Hello my dear readers! Back in the dashing 90s, the phrase "Need for Speed" became synonymous with the word "". And although gamers can play any other games, but so far no one has been able to surpass the popularity of this particular one (or at least repeat it). Is it so difficult? Maybe we will get the answer to this question if we analyze all the parts and find out which Need for Speed ​​​​is the best?

You can find countless ratings of such a plan, polls and TOPs on the Internet, and, mainly, opinions different people catastrophically does not match mine. Analyzing information on the Internet, I saw that in one chart some guy put a part of 2013 in first place, Rival.

That was the reason why I shared my own opinion with you and wrote a post about my gaming addictions.

Which Need For Speed ​​is the best - parts ranking

For some reason, I doubt that any of the readers of this article played the 1994 part. But it was then that the first series of world races was released. And already the very first game influenced the future parts, because the company amazed everyone with its implementation, and the graphics, which by those years were simply breathtaking. Just think that the game was released in the last century, and to this day it scatters around the world in billions of copies as soon as the company releases a new part.

Oddly enough, the last step in my rating is Rival, the game was released 3 years ago. This set became popular due to the ability to play online, in addition, the player himself could choose who he wanted to be: a racer or a policeman. Since the creators of the game have fully booted technical questions, they did not have enough fantasies to name the cities somehow.

Games with friends on a grid and constant rivalry, a real picture and constant changeable weather. It was only thanks to the network strategy that this part paid off, but car tuning could have been better…

A small video reviewer about this cult game:

Moving on, on our course - Shift

This game, by and large, does not have a storyline, but it has become quite popular and has found its player. Well, yes, after all, not everyone sits down at the computer to watch an exciting story, someone just wants to compete in sports cars with other gamers, hearing the sound of the engine, albeit virtual, and this is what NFS Shift provides.

The developers immediately noted that they would pay more attention to the cars themselves than to something else.

Do not judge me harshly, but I will not add The Run to my list, since it was created for the third generation Sony PlayStation, and, according to many gamers, turned out to be a failure. The creators focused on excellent graphics, but even in spite of this, terrible tuning and an unfinished story "interrupted" a high-quality picture.

Then in my ranking comes a part called ProStreet

The emphasis was shifted from street racing to more professional race tracks. Now the car could be beaten to smithereens and this, to the delight of competitors, reduced its driving performance several times. The police disappeared, and with them the free ride around the world.

Such a buzzword as “traction control” and “abs” appeared in the setting - not all gamers realize that they can be turned off, as a result, everyone complained en masse about disgusting control.

Besides, for different types races need to use different types of machines. All this creates the effect of being out of touch with the world - fans of the racing simulator Colin Mcrae Rally could play this part, but NSF fans were at a loss what happened to their favorite game. It can be called the most unfortunate part, but it is far from successful either - it is unusual, sometimes misunderstood, with its pluses and minuses.

The Run

The developers of the company are not against experiments, and in this part, the players again saw a lot of updates. NSF already has a storyline.

Of course, it was before, but it was not visible so brightly. The main character is drawn into the mafia showdown and now, in order to part with the enemies on good terms, the guy needs to win the race, where 500 people take part and give the money won to the mafia. And for the first time in the game, this character realized that you can leave the car and just walk down the street. Not simultaneously with the race, of course (it's still not GTA).

All races are part of one big show. Since the hero will travel across the country, a variety of exciting attractions are included: mountains, rivers and megacities and villages, night follows day, here gamers will see races - for every taste.

Therefore, the main advantage of this part, in addition to the development of the storyline, is the graphics - it is worthy. To the minus - despite the variety of attractions and beautiful picture, races become the same type over time and quickly get bored. Perhaps this is the reason for such mixed responses.

In the rating of parts of the NSF, I could not help but add "Undercover"

Game critics were very strict: Igromania, exactly a year ago, wrote a lot of positive reviews of the ProStreet series, but this time she gave the next part only 5 points, accusing the creators of every mortal sin. Other colleagues in the shop had the same opinion, the authoritative publication Playground wrote that Undercover is the worst of all the previously presented parts.

But, of course, the opinion of all experienced critics cannot be compared with the point of view of gamers who wrote only positive reviews of Underground. What is the reason for such disagreements? And what opinion should be believed?

Let's start with what we looked at the most: the creators took the car park from Prostreet (there are so few new cars that you can list them on the fingers of one hand), and physics, most likely, has not changed in 12 months. The cops were picked up from the Most Wanted, the cop chases got easier. Like the rest of the game, the races are relatively easy, especially when you get through the first half of the game.

In general, there is a certain lack of completion in the game - as if the creators wanted to make the second part of the Bridge Vonted, but a great idea was ruined by poor implementation and advertising. Despite this, the game has found its fans - it is recommended to beginners who have just discovered the world of racing. But for those who have already played NSF, it will seem boring.

The best nfs for tuning is, of course, Underground!

It was this series that launched a new era.

At that time, the films "Fast and the Furious" became popular, and the release of this part of the NSF hit the nail on the head. Racing at night, expensive cars and unique tuning are successfully combined in this game. Of course, there is room for oldfags who immediately commented that "EA already releases the wrong games."

But if you look at it, this part was a success completely deservedly so. The creators thought out the tracks to the smallest detail: many different areas were endowed with their own atmosphere and successfully combined against the general background of the game.

