Need for Speed ​​Hot Pursuit Remastered is developed by Stellar Entertainment Limited and released in 2020.
As its name suggests, it is a remastered version of the 2010 game, originally developed by Criterion.

I never did a review of the original NFS Hot Pursuit which I loved so much, and the game ended up being delisted from Steam.
Now that I'm finally tackling Hot Pursuit Remaster, I'm going to kill two birds with one stone,
dealing with the additions and modifications made by this second edition.

I remember the enormous hype that Need For Speed ​​Hot Pursuit generated in me when it was presented during E3 2010.

The grandiose trailer featuring a wild race between a Koenigsegg CCX, a Pagani Zonda and a McLaren MP4-12C, all three chased by high-powered police cars including a Bugatti Veyron, with the cover of "Tainted Love" by Marilyn Manson. Then a Lamborghini Reventón enters in a heroic and thunderous manner with the song "Edge of the Earth" by 30 Seconds To Mars, who valiantly comes to stop the offenders still on the run.

Old-school NFS fans like me would finally have a Need For Speed on a par with the Hot Pursuit of yesteryear!

Although the original game has aged like a fine wine, in 2020 EA and Criterion are gracing us with a sublime remastered edition.

Seacrest County is a racing paradise on Earth.
This splendid fictional town is divided into several districts, each offering a different biome.
The scenery varies from immense forests, vast desert areas, snow-covered mountain roads...
Races can take place day or night, on clear, sunny, cloudy, foggy or drizzly days.
The game's graphics were already detailed in the original game,
and are further enhanced in this edition.

The game is divided into two distinct campaigns, in which you can play either a Racer or a Cop. Each of these two parts offers a large number of races, as intense as they are varied:
78 "Events" as a Racer, 63 as a Cop.

Drive dangerously to fill the Nitrous gauge, driving against the flow of traffic, taking shortcuts and of course, drifting.
Hot Pursuit's gameplay is based on a "Brake To Drift" mechanic, similar to games like Ridge Racer or OutRun.
A simple press of the brake button, followed by the accelerator, puts the car into drift mode, which is necessary for big bends.
And that's an understatement: some of the bends are huge, several metres or even more than a kilometer long!

You'll need to collect a gold medal at each "Event" to finish the game at 100%, which is no mean feat (See here).
I'd like to make it clear from the outset that Hot Pursuit is a rather arduous Need For Speed, which will put your driving skills to the test...
Indeed, the further you progress in the game, the more aggressive the AI of the Racers and Cops becomes, and I'm weighing my words carefully here.
The various competitors will do everything they can to overtake you, and the police will do everything they can to stop you, they're not there for fun.

As a Racer, your goal is to become the most wanted and famous driver by successfully completing every race.
There are several types of race to choose from, and it's worth noting that there's no circuit mode where you have to complete several laps.
The most classic mode, soberly named "Race", consists of sprint races against other competitors.
The "Duel" mode is virtually identical, except that you face a single opponent.
The "Time Trial" mode is all about getting to the end of the course before the time runs out.
The "Preview" mode is based on the same principle, except that the game lends you a car of a higher category, and therefore much more powerful.
The "Gauntlet" mode puts you in the wheels of a fugitive with a squad of police chasing you, and these frantic chases are also timed.
The "Hot Pursuit" mode is the most mythical of them all, featuring frenzied chases and a fierce battle between the Racers and the Police!

As a Cop with the prestigious SCPD (Seacrest County Police Department),
you'll have to arrest all the most dangerous offenders using expeditious methods.
Once again, you'll face a variety of challenges that will turn you into a seasoned police officer.
"SCPD Interceptor events" are pursuits in which you must arrest a single traffic offender.
"SCPD Rapid Response events" are races against the clock,
with every collision costing you time.
SCPD Preview Rapid Response events are identical to Racers' Preview mode, except that a collision means lost time.
"SCPD Hot Pursuit events" is the ultimate mode: you have to stop all the participants in an illegal race, by brute force!

Depending on the type of race, you'll be entitled to equipment to help you win.
There are 6 different types of equipment, for use in "Gauntlet" mode for Racers, "Interceptor" mode for Cops, and "Hot Pursuit" mode for both sides.

As a Racer, you can benefit from:
EMP, an electromagnetic pulse that temporarily damages and slows down the affected car,
Jammer, to prevent an opposing EMP from hitting you,
the Turbo, which boosts your car to phenomenal speeds.

As a Cop, you'll have:
Road Blocks, to slow down Racers in the event of contact,
a Helicopter, which drops harrows to slash the tires of offenders.

Finally, both sides feature Spike Strips that can be released from the rear of the vehicle.
Moreover, in the three modes in which you are entitled to equipment,
you can perform Burnout-style "Takedowns" on both Cops and Racers!

Hot Pursuit offers a wide range of dream cars, divided into several performance categories.
I'm obviously not going to list them all,
but you can select cars from prestigious brands, such as:
Lamborghini, McLaren, Porsche, Maserati, Koenigsegg, Aston Martin, Pagani, Bugatti...
Once you've chosen your car, from a selection available in each race,
you'll also need to select a color, even customizing it to your personal taste.
Meanwhile, a narrator explains the vehicle's technical specifications and history,
in the style of the early Need For Speed.

PC gamers, at least those like me who buy their games exclusively on Steam, were deprived of the DLC from the original Hot Pursuit.
Now, NFS:HPR contains all the DLC we weren't entitled to back then.

Unfortunately, some of the cars present in the 2010 game have disappeared in the Remaster:
the Carbon Motors E7 Concept, as well as the Mercedes SLR and Stirling Moss.
On the other hand, I deplore the absence of Ferrari vehicles, in both the original and the Remaster, especially in this NFS, which aims to be a tribute to the 90's episodes.
I'd also have liked to see more cars from the early NFS games, to get an even more nostalgic feel for the game. Fortunately, mods are available to compensate for this (See here).

The soundtrack is nice, containing mostly pop, rock and electro tracks.
Here are some of my favorite songs from the game:
"Bombshock" by Hadouken, "Stronger" by Lazee & Dead by April, "Watercolour" by Pendulum, "Nothing From You (Redanka Remix)" by Pint Shot Riot,
and of course the iconic "Edge Of The Earth" by 30 Seconds To Mars,
popularized by the game's first trailer.
It's a shame we don't have the option of adding our own music to the game, as this would have been the icing on the cake. The chase