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 ou know, it's pretty hard to make a bad racing game. I mean, think
about it: the concept of racing is such a fundamentally fun notion that
it has pervaded our fluctuating spectrum of entertainment venues for
millenia. Seriously, it takes a concerted effort on behalf of the developer
to make a racing game ultimately unplayable. In fact, throughout my
long experience playing competitive racing titles, only one comes to
mind: the infamous Cosmic Race, a game so bizarre and incomprehensible
in implementation that the vast scope of its sheer lack of fun boggles
the mind. It had to be planned that way. Really.
On the other hand, it's pretty bloody easy to make a mediocre
racing game. It's even easier for a developer to rest on their laurels
after making a superlative racing title and allow the name recognition
to sell the distinctly flawed sequel.
Obviously, I'm talking about the original The Need for Speed, and its
imaginatively-titled sequel, The Need for Speed 2. Part Trois was destined to
be an uphill climb for NFS series developer EA Canada, and the question on
everybody's mind is: did they succeed?
You betcha. Need for Speed 3 breaks the tradition of terrible Part
Threes and delivers an excellent racing title that reeks of professional
polish, top-notch design, and, above all, an emphasis on the fun of
racing. It doesn't hurt that the game is arguably the cleanest and best-
-looking auto racer on the market, for any system (yes, that includes the
N64). There's none of the texture-seaming present in most Playstation
racers, and very little texture-warping to speak of. Color depth is quite
high, and the sense of speed, so notably missing in the original 3DO
incarnation of part one, is profound. The frame rate (ever a concern to
usenet-izens) hangs at around 30 fps, with jumps (it seems) to 60 fps on
traffic-less straightaways, and slight drops when the maximum traffic and
environmental effects (rain, snow, night driving, headlamps) are turned
on.
Speaking of special effects, this game gives even the legendary
Gran Turismo a run for the money, with environment-mapped surfaces on
your car (and the others in Replay Mode) to add that San Francisco Rush
reflective look. Light-sourcing is used in liberal fashion, especially
at night, when your headlights actually light up the road realistically
(and follow the road, as well; they aren't just a cheap alpha-channel
bitmap slapped in front of that car), and the cops' red-and-blues spiral
about, casting their fearsome glow about the track as they pursue you
doggedly. The resulting graphic effect is spectacular, making NFS3 a joy
to watch all around.
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The exotic supercars that have made this series so famous are back in full force.
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The Replay Mode is even better, since the level of environment
mapping is cranked up a few notches, adding even more realistic reflections
to the cars' surfaces and adding some jaw-dropping camera angles. If you've
seen the Replay Mode in Gran Turismo, you know what to expect; if not, you're
in for a pleasant surprise.
The real area of excellence in NFS3 is the track design, which, on
certain tracks, such as Atlantica, is downright brilliant. All of the
tracks feature incredibly lush and polygon-intensive scenery, with scores
of little touches such as biplanes or blimps flying alongside you, trains
passing overhead, leaves swirling in the speed of your passage, and a
variety of animated roadside features like watermills and flags. Some
tracks, such as the Atlantica track, go a step beyond, adding clever
multiple routes, jumps (a hidden route in Atlantica leads you to a place
where a quick turn can let you clear a high median for monstrous airtime),
and beautifully twisted yet negotiable curves. You start with 4 tracks
initially, with four more locked off until the Tournament mode is
completed. The manual alludes to a ninth track, which only the most-skilled
in Knockout mode (to be mentioned later) will make available. These tracks
can be set for for night-time driving, or played mirrored or backwards.
On top of that, you can set the traffic level from none to maximum, where
the latter dumps a diverse array of vehicles, from school busses to Chevy
trucks to commuter cars, on the road with you. Observant racers will notice
that some traffic
types are custom to their track - Atlantica, for example, has tour busses and
transport trucks with the Atlantica City logo on them - a nice touch!
Of course, an auto racing game needs to have a good selection of
vehicles if it's going to compete with the racers on the current market. NFS3
falls a little short in this area, with 6 cars initially selectable, and 2 more
available after the Tournament modes are won. Gran Turismo players used to
that title's jaw-dropping 100+ selectable cars will be disappointed, but the
vehicles chosen for NFS3, ranging from the Lamborghini Diablo to the Nazca C-2,
provide for a good range of driving styles. The cars themselves are
beautifully rendered, and every attempt was made to model their handling
realistically (not that I've driven a Nazca C-2, mind you; I'm just quoting
the manual, here). You can select from two driving models: Arcade, or
Simulation, in which the latter requires you to customize your car to the
specific track you are racing and its environment conditions. To cap it off,
a Compare option which allows you to compare your chosen car to those of
your opponents' allows you to gauge the difficulty of the coming race.
