GC 2008: Need for Speed Undercover Hands-on

August 20, 2008 - After EA's Studio Showcase the press received the red carpet treatment at a swank location in downtown San Francisco. Surrounded by glasses of Champaign and plush couches, EA unveiled Need for Speed Undercover by Black Box Studios.

The Need for Speed series is one of EA's biggest franchises, so it's surprising that there hasn't been any new info since the release of Carbon last year. It was all part of its strategy to go big with the announcement of the latest title. As you'll see in the coming months, presentation is a huge part of Undercover.



The game feels immediately familiar and easy to get a hold of for anyone who has played Need for Speed before. The gameplay hasn't changed drastically; Black Box knows that its fans still want a title that straddles reality and an arcade racer. What was noticeably different was the tuning of the physics, making any maneuvers using the hand-brake feel very natural.

We hopped into a game as an undercover cop in the Tri City Bay Area. Having grown up in this declining metropolis, he has a personal stake in cleaning up the streets. His partner is Federal Agent Chase Lyn, played by the gorgeous Maggie Q, who was on hand for the event. She seemed genuinely excited about the production values of the cut scenes and she equated the project with working on a major Hollywood film.

We sat down to play a couple of modes in Undercover, starting with everyone's favorite: a police chase. The match started with Bay Area's finest in hot pursuit. A divided red and blue meter at the bottom of the screen indicated how close we were to being captured or how much farther we had to distance ourselves to reach freedom. To avoid incarceration you'll need to use all sorts of crafty maneuvers, like drifts, hand break-assisted 180s and 360s and environmental hazards. You can trigger these events in certain areas that are called out on the map. Once you get far enough from the police a second countdown is initiated and you must get your ride back to the chop shop.

If you aren't quick enough, the police will expertly block off your vehicle. This triggers a stylish failure cinema where your character is filmed being roughly taken down by the law. The footage is presented COPs-style with a shaky camera and pixilated face.

The other mode we played with was a straightforward race called Highway Battle. We went up against one opponent on a race towards a pre-designated finish line. We were struck by the amount of damage caused to our car as we jockeyed for position. A once-shiny vehicle was left looking like a crumpled mess after a few collisions with highway barriers.

I feel the need... the Need for Speed.

Producer Scott Nielsen mentioned to us that the whole game is really about chasing, and being chased. He wants to recreate the high intensity moments you see in the big action movies through something the team calls the Heroic Driving Engine. In Hot Pursuit 2 and Underground there were about 4 different components in the driving engine - now there are over 430 different components to play around with in each car to make them feel unique.

Need for Speed Undercover is looking like a very slick title and the developers were understandably excited for the press to get our hands on the game. The frame rate was a bit jumpy, which is understandable for a game so early in development, but even so it was obvious that the visuals in this title will sparkle like a newly-waxed sports car. We've got a new video for you so click below to see exactly what we're talking about