[Review] Need for Speed: Underground 2

[Inkriql]

Need for Speed: Underground 2 is a racing video game published by Electronic Arts and developed by EA Black Box. Released in 2004, it is the sequel to Need for Speed: Underground, part of the Need for Speed series, available on Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance and Microsoft Windows.

The story is based on the tuning of cars for street racing. Need for Speed: Underground 2 provides new features, such as greater customization of vehicles, the "free" mode (where you drive the car freely on the map), in a city known as "Bayview", a city that has similarities with the cities of Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Houston. This game also allows the inclusion of SUVs, which can be extensively customized like the other vehicles and are used in races against other vehicles of this type. Brooke Burke voices Rachel Teller, the person who guides you throughout the story. Underground 2 is considered one of the best deliveries of the Need For Speed series.

The game has very good graphics and the player can choose between one of the musical tones, play it and listen to it also offers options to apply that music in the races or in the main menu, or simply in all modes so it is heard in the main menu And in the races.

History

The story begins when the protagonist drives a modified blue Nissan Skyline GTR R-34, the same one he used to defeat Eddie in Need for Speed: Underground.

One night, after a race, he receives a call from a man offering him a position in his band. The protagonist accepts. When he goes to the meeting point, Samantha calls him telling him that the thing is burning and that people want to see his star and arrive soon. When the protagonist arrives at the meeting point, a Hummer H2 lights its headlights to blind the protagonist and he stomps on the brake, but crashes and destroys his car. Afterwards, a man with a tattoo on his hand (which later in a forum reveals that the guy who was inside the SUV is a guy named Caleb Kane who at that time is the supreme leader of a hidden street racing organization called League Imperial which brings together the best pilots in the world), lowers the window of the Hummer H2 and calls to say that he had to deal with a "problem". Caleb, that after causing the accident, takes over everything Bayview (a city near Rockport) (Need for Speed: Most Wanted).

Six months after what happened, the protagonist flies to Bayview to beat Caleb and recover the city. On the plane he finds a note from Samantha and some keys from his friend Rachel's car. Upon landing, the protagonist finds Rachel's green Nissan 350Z.

Once inside the car, Rachel instructs the protagonist and asks him to bring his car to the dealership. Anyway, the player can do about three optional races (two circuit and one sprint, the second circuit race is hidden in an alley) that is in the beginning to earn extra money.

Then he arrives at the dealership and selects a car. After buying a car, the GPS will auto-locate to Rachel's garage. After a kinematics, races will appear, one of each gameplay; They show tutorials to overcome them. Upon completion of all races, the Beacon Hill area is unlocked. A message from Rachel will let you know.

When you enter any race after unlocking that area and win it, several sponsors will show you offers for their contracts. You must complete 3 sponsor races, pass 3 URL races (5 in Heigths, 7 in East Coal Harbor and 9 in West Coal Harbor) and complete numerous other races. All of that is to unlock all of Bayview and gain a reputation in order to defeat Caleb. All this is repeated until the last area of the map.

The final race against Caleb takes place in the "Bayview International" circuit and 5 laps. Caleb in the final race uses a black Pontiac GTO.

Game modes

    Circuit: You run on a path that returns to its beginning on the map and a certain number of turns. Through the career options you can change to "Knockout": The last one is eliminated until there is only one runner left.

    Sprint: In this mode you must compete with other drivers in a race from point A to point B.

    Acceleration: You must test your reflexes to avoid objects and change the gears of the car, something similar to reality. Calculate gear changes well and do not delay when changing, because the engine will overheat, and if you take too long, it will explode. And also pay attention to obstacles (or traffic) and walls during the race, because if you hit them at high speed, you will automatically lose.

    Drift: It is the art of making the car skate in the corners. You earn by points and it is usually difficult until you grab your hand. There is also a mode called "Downhill Drift" in which you must do the same as in a standard Drift competition, just keep in mind that since you are now competing downhill in the Bayview Mountains you will find traffic which will prevent you from doing skid points, because when you crash, you lose the points you got in that skid. By playing in story mode, you can get more information on how to master this career mode. "Downhill skids" are directly based on illegal drifting races on mountain passes in Japan, but with only one runner at a time.

    X Street: Similar to the circuit. But in this mode you must run on shorter tracks than on the circuit and it is the opposite of skidding races, because now surround tight corners without wasting time when crashing. This type of racing is totally based on the Rallycross, and basically they are the skid circuits of Need for Speed: Underground, but converted to ground circuits.

    URL / Underground Racing League: Also called circuits. But these are not street plans but they look like a racetrack, and are held at the Bayview racetrack, and at the city's airport (not accessible from free mode). Winning these in the story mode make progress more and unlock cars in each, are the equivalent of tournaments in Need for Speed: Underground. In this mode they are taken as tournaments of 2 to 3 races that are scored according to the position of each runner, they can also be simply one-run.

Other minor modes are

    Free Race: Choose a car and run throughout the city.

    Pursuit: Two runners participate, and it is carried out at any time while driving through the city (in free mode). Win the one that separates 300 meters (1000 yards) from the other, that is the leader. This can circulate anywhere without the opponent exceeding it, otherwise you will have to chase it to reverse the position.

    SUV: You run a Circuit, Sprint or Acceleration race but with the difference that you use the giant SUVs of the game.

Locations

    City Center: It is the center of the city. It has luxurious casinos, theaters, luxury hotels and some residential communes. It is the first area where we play.

    Beacon Hill: It is the tourist pump and the area of docks and coasts. It also highlights the Pigeon Park, possibly thematic.

    Jackson Heights: The area of mountains where the rich live. It is the house of the game drifters, who delight when they must skid in that area. A main cover of the game was made here.

    Coal Harbor (East): An industrial zone that has difficult to grip curves. This area is a little less industrial, since its only important resource is the steel factory.

    Coal Harbor (West): The remaining area of the map. It does stand out in the industry: it has a port, several train stations and a nuclear power plant. Their paths are much more curved than the previous location mentioned, but they are less compared to Heigths, although it is more difficult to drive here than in Heights. Its curves are more closed than in the mountain range, which only has a few closed parts.

Other minor places are

    BayView International Airport: The start of the game takes place here. It is where we got off the plane that brought us to this city and where we began to pilot Rachel's Nissan 350Z. All free mode races also start here.

    Pigeon Park: Also known as Brad Lawless Park. It is a stretch of Beacon Hill that occupies half of the area. They highlight several slightly old buildings, a monument to the park, a food aisle and a small souvenir shop.

    Observatory: It is almost further north of the map. They are 3 equal observation towers. There is also a construction similar to a church further west.