realism to be found in the handling, but really this game is all about having fun and racing at blinding speeds. Skimming around a corner while biting at the tail of an escaping racer is a special kind of treat, one that many will greatly appreciate.

In Hot Pursuit, players will have access to some "special moves" to keep things interesting. Those on the police's side can order a road black, lay down a spike strip, call in helicopter support and trigger an EMP. All these techniques can be executed with a direction on the d-pad and they definitely spice up the already adrenaline-filled matches. 

The racers aren't without their own set of tricks, though. They can also throw down spike strips and trigger EMP blasts, but they have a jammer for dealing with pesky police helicopters and they also have a powerful turbo boost that can send them careening down a track. While playing as a racer, this was one of my favorite moments in the multiplayer experience, despite the fact that I wrecked my car at the end. As you might expect, your ride doesn't turn as well during a turbo boost, so walls are not your friends...

There's really nothing I didn't like about Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit so far, though my experiences have been limited. The game is incredibly promising and I suspect that any gamer interested in racing will get a kick out of this title, especially its multiplayer support. But we'll just have to see if the final product is as enticing as the short demos I've enjoyed thus far.