Something similar can be traced with the proposed game modes: the classic race was competently diluted with drift and drag track, thanks to which the Underground could not get bored. Well, the well-known and popular tuning allowed everyone who considered himself a street, sorry for the word, a racer, to fasten as many stickers, lights, spoilers and other invariable attributes on a car as your heart desires.

Yes, not here in question about reality - there are no cops in the game, and physics has clearly been pushed beyond the boundaries of reality. But instead of cool and expensive cars, players could drive not so elite, but cool cars, which were often found on city streets. This part gave a feeling of breakneck speed for a whole generation, and rightfully became the best racing arcade of those times.

Further, in my rating, the second part of the sensational Underground

What new things can you come up with in less than 12 months? By all the laws of the gaming business, after the success of the previous part, it is simply unrealistic to create something more original in a year. And according to the same laws, the second part was supposed to be a game for quick money: they added new tracks, new vinyls and spoilers, several cars and sent them to stores. But this is absolutely not the case - making a choice between a stable income and an adventurous solution for a completely updated game, EA took a chance and added an unrealistic amount of new ideas and solutions to the sequel.

The main revelation of this part is an open world in which you can easily move between races, while visiting new stores with useful goods to improve your car. In addition, the creators have added new race modes, now you can apply for sponsorship. The number of free cars has grown several times - at the same time, many cars, like a jeep, did not help much in the races, but were bought just to ride with the breeze.

And what is the last need for speed?

This is what I wanted to ask you. Have you already played this part? If yes, share your opinion and write which part of NSF is your favorite. I will be glad to your comments! Subscribe to and always stay up to date. Bye, dear friends!

Text agent Q.

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Over its long history, Need For Speed ​​has seen both rise to the very top of the charts and fall to the very bottom.

There were also races in fast sports cars and chases with the police and tuning and even cutscenes in the series. The released NFS: Rivals became the 20th anniversary game of the series, unless, of course, counting together with Shift 2 Unleashed, from the name of which, during the development process, they decided to remove the phrase - Need: For Speed, apparently, so that suddenly the game would not be mistaken for an arcade game.

Of all the released projects, only NFS: Nitro is exclusive to the Nintendo console, while the rest of the games have always visited the maximum number of platforms. They tried to release v-rally rally races, cunningly invented by Electronic Arts, in America under the heading “Need for Speed”, of course, we will not take into account, and not one normal fan considers these games to be Need For Speed. So let's get started, the top five games from Need series For speed.

It was the first part, which was released under 3DO in 1994, and under DOS in 1995, and occupies the fifth line. The first NFS impressed players, of course, with graphics and physics. Before that, we played some Lotus or F1 (Formula 1), in which one group of pixels overtook another. In Need For Speed, there was no doubt, you are in a cool sports car, rushing through a real night city or highway.

Already in the first game, you got to know the classic cars that settled in Need For Speed ​​forever - Lamborghini diablo, dodge viper, Chevrolet corvette, and real videos were shot about each of them in the game. You could also read historical references, see photos of old models and so on - that is, a real encyclopedia. Need For Speed ​​forever raised the bar for racing games, and after it the dandy no longer rolled in.

On the fourth line is one of the most interesting, unusual and controversial games from the Need For Speed ​​series - Porsche Unleashed. This is the only game in the series where gamers were offered to drive only one brand of car - Porsche, of course. From the very first models of the 50s to the most modern Boxster, at that time, of course. The game came out in 2000. Some gamers hate this game, and some consider it the best Need for Speed ​​​​of all. And in general, the players liked the idea of ​​driving the oldest cars.

In career mode, it is especially interesting to complete races, earn money and slowly buy more and more new models. You can feel the difference when you switch from 356 to 911. And even more unusual and cool was the Factory Driver mode, where the player in the role of a factory driver performed all sorts of technical tasks, drove between cones and even participated in illegal races. Porsche unleashed the unique Need For Speed ​​in fourth place.

Police chases are one of the most interesting and impressive themes in the NFS series. The police were already in the first part, but it was in Hot Pursuit in 1998 that she became the central character. The cops put spikes, barriers, rammed - and when they did catch a gamer, they gave out their phrases like: "Hands behind your head, feet on the hood" - or the classic - "This is the last warning." Owners of the old "pirates" will surely remember this masterpiece voice acting. In 2002, a very good Hot Pursuit 2 appeared.

Well, in third place we have the best Need For Speed ​​​​about the police - Hot Pursuit 2010 from Criterion Games, a remake of the classic Need For Speed ​​\u200b\u200b. You might want to say that the original '98 - the original Hot Pursuit should take this place, but we don't think so at all. The game from Criterion not only reproduced all the best moments of that gameplay, but also added its own features, that is, brought it to a new level - these are, of course, all sorts of attacking gadgets - like emia, spikes, and so on, well, and a great game mode for a policeman .

Police mode for many gamers has become perhaps more interesting than the racer. An indescribable buzz - when serens howl around, a helicopter is circling overhead, and you ram a street racer and he goes straight into the ditch. Plus, all these gadgets like spikes, emmy, turbo, which can now be used by racers as well. They add beauty and drive to the race. The most beautiful graphics. Accidents look simply stunning, and the tracks are atmospheric and mesmerizing. Hot Pursuit 2010 is impossible to put down and is definitely not only one of the best Need For Speed, but also one of the best races ever. Third place.

