Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered Reviews
Criterion and Stellar Entertainment did an impressive job with this one; I’m still having a hell of a good time drifting turns and chasing perps. It’s a testament to how well made the original game was that it can be re-released 10 years later with some small graphical tweaks and still knock my socks off.
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered does the bare minimum a remastered should do (yet some don’t). There are small but subtle visual improvements in here and the performance is excellent. It’s a blast of a game due to how well it still holds up, as the remaster itself didn’t bring new elements to the table. It’s a touch disappointing not much has been done to this game, but at the same time, it still remains near the top of my favourite Need for Speed games.
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit originally released a decade ago. This refresh from Stellar Entertainment Software offers classic Need for Speed racing but is this remaster left in the dirt? Drive up to the starting line, start your engines and find out in this Rapid Review.
If you want an arcade racing game to have lots of fun, Hot Pursuit Remastered, is an ideal choice.
Review in Greek | Read full review
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered is a true blast from the past, for better or worse. The driving feels sublime, and the updated visuals look fantastic at 30 fps. The added crossplay provides even more opportunities to partner with online racers for high-speed hijinks regardless of platform. However, the lack of any difficulty settings and the rubber banding serve as a stark reminder of how far the racing genre has come in 10 years.
Need for Speed as a series is not easy at the moment, although most games were not bad at all. But with every new announcement a large part of the fans hopes that either "Underground" will appear in the name or even better that the game will pick up the concept. Especially Need for Speed Underground 2 has a huge fanbase. If a remaster is announced, the fans have a justified hope that it could be their favorite. If you leave the disappointment that it didn't happen like that aside, you have to say objectively that you made a comprehensible choice with Need for Speed Hot Pursuit. The title came off quite well, basically reflects the concept of the series and is quite fun. One will like the single player area, the other one prefers the multiplayer mode and surely there are many who find good entertainment in both variants. Visually the game is no revelation even as a remaster, if you look at Need for Speed Heat for example. But they managed to eliminate the technical flaws of the original version, like edge flickering and muddy textures, and with greater visibility, higher resolution, new environment elements and better performance they made the whole thing a fun title even in 2020. Since this is not a full-price title either, a fan of action-packed frenzies is definitely entitled to strike.
Review in German | Read full review
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered is still a great game a decade later, but it's even better now with the addition of modern multiplayer sensibilities, improved visuals, and an expansive single-player campaign.
NFS: Hot Pursuit is still a fun arcade racer today, but the price-performance ratio is not right anymore.
Review in German | Read full review
While it may not be the Need for Speed title that fans most wanted, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered does enough to satisfy series veterans. It works as a brilliant reminder that without the various gimmicks that the franchise has tacked on over the years, the simple premise of street racing and police chases is where the series shines best. A variety of cop and racer events, fun weapons, and the Autolog system set it apart from its NFS siblings, but on Nintendo Switch, the game doesn't go beyond being a more feature-complete and graphically improved version of the original. Newcomers may not find as much to be excited about in it when compared to more contemporary racing games, but for fans of the series, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered is a welcome return to form.
As a remaster, this one falls a bit below today’s standards in two key areas. The graphics don’t look that much better than they did back in 2010. And the unchanged open-world free roam option is still a total waste of time. Hot Pursuit Remastered has a ton of fun things to do and feels great when it’s time to hit the road. It’s just a bit of a letdown when it comes to its graphical enhancements and the fact that its longstanding issues remain intact.
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered is the perfect reminder of what Criterion brought to the franchise, with a blisteringly fast arcade racer that’s made all the better if you’ve got the ability to play it at 60fps. The main downside is that your Autolog wall is more likely to splashed with your solitary achievements, rather than the consistent flow of competition you experienced a decade ago.
This game is an active exercise in the "don't fix what isn't broken" mentality, banking on nostalgia, and succeeding greatly at that. It doesn't really bring much that's new to the table but it's a recommended buy for anyone who wants a simple racer or is a fan of Hot Pursuit at the price it's going for.
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered is as good as the original was - with all its post-launch content. But it feels more like a lazy port than a proper remaster of this racing game that you can, of course, still enjoy on Nintendo Switch.
Review in French | Read full review
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered teleports players back to more innocent times a decade ago, when simply taking on a series of races was considered enough to keep players entertained. Many would argue its simplicity is a strength, however, and the reality is that despite the lack of depth it's still a hugely entertaining time whether you're playing as a racer or a cop. If you struggle to stay afloat with all the faffing around in modern games, this old-school dose of straightforward racing goodness is your life jacket.
Need For Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered reignites the online fervour for this excellent arcade racer.
This leaves those who have never played it as a potential audience. But honestly, they are better off with newer games than Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remaster, since this is a remaster only in title, stuck in 2010 practices.
Although Need For Speed Hot Pursuit holds its ground on many aspects even after 10 years of its original release, the remastered version is disappointing and doesn't show a lot of enhancements. The game feels like a port rather than remastered.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
While it's fun, it doesn't bring much new to this port so It ends up feeling dated and the progression grindy. While nothing can match the chaos of a good cop chase, the rest of the package could use some updates. That being said, those looking for a new arcade racer will surely find a good time here.
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered keeps all the traits of the simple and immediate original arcade racer, but it can feel a bit too simple for modern gamers. Technically it's a very good porting though, and if you aren't looking for a too deep or varied experience, it can still be very enjoyable.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered is a very faithful remaster of Criterion’s best Need for Speed, though its graphical upgrades aren’t as noticeable on PC as they are on consoles.