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You can see from the picture that headlight effect in Need for Speed 3 is very impressive. Just wait until you see a few cops chasing you at night in the replays!
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The control itself is very tight, and, fortunately, both the NeGcon
(recommended) and the analog pad are supported, and are auto-detected and
configured upon boot. My only complaint with such was that the default
settings for the NeGcon don't put a camera view change button on the pad,
which led to a few disconcerting seconds as I groped about frantically for
it at the beginning of the race. Boy, though, if that ain't a nitpick, I
don't know what is.
There are several distinct modes of play available, ranging from
the standard Single Race mode to the intense Hot Pursuit mode, which pits
you and a competitor against a horde of pigs in souped-up cars. Somewhere
in between are the Tournament, Knockout, and Practice modes, the latter
of which offers an extensive range of tutorial options, including a Ghost Car,
and marked lines on a track to follow. This is very cool and very useful for
getting a track nailed down tight. Of course, the real champ is the original
Hot Pursuit mode, which features Dukes of Hazzard-style pell-mell action
of the most visceral breed. As mentioned above, it's you and a rival blitzing
through a track of your choice, stocked with a healthy amount of
temperamental cops. Things start out a bit slow, with only a lone cop
brashly squealing over his pig-phone for you to "Slow it down!" but, after
dodging him, the race quickly turns into a balls-to-the-wall fox-and-hound
marathon, with four or more baconboys in high-powered flasherbacks screaming
on your tail. Their AI, however, is no slouch; they'll try sideswipes,
roadblocks, and nasty surround tactics to catch you (and your rival). It's
up to you to fight dirty, baiting them into dangerous corners or ramming
them when you have an opening. One classic moment I had was during night on
the Atlantica (yes, I dig that course) track, with traffic at the maximum level
and four patrolmen, their sirens screaming and lights flashing, tailing me
down a narrow sidepath. I made a tight turn into a tunnel, cops now following
me in serial, and ramp up onto a high median area. Stupidly, the pigs
followed me, with only one of them taking the on-ramp to the left back down
onto the highway. Throttling it, I leap off the end of the median, narrowly
missing a tour bus. The cops, unfortunately, didn't, and plowed threefold into
the side of the tour bus, piling traffic everywhere. I musta spent an
hour watching that over and over on replay - yeah, those "good ol' boys"
have nothing, nothing I tell you, on me. Aw yeah. According to reports from
the developers during the design of the game, the cops are supposed to
learn from your driving patterns and adjust accordingly, but, man, no pig
is ever gonna hang with me. By the way, this mode is best played at night,
just for the cool light-sourcing effects.
The other modes, while more traditional, are still great fun, with
above-average driver AI for the rival cars. The Knockout mode is much like
the Tournament mode, only the last place car in each race is removed from
the Tournament entirely, making the final race a real nail-biter against
the two top drivers. If you compound these modes with the wide variety of
track options and settings, it adds up to a ton of racing value.
Sound is solid fare, with two styles available from the options menu:
Rock and Techno. Naturally, I gravitated towards the Techno option, which
turned out to be some pretty good driving tunes. Nothing inspirational, but
still quite pleasant. Sound effects are also clear and well-done, with the
expected reverb effect in tunnels and plenty of ambient sounds. Amusing in
particular are the various things the police yell at you via bullhorn in
the Hot Pursuit mode, although I imagine this to get old after awhile. Still,
hearing a cop squeal "Hey! That's a new paint job!" when you scrape him
along a cliffside is oddly satisfying, in a deviant sort of way.
Of course, comparisons will inevitably be made to the high-water mark
in racing games, the masterpiece Gran Turismo by Polys Entertainment. As a sim,
NFS3 just doesn't hang, lacking the vast ocean of details, cars, and
customization options that GT does. On the other hand, NFS3 is definitely
more free-spirited fun, which, while being grounded in a good driving model
and tight control, is closer in soul to San Francisco Rush and the arcade
racers. It also has more detailed and longer tracks, which add a lot to
the personality of the game. Whereas Gran Turismo is for the dedicated
car aficionado, NFS3 is simply a great yet accessible racing experience.
While it isn't an equal to GT in terms of depth, it still provides enough
diversity and play modes to keep just about every person with a yen for
high-speed auto racing satisfied. Altogether, NFS3 is a great leap forward
for the series, and guaranteed to please.
-- Doug Erickson
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