And finally, it's time for Underground - in second place of the best Need for Speed. It is difficult to say something new about this game, about it, and so everyone knows everything. Well, which of the gamers did not sit at night at the Underground with phrases like - “well, now I’ll finish the race, change the bumper and definitely sleep.” Underground - he pulled the thinnest, most sensitive threads of our soul - these are girls, tuning, cool cars and nu metal.

Most surprisingly, the game that essentially revived the series' popularity after the not-so-well-received Porsche Unleashed and Hot Pursuit 2 was very easy to develop. Constant night time saved the developers a lot of time. The tracks were repeated, and the cars were very similar to each other, but in the Underground it was different. Gamers got tired of driving Ferraris and McLarens, instead they spent hours screwing on spoilers and painting vinyls on Mitsubishi Lancers or Subaru Imprezas.

And what a great soundtrack it was! Static-X and their immortal hit "The Only", Lostprophets, Rob Zombie, Story of the year, and the same song was playing on the menu ... Need for Speed: Underground - in second place, with greetings from the time when computer games brought real pleasure.

Here we come to the winner. First place, the best Need for Speed ​​​​of all time - Most Wanted 2005. Why is he so good? Everyone, he is good for absolutely everyone. This game has taken all the best from past games in the Need for Speed ​​series, put it all in one jar, mixed it well, and got a cocktail of 100% fun. Let's remember all those chips in order.

Let's say cars - from simple and beloved from the Underground Toyota Supra and Mazda RX-7 to chic Lamborghini Murcielago and Gallardo. And remember our beautiful BMW in white and blue tones - isn't that the kind of car you still dream of having? And, of course, tuning, styling, a lot of spare parts, vinyls, paints and other things - to make the car in the game truly yours. The gameplay took the most "juices" from the Underground, as well as Hot Pursuit, and everyone's favorite Drug racing - and speed radar races, and, of course, great, phenomenally cool and epic police chases.

All, which, by the way, was the most beautiful and diverse, and so, this whole world was open - please, get away from the chase along your own routes. And remember your favorite circles for avoiding the police and triangles, under which water towers and gas stations were hidden.

Even 2010's Hot Pursuit can't offer the best cop gameplay for a single. Remember those awesome tasks when you had to break through ten barriers, shoot down fifteen police cars, cause damage for a certain amount - the chase could drag on for half an hour, every minute of which was full of drive and tension.

In addition to all this, a great storyline with beautiful cutscenes and powerful characters, all this complemented the picture of joy. And the soundtrack included Static-X, Disturbed, The Prodigy, Bullet For My Valentine, and Avenged Sevenfold. In general, the game is a legend, a game is a masterpiece, a game - which they don't make anymore! Ten out of ten, and the best Need for Speed ​​of all time. First place.

Few people have not heard of Need for Speed, the famous racing franchise. The games in the series have collectively sold over a million copies, and the series has been made into a separate film. The series has many fans around the globe, and the developers never cease to amaze fans with experiments in the series.

Since the 90s, Electronic Arts has released a new project in the series. The list of games is quite wide, but not all of them were successful. Nevertheless, a lot of projects-pearls came out. In this article, we will list the best games in the Need for Speed ​​series.

10. Most Wanted (2012)

The game should not be confused with the 2005 project of the same name in the same series. This Criterion project continues the arcade tradition laid down by Criterion (as opposed to the realism of the Forza Horizon series).

The game has beautiful graphics, a large fleet of cars - from Aston Martin to BMW - which are perfectly controlled. A large number of events and races will not let players get bored. The game will not disappoint longtime fans of the series.

9. Need for Speed ​​(2015)

This reboot of the series was meant to be a return to form. The games in the series up to that point had not received high ratings from critics and players. The developers have made this game a feature of constant updating - events and sudden events in the game world appeared with a new update of the game. The downside is that the game requires a constant online connection.

The plot of the game is presented in the form of full-length video inserts that tell the story of the underground racers of the modern metropolis.

8 Nitro (2009)

This is the first game in the Need for Speed ​​series, created specifically for the Wii consoles. The project perfectly uses the features of the peripherals of the console from Nintendo and will allow you to drive at high speed through the virtual streets. The graphics, by Wii standards, were also on point. In addition to the Wii Remote, it was possible to control additional accessories in the form of a steering wheel. The game has become a great racing project on the Nintendo console.

7 ProStreet (2007)

Released in 2007, the game became one of the best in the series, following the breakthrough Carbon. Unlike past projects, the game emphasized legal racing, and the famous chase mode from the cops was a thing of the past.

However, the project bribed others: great sound effects and a wealth of options for car customization. The car could be adjusted to your type of driving. The game also included a choice of game modes familiar to Need for Speed ​​players. Choosing Need for Speed: ProStreet, you will definitely not be disappointed.

6 Carbon (2006)

The game came out a year after the iconic Most Wanted, and she had to not lose her face. The developers did not let us down: the project was good in all respects.

The nightlife of a huge metropolis was reproduced especially well in the game, which made it similar to the projects of the Underground subseries. Car customization has also been expanded, and now you can model individual car parts as you wish. The fleet was striking in diversity - especially muscle cars, which were controlled in a completely different way. If you liked Most Wanted, this game is not to be missed.

5. Rivals (2013)

The first game in the series for eighth generation consoles. The project amazed the owners of Xbox One and PS4 with great graphics and drawing of the environment. From Most Wanted, a large open world was borrowed. The world of Review County not only looked great, but also offered endless opportunities for racing and additional tasks. It was possible to participate in the chase on the side of the cops or robbers, drive cool sports cars like the Porsche 911.

It is on the game of "cat and mouse" that the emphasis is placed in the game, and if you have long wanted to play chases from your favorite movie in virtual reality, Need for Speed: Rivals is for you.

4. Shift (2009)

Although players associate Need for Speed ​​with arcade rides, the tradition of the series has changed with the release of Shift. This game offered gamers a more realistic driving style, a simulation in the spirit of Gran Turismo.

No police chases, no cut-scenes storyline, no open world with a thousand missions - pure racing fun at the Dakota and Silverstone racetracks. The emphasis on driving has paid off: few games in the series have since replicated the sensation of high speed.

3. Shift 2: Unleashed (2011)

If you liked the more realistic driving model of the first game, then the new project in the Shift sub-series will come in. The driving model is closer in realism to projects like Forza Motorsport. New tracks - for example, Shanghai - and a large number of cars greatly increase the fun of the game compared to the first part.

2. Most Wanted (2005)

Speaking about the best games of the Need for Speed ​​series, one cannot ignore the classics. Most Wanted at one time won the hearts of fans of racing simulators around the world. Until now, for many, it remains a favorite game of the series - all thanks to the adrenaline races with the police and the superbly designed virtual city of Rockport.

The goal of the game is simple - to win a place in the sun in illegal races throughout the city and regain lost prestige. The game is a classic of the series and a must for every fan of the game.

1 Hot Pursuit (2010)

Without a doubt, the best game in the Need for Speed ​​series is Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. The game returned to the series' arcade roots. The setting was also memorable - the virtual city of Seacrest impressed with beautiful landscapes, realistic changes in weather and traffic.

You could play as a policeman or a racer. Each side had its own means in the fight against the opponent, for example, the cops had spikes on the road. A large fleet of vehicles - Bentley, Porsche Panamera and many others - made it possible to realize any racing dream in the game.

You can buy it in the PiterPlay store.

The history of the Need for Speed ​​series stretched over twenty years, during which the franchise has gone from extreme street racing to rule-bound track racing. This is a classic. There are not many series in the world that have been rebooted three times and still have a huge number of loyal fans. Need for Speed ​​has evolved and changed in order to meet modern trends. Back in 1994, she made her debut in the form of a street race and, having an excellent set of distinguishing features, immediately took the podium in the genre. In collaboration with various developers, the franchise introduced the world to 20 official games of the main series, becoming one of the largest in history. Some of these games have become hits, others smell like burning rubber, and the debate about which is the best continues to this day. We also decided to go through all the issues of Need for Speed ​​​​and make our own rating. Of course, there will be fans who will be disappointed by our selection, as the list is long and everyone has their own favorites. However, what's stopping you from talking about them in the comments?

20. Need for Speed: ProStreet (2007)

And the first on our list, having received the dubious title " worst game series," turns out to be Need for Speed: ProStreet. For the first time in a long time, ProStreet is bringing players back to the track, abandoning EA's successful street racing format. At the same time, realistic damage appears in the game, which affects the driving style, and the ability to ride on real-life race tracks. However, devoid of the tension of police chases and the open world, ProStreet lost all the fun that distinguished its predecessors. Along with this, the game suffered from poorly embodied "realism" and, in comparison with other games, was of much lower quality.

19. Need for Speed ​​III: Hot Pursuit (1998)

In nineteenth place, penultimate, is Need for Speed ​​III: Hot Pursuit. In the first coming of the Hot Pursuit franchise, the player was given the opportunity to be both a criminal and a cop for the first time. Each new game in the series featured new ideas, as the original Hot Pursuit introduced split-screen, along with a significant improvement in graphics, which in the first part were impressive for their time. Unfortunately for the game, the visuals weren't enough to make up for the mediocre gameplay and lack of open world that fans loved so much.

Game not available on PC digital services

18. Need for Speed: High Stakes (1999)

Following Hot Pursuit, let's move on to its successor, Need for Speed: High Stakes. High Stakes took its predecessor as a basis, adding to it races in which rival cars were at stake, tournaments and chases. If you were lucky enough to play it on the first PlayStation, then you must remember that High Stakes mode for two players, in which the car in which he raced was immediately erased from the loser's memory card. Surely this was the cause of many quarrels between friends. Great idea, but it's not enough for the game to deserve any decent place in the rating.

Game not available on PC digital services

17. Need for Speed: World (2010)

On the 17th place was the fifteenth part of the series, Need for Speed: World. It was a PC exclusive, created in the style of Most Wanted and Carbon with MMO elements. As the name implies, World had a large highway map connecting Palmont and Rockport from the same Carbon and Most Wanted, playing the role of an open world. Over a hundred licensed cars, a treasure hunt mode, and a new tuning system based on reputation and skill points - that's what the free World offered to its players. The reason it ranks so low on our list is because EA has ended support for the game, stating that it "no longer lives up to the high standards set by the Need for Speed ​​franchise."

Game not available on PC digital services

16. Need for Speed: Nitro (2009)

The next game in our ranking was a game published on only one platform - Need for Speed: Nitro. When it fell into the hands of Nintendo, it tried to become an exclusively fun, spitting on realism for the sake of more fun "race", rather than a limited set of tracks and a poor set of cars compared to other parts of the series. While the Nitro did its job at first, it quickly became tiresome. Moreover, she could not boast of a single new feature, except for "Own It" - a sign on the screen informing who is in the lead in the race. Throw in a weak campaign and you can see why Nitro ended up in just sixteenth place.

Game not available on PC digital services

15. Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed (2000)

Then, in 2000, EA decided to deviate from its usual course by bringing Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed to the world. Since the game was aimed at Porsche fans, it featured cars only from this brand, albeit represented by a wide range of model range from the 1950s to the end of the century. Porsche Unleashed featured incredible detail, allowing you to look into the legendary German sports cars while driving. It was even possible to try on the role of a test driver and perform various tasks in the hope of concluding a contract with the Porsche Company. However, it is precisely because of the decision to opt for a single car manufacturer that the game earns so few points in our ranking.

Game not available on PC digital services

14. Need for Speed: Shift (2009)

After open-world MMOs (World) and arcade action games (Nitro), the second reboot of the series was born with a third game, track sim Need For Speed: Shift. This time around, EA has decided to target hardcore driving enthusiasts by adding more than sixty fully customizable supercars to the Shift track. Although the game moved away from street racing, it was possible to use some dirty tricks, such as eliminating your rivals right in the middle of the competition. And it was great. Unfortunately for Shift and the Need for Speed ​​franchise, it ran into two other sims, Forza Motorsport and Gran Turismo, that made it look retarded.

13. Need for Speed: The Run (2011)

Let's move on to the next part, the dark horse of The Run. What was good about it was how different it was from the rest of the games in the series. A sort of mixture of Shift and Hot Pursuit with a very tough plot. In the role of Jackson "Jack" Rourke, the player had to compete in street races across America, from San Francisco to New York, maneuvering between gangsters and cops. Colorful setting and lots of various conditions for racing, what else do you need? The Run has taken racing from an entertainment category to a survival necessity. However, this part of the NFS suffered from a lack of replay value and was very short. Many hoped for more content given the game's "pan-American" geography.

12. The Need for Speed ​​(1994)

The original Need for Speed ​​that started it all. The classic arcade game from which all subsequent installments of the franchise drew inspiration. And each of them contained something from the very first - ring racing with no time limit, races from point to point and various chases with the participation of the police. Need for Speed ​​was arguably the best racing game of its time, and it only ranks so low in our rankings because its successors managed to seriously surpass the high bar set in 1994.

Great news for 3DO owners - if you still have this console, you can play Need for Speed ​​on it!

Game not available on PC digital services

11. Need for Speed ​​II (1997)

The first game to exceed the "high standards" of the original was Need for Speed ​​II, its direct sequel. Released on fewer platforms (in fact, only PC and PlayStation), the second part of the franchise took the best of its predecessor and made it even better. It was in Need for Speed ​​II that the “elimination” race mode was first introduced, in which the last driver to complete the lap left the competition. Of the shortcomings of the second part, perhaps, a decrease in complexity and a departure from the realism of the original can be noted. That, however, did not prevent her from earning a huge success.

Game not available on PC digital services

10. Need for Speed: Carbon (2006)

And finally, we got to the middle of our list. The top ten is opened by Need for Speed: Carbon, which became the first game in the series, released on the PlayStation 3 and Wii in 2006, and continues the story of Most Wanted. Carbon was a rather bold project that decided to make some serious changes. Getting rid of drag racing, the developers invited players to try their hand at the "Canyon", a mode similar to cat and mouse, where the pursuer had to stay as close as possible to the leader in order to get points. Carbon also introduced team competitions to the franchise, in which you could recruit partners and improve their performance. The intelligence of the partners at that time was quite good; you could even give orders to help win competitions. It had Need for Speed: Carbon and some shortcomings, such as a lack of "attention" of the police and, in fact, the short duration of the game itself.

Game not available on PC digital services

9. Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012)

8. Need for Speed: Undercover (2008)

Need for Speed: Undercover crept into eighth place. And it came out exactly at the time when it was most needed: after the failure of its prequel, ProStreet. The latter circumstance led to the fact that developers worked on Undercover much longer than on previous releases of the series. The franchise has returned to its roots, that is, to all those elements of Need for Speed ​​that you remember most of all: street racing, police chases, the opportunity to be in the shoes of a cop yourself, the story, the open world and, of course, a LOT of CARS! And again, the game was summed up by the plot, about the low quality of which both fans of the series and critics did not fail to speak out.

7. Need for Speed ​​(2015)

Next on the list is another, final reboot of the franchise called Need for Speed. In its 2015 release, the game was able to delight new console owners with stunning visuals, realistic controls, and a ton of new content. The load was a hard connection to the online, requiring a permanent connection to the Internet. And again, the weak plot undermines, and online features do not receive proper development. Yes, you can challenge the avatars of real-life celebrity drivers in the campaign, but the frustrating level of AI negates the beauty of this opportunity.

6. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 (2002)

From this point on, choosing the best game becomes more and more difficult, because we have reached the very top of the Need for Speed ​​​​franchise. Sixth place goes to Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2, last game the first era of the series, after which EA hit tuning. It won the 2002 Interactive Achievement Awards "Console Racing Game of the Year" thanks to its improved cops vs. thugs mode. The police in Hot Pursuit 2 has increased significantly, even helicopters have appeared! It was also here that rock music first appeared under the EA Trax label. The only drawback of the game was that it worked perfectly only on PS2, the versions on other consoles were noticeably inferior to it, which is why Hot Pursuit 2 remains only in sixth place.

Game not available on PC digital services

5. Need for Speed: Shift 2 - Unleashed (2011)

Fifth place brings us back to the circuit racing in perhaps the best track part of the entire franchise - Need for Speed: Shift 2 - Unleashed. There were not many innovations in it, but the game worked hard on itself, proving that it is not necessary to be bigger than its predecessor, the main thing is to become better. Management in Shift 2 has become more realistic, added a view from inside the cockpit, including a helmet camera. The latter, by the way, was a chic and very popular feature - the driver's head bobbed in accordance with the physics of the car, and tunnel vision turned on with increasing speed. Shift 2 was a major departure from the rest of the series and was a serious competitor to other better known and better looking racing sims.

4. Need for Speed: Underground (2003)

I'm sure that not all fans of the series will agree with me, but the fourth place is rightfully occupied by Need for Speed: Underground. The game that took the franchise to the next level and started the incredibly popular tuning culture. It was in it that the story and the garage appeared for the first time in Need for Speed, allowing the player to fully customize appearance and the entrails of the iron horse. The Drift mode, in which players earn points for the longest possible controlled drift, also first appeared in the Underground. The first reboot of the series was very successful for EA, and it was from this part that a series of games began that determined the face of the franchise.

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3. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010)

Rounding out the final three is Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, which took the form of one of its predecessors. The careers of both a racer and a policeman are available in it. This game was developed by Criterion studio, the creators of Burnout Paradise, from which Hot Pursuit only benefited. The game has been praised for its endless supply of fun and epic moments, which has elevated it to the franchise's pantheon and made it a huge success.

2. Need for Speed: Underground 2 (2004)

One of the most hotly debated Need for Speed ​​releases and a very strong contender to win. Underground 2 took a huge step forward by offering players an open world map for the first time, where in order to participate in an event, you first had to get to it. Almost unlimited car tuning options, a long storyline, interesting side quests and seriously improved graphics - these are the main advantages of Underground 2. And that's not counting the gift in the form of a chance to drive an SUV! The game did not take the first place only because, in the presence of an incredibly criminal setting, it does not have the opportunity to play as a policeman. Although there are plenty of other types of competitions.

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1. Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005)

Our favorite Need for Speed ​​is 2005's Most Wanted. Without a doubt, this classic is not only a great racing game, but also a great game in general. The original Most Wanted brought back police chases to the franchise, showing exactly how they should look, which not everyone manages to do even now. But what really elevates this part of the series above the rest is its complexity. As the game progresses, the chases become simply insane, police cars begin to pursue the player more and more aggressively, and obstacles in the form of helicopters, SUVs and blockades on the roads do their best to kill the unfortunate driver. And all this serves as an embellishment for an exciting story, in which the player moves up the "Blacklist", overcoming hordes of cops and avoiding the greatest chases in the history of video games. Most Wanted boasts an excellent collection of cars, an interactive open world and well-designed tuning, which together gave us the best game in the entire Need for Speed ​​franchise.

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Back in the glorious 90s, the phrase " Need for Speed" has become synonymous with racing". And although this is not the only successful racing series, so far no one has succeeded in surpassing its popularity (or at least repeating it). Why? Perhaps the answer to this question can be found by analyzing the 10 best parts of Need for Speed.

There are a great many such ratings, polls and TOPs, and, as a rule, they categorically do not coincide with each other. In one stubborn rating that I happened to see, a monster called NFS: Rival flaunted in the first place! So I had to create my own poll, which, we hope, will allow us to judge gaming sympathies relatively objectively.

The coolest NFS games

10. Need for Speed: ProStreet (2007)

Street racing? No, have not heard

ProStreet managed to cling to the last car of the departing train with its frail hands and jump to the last step of our rating. Many seasoned NSF fans prefer to spit in disgust when they accidentally meet ProStreet on the street. And all because this game was "not like everyone else": the focus was shifted from street racing to more professional rides on the racetracks. Now the car could be smashed into the trash, and this, to the delight of rivals, seriously reduced its driving performance. Gone are the cops, and with them the free-ride mode in the open world.

Such buzzwords as “traction control” and “abs” appeared in the settings - not every student knew about the possibility of turning them off, as a result of which the entire monitor spattered with saliva, cursing the disgusting control. In addition, different types of races required the use of different types machines. All this created a feeling of isolation from the series - fans of racing simulators like Colin Mcrae Rally might like this game, but fans of the series were perplexed what had become of their beloved NSF. ProStreet cannot be called a failure, nor a success - it was unusual, sometimes misunderstood, with its pluses and minuses.

