|
|
|||
 |
|||
| Erwin's Pages Central > Articles > Games Reviews > Need for Speed 3 | |||
   
  
 |
Developed by: Electronic Arts Published by: Electronic Arts The series continue... After NFS 1 and 2 EA comes up with NFS 3, which is supposed to be faster, smoother, cooler and more fun than its predecessors. The cops are back too... Nothing lookes to be in the way for NFS 3 becoming the racer of the year. The game installs easily but requires 270 MB for the full install. When I was finished setting up the game, I quickly launched it. The intro shows the Dolby Surround logo, which is already a good sign. The intro cinematic is, as usual with EA games, stunning. Alright. After the intro I blazed through the menus, which are very good and attractive by the way, to immediately step into my new stallion. And then I saw the graphical horror. 320x200, software renderer and no bi- or tri-linear filtering, it’s all a nightmare. I quickly looked at the box and yes, NFS 3 supports 3DFX Voodoo 1 and 2. My guess was that I had to go the NFS 3 website to download a patch for my new Voodoo Banshee. And I was right. I rapidly downloaded the patch, installed it and then launched the game for a second time. The graphics were now unbelievable. On my PII 266 with Voodoo Banshee NFS 3 ran smoothly in 1024x768 with full detail!!! The cars are a picture to look at and they have got chrome and reflexion. You can choose from 9 cars plus four bonus automobiles, 2 for you and two for the cops. I have one thing to say, though. When in 3DFX mode, you cannot use the dashboard view, like in NFS 2 Special Edition. The box told me something about a 3D cockpit but only if you have a Voodoo 2 card with 12 MB or a PCI/AGP graphics card with at least 8 MB. I hopelessly tried to get the dashboard, but with no results. The tracks are breathtaking and quite long. It took me about 3 minutes to finish one lap on the second track. There are by the way 7 tracks plus one bonus track. Actually, there are 3 times 2 tracks plus 2. Why? Because in the first track for example there is a turn, one to Hometown and another to Crystal Lake. When you ride the course "Hometown" the turn to "Crystal Lake" will be shut, and the season will be autumn. If you choose the track " " the turn to Crystal Lake will be open, but "Hometown" will be off limits and the season will be winter. So, about 1/3 of the track is the same as the other. I do not consider this as something negative, besides doing something like that is very clever from the programmers, but for a while I felt kinda dissappointed. There are four game modes: Single Race, Hot Pursuit, Knockout and Tournament. The most unique option is "Hot Pursuit". If you play the "hunted" you’ll have to try to beat the cops on all circuits and get absolutely no tickets. You also have to win the race. When you have met these two conditions on every single track, you’ll get a bonus car. If you play the law-abiding state highway police officer, you’ll have to catch all the law-breakers in the margin of laps. You can use radar, set up road blocks and spike strips to aid you in your quest of becoming "Top Cop" and win another bonus car. From all the race options I found "Hot Pursuit" the most exhilarating. In the field of sound & music I do not have much to say. The game supports Dolby Surround, so it definitely sounds good. The menu-music is cool, the on-track tunes are fine and the sound effects are very lively. A wavetable sound card is however recommended. The game also supports numerous multiplayer-modes: Split Screen, LAN, Serial Cable and modem. Other features of NFS 3 are the replays, car showrooms, free downloadable cars and force feedback. This last particular thing adds to the fun and thrill in the game, but it is hard to drive accuratly when your stick or wheel is constantly shaking and twisting...
EP sez: Score (with recommended configuration) Gameplay: 9 Graphics: 10 Sound & Music: 9 Addictiviness: 8,5
Overall: 91% |
       |
|
| (c) 2002 Erwin's Pages All Rights reserved. |
|
||