When it comes to "Need for Speed: Underground 2", one immediately remembers rainy streets, the hum of engines, the roar of tires in skids and a clear soundtrack in the background. This game is not just a race, it's a whole world in which speed merges with the atmosphere of the night city, and each trip becomes a small adventure.
The first thing that immediately catches your eye is the unusual presentation of the plot. The story is shown to us in the form of comics (hello, "Max Payne") - stylish and concise, with voiceover, but really atmospheric. So, without unnecessary animation costs, the player is given a rich and interesting storyline. At the center of it all is you and your car, of course. You are a new face in the world of street racing in the city of Bayview, and your task is to upgrade your cars, gain respect and become a master on these streets. The presentation is very simple, but effective: the comics look stylish and perfectly fit into the overall mood of the game.
Now, as for the graphics. In 2004, it was just an incredible game with a visual component that you could watch for hours. By the way, I did just that, pressing the "forward" key in all new races. Bright neon lights, fiery exhaust fumes, reflections on roads wet after rain - every corner of the game is filled with detailed elements that you want to look at, not just pass by. The textures were excellent for that time, and the work of the machines simply could not fail to impress.
But the most important thing is the open world. For the first time in the series, there was a space that could be explored. And no, these are not just tracks that open up as you progress - no, no, here you can "walk" around a huge city, visit different areas and participate in various competitions. Of course, access to some areas was limited, and it was necessary to "open" them by winning races in other parts of the city, but this added excitement. Traveling around the city was just as interesting as racing. The city looked alive, and driving through the streets at night was like a real adventure, when you not only compete, but also enjoy the surrounding atmosphere.
The city itself in the game can be safely called diverse. It has everything from bright and noisy neighborhoods with skyscrapers to old industrial zones, from wild serpentines to magnificent views from the highest points of the presented map. All these places are not just decorations - each area has its own atmosphere and its own specifics for racing. For example, the central part of the city is ideal for circuit racing and sprints, excellent dirt tracks can be found on the outskirts, and mountain roads sometimes turn out to be a great opportunity to polish the ability to score points in drift. Every corner in the game seems to be filled with life, and each area has its own character and soul.
Racing is, of course, the basis of the game. Underground 2 has a special emphasis on diversity. Here you can participate not only in classic street races, but also in such modes as drift, sprint, racing in a conditional straight line with gear shifting and much more. At the same time, each competition brings its own emotions and gives you the opportunity to test yourself in different driving styles. For fans of off-road vehicles, there are also separate races where you can put heavy cars on the track and run into rivals along the way.
The music in the game was great. The night city becomes even more lively with incendiary tracks, and each race feels like a mini-event. The sounds of the engine and exhaust are perfectly combined with the rhythms of rock music and electronics, creating the very drive that you want to experience over and over again. Some tracks are so memorable that years later, when you hear them in a different context, you immediately find yourself in these night races, in this city. This is the magic of music in games.
For tuning fans, the game becomes a real paradise. You have the opportunity not only to improve the technical characteristics of your car, but also to customize its appearance to the smallest detail. Do you want to put huge disks? No problems. Colors and stickers on the car? Everything is in your hands. Pick an unusual color, choose an unprecedented tinting, fill the trunk with subwoofers, equip the car with pulsating neon lighting? All this can be done in the game. But the most interesting thing is the system of photo shoots for magazines. The more beautiful and cool your car looks, the more it attracts attention. The pursuit of a visual rating is reflected in real life, because the better your car is, the more likely you are to get on the cover of a popular tuning magazine. And, to be honest, at some point it becomes even more exciting than the racing itself. At the end of the game, it's really cool to open a list of all the magazines and follow the evolution of your Career. This is a separate pleasure.
The game, of course, is not without flaws. But again. I'm talking about my opinion personally. There are really a lot of races here, but there is no quick transition from one starting point to another, which I am sure would be appreciated by those players who do not want to waste time traveling to the next start. Also, races very often take place along similar routes, strongly repeating the races already completed. And some circuit races can last under ten minutes, which is still long enough for one race. But it's a matter of taste.
"Need for Speed: Underground 2" is a game that has sunk into my soul and is remembered as one of my favorite games in the series. The atmosphere of the night city, cool music, a variety of races, tuning and leveling - all these elements make the game incredibly exciting and atmospheric. Here you want not only to race through the streets at night, but also to explore every corner of the city, find new routes and defeat all rivals. Underground 2 is a really cool game that is still one of the best in the series.
9 out of 10.