9. Need for Speed: The Run (2011)

The Run pleases with a well-drawn eagle and the nature of America

The guys from EA are not afraid to experiment, and in The Run, players again saw a number of innovations. The NFS has a storyline. Of course, he was present before, but in the "Race" he is put at the forefront - he cannot be overlooked. The main character is involved in a mafia showdown and now, in order to part with the mafia friends, he needs to win the race from San Francisco to New York, in which 50 people participate and hit a good jackpot. And for the first time in the NSF, this very the protagonist I found that you can get out of the car! Not in the middle of a race, of course (it's not GTA before us, after all), but during some sharp plot twists, you will have to leave the car and run from the bad guys on your own two, enjoying the action that unfolds behind your back.

All races are part of one large race. Since the journey passes through the whole of America, a variety of exciting locations are included: rocks, forests and deserts, cities and villages, night and daytime races - for every taste. Therefore, the main plus, in addition to the plot, is the graphics - at the highest level. By cons - despite the variety of locations, races become boring over time and seem to be of the same type. Indeed, with rare exceptions, only the “sprint” and “chase” modes are presented here (although the escape from an avalanche is truly epic, such events are rare in the game). So, like ProStreet, NFS Run has received mixed reviews.

8. Need for Speed: Undercover (2008)

Developers know that in order for stupid gamers to understand that they are driving fast, the picture must be carefully blurred.

Gaming critics were harsh: Gambling, which had praised ProStreet the year before (8.0), gave NSF Undercover a 6, accusing it of all mortal sins. Representatives of another reputable publication, Playground, were in solidarity with their colleagues, giving Undercover a score of 5.9. But, of course, the opinion of some authoritative critics is nothing for us, compared with the point of view of experienced schoolchildren who vote for Undercover. Why did this part fall in love with a certain part of the players and critics did not like it? And which of them to believe?

Let's start with what is most striking: the fleet is taken from ProStreet (new cars can be counted on the fingers), and physics, it seems, have not undergone noticeable changes in a year. The cops were picked up from Most Wanted, after making police chases easier. Like everything else: racing is pretty easy, especially in the first half of the game.

In general, the game leaves a feeling of some unfinished work - as if EA decided to create some kind of Bridge Vonted and Underground 2, but good idea ditched a terrible implementation. Nevertheless, the game has found its fans - it can be recommended to beginners who have just started their acquaintance with the NFS series. But the rest will be boring.

7. Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012)

How could the idea to create Most Wanted 2012 even come about? It all started in 2010 when EA changed the development team. Instead of Black Box, which worked from 2000 to 2010 on all parts of the NSF, the Canadians gave work on the racing series to Criterion Games. Their first project was the creation of Hot Pursuit, which we will return to a little later. Probably, a successful debut powerfully covered the developers and they decided to encroach on the sacred - NFS: Most Wanted. With no relationship the same MW to the received game does not have. Generally.

Most Wanted 2012 breaks many patterns - even those that shouldn't have been broken at all. For example, the plot is fundamentally absent: the player simply appears in the middle of the city. Who is he, what is he doing here, why is he driving - invent yourself. A bunch of cars are parked all over the city - any of them can be taken for free to participate in races. The passage boils down to defeating 10 racers from the "black list" of the original MW - this is the only reference to the first part. To fight with the leaders of this rating, you need bonus points that are earned in regular races.

The game has nice graphics, good races, there is a multiplayer mode (although there is no police in it), but the strange decisions of the developers bring all good ideas to naught: the lack of a plot and a car for free kill any motivation and interest in passing. And the Most Wanted brand only adds to the disappointment: after all, any gamer, seeing these 2 words, looks forward to seeing something completely different.

6. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010)

Hot Pursuit was undoubtedly a success for Electronic Arts: the transfer of the NFS series to Criterion Games allowed the series to be refreshed after not the most successful predecessors. Some of the innovations implemented in Hot Pursuit made it possible to break the applause of critics, who did not skimp on good ratings for this game. What is special about her?

For the first time in a long time, 2 full-fledged campaigns were provided in the game: not only for the street racer, but also on the side of the cops. And we can say with full confidence that never before in the NFS series has so much attention been paid to the game for the police - so in this regard, the new product managed to reach the heights of the legendary NFS 3. And thanks to Autolog, with an Internet connection, the game appeared in all its glory: the multiplayer mode allowed up to 8 people to be involved in a race or chases. At the same time, Autolog allows you to see the results of your friends in order to try to surpass them - the reward for this is not only a sense of satisfaction, but also special bonuses (experience points).

Among the pleasant little things, it is also worth noting the change of day and night - in the "Hot Pursuit" the sun can go below the horizon right during the race.

5. Need for Speed: Carbon (2007)

Although NFS: Carbon is traditionally rejected by many fans of the series (at least, fans of the Underground and MW), this did not prevent him from enlisting relative support from critics - ratings from the same Igromania and other publications allow an average score of 7.5. Yes, and there are also fans of this toy. What did Carbon bribe them with?

The first is a good tuning system, with all the usual bells and whistles that after the Underground were cut down in Vantede Bridge. The second is the nighttime atmosphere of a small town. In general, Carbon has gathered an audience due to a certain similarity with NFS: Underground. Similarities in good sense of this word - the graphics are really nice: raindrops, a variety of tracks, including a dangerous mountain serpentine - all this is a plus. But it was not without its downsides.

Only the lazy did not spit on the command system. And there is a reason: you don’t have enough crustacean teammates in other games? Great, now they will destroy other people's nerve cells in Need for Speed. In Carbon, you have to race with your own “gang”, which, in theory, should help to get victories. Sounds interesting, but only in theory. In practice, the behavior of partners gives rise to an infinite number of questions, the answer to which may be a disappointing medical diagnosis. And the captures of the districts, obviously taken from the GTA, force several times to go through the same type and too easy to intrigue races.

This is the whole of Carbon: endless unpretentious races are diluted with overly complex and annoying "duels" with bosses on a mountain serpentine. And these extremes, without any middle ground, enrage. From my subjective belfry, going through NFS: Carbon more than once is a punishment. But it will do for once - and it will probably be fun at times.

4. Need for Speed ​​(2015)

Even at the development stage, according to many statements by Electronic Arts, it became clear that they decided to create the best game in the series, designing this event as a restart of the entire NFS line. The new game was supposed to collect all the best that was invented in this genre before it. For this, the project was handed over to a third development team, Ghost Games. The excitement was pumped up, the trailers were intriguing, everyone froze in anticipation ... So what?

As a result, we got good game, which failed to become the "swan song" of Electronic Arts. From the first minutes, everything is fine: excellent graphics and video inserts, like in Undeground, immediately immerse you in the game. But, the first joy passes, and you understand that the plot is painfully predictable: "I came to the city - I decided to conquer the local party." At the same time, it is not clear why everyone is trying to help the main character and who he is in general. And the whole street racing party looks, to put it mildly, ridiculous. A pleasant trifle: the role of the main opponents is played by 5 real, world-famous street racers who starred for this game. But in fact, this does not save the script at all.

I am glad that all cars are initially open - you just need to collect the necessary amount. And fine-tuning, in theory, allows you to make the car behave as you like - either smoothly enter turns, or fly into them on a drift. This is in theory. And in fact, to understand all these settings and determine how changing them will affect the car, you will have to spend a lot of time.

The love of developers for drifting is noticeable to the naked eye - in practice, only by setting the car for drifting, you can more or less cope with it on the road. But even the most ideally tuned and pumped car will not be overlooked by rivals - for balance, the characteristics of opponents' cars are automatically “tightened up”. As a result, most games can be easily completed with the "starting" Subaru.

Much attention is paid to visual styling - you can decorate the car as you like. As for bumpers, spoilers, suspensions and other joys of external tuning, the developers decided to add realism and displayed in the game only those details that really exist for a particular model. And if IRL there are no other bumpers for your Nissan, then you cannot change it. Nevertheless, tuning can be confidently attributed to the strengths of this NSF.

What is the result? We have Need for Speed ​​with amazing graphics, but a deserted city, a weak storyline and lazy cops who are dumber than in Most Wanted. Based on the average critic score, the game received a well-deserved 7 out of 10, which is quite fair. nice try, which has probably become the best in the last decade, but, alas, the new Need for Speed ​​is not able to cause the enthusiasm that Undeground and Most Wanted once managed to cause.

3. Need for Speed: Underground (2003)

It was this game that marked the beginning of an entire era. Against the backdrop of the fast and furious films gaining popularity, the release of NFS: Undeground turned out to be incredibly timely. Night racing, expensive cars and endless tuning successfully combined in one arcade. Naturally, it was not without old-fags, who immediately declared that “the NSF is no longer the same”, “ara-tuning for cattle” and, in general, it used to be better.

But in fact, the success of Undeground was well deserved. The tracks were thought out to the details: different areas of the city had their own atmosphere and successfully intertwined with each other. Something similar happened with the proposed game modes: classic races were competently diluted with drift and drag tracks, so the Underground did not get bored. Well, the glorified tuning allowed anyone who fancied himself a street, pardon the word, a racer, to hang stickers, flashlights, spoilers and other irreplaceable attributes on the car as much as you like.

Yes, here it was not even close to realism - there were no policemen in the game, and physics clearly went beyond common sense. But instead of pretentious and expensive supercars, the players had to drive on less "thoroughbred", but cool cars that could be seen on the streets of their city. NFS: Underground was able to give the feeling of unprecedented speed to an entire generation, becoming one of the best arcade racing games of its time. And signature music E Ron Don Don"turned into a real meme, recognizable all over the world so far.

2. Need for Speed: Underground 2 (2004)

What new things could be invented in less than a year? By all the laws of the genre, after the success of the Underground, it was impossible to rivet something better in the shortest possible time. And according to the very laws, Underground 2 was supposed to be a hack for quick money: add new tracks, new vinyls and spoilers, a couple of cars and send it to the shelves. But it wasn’t there - choosing between a stable income and an adventurous release is fundamentally new game, EA was not afraid to take a chance and add a lot of innovations to the sequel.

The main revelation of the second series was an open world where you could freely move between races, looking for new shops with useful gear for tuning along the way. In addition, there are new race modes and the ability to choose a sponsor. The set of available cars has grown significantly - despite the fact that some cars, like jeeps, were absolutely useless in the race and were sold purely “for the soul”. The races themselves have become a little easier - too many nerve cells of gamers were destroyed by the first Undeground at the last levels, they might not have been enough for the second time. However, this simplification did not spoil the game.

1. Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005)

NFS: Most Wsnted was the pinnacle of NFS evolution. Most Wanted was good at everything: new racing modes (such as radar); the long-awaited return of the cops, surprisingly done right - the chase was balanced, kept in suspense, allowing you to wind around the world for a long time, fighting for your freedom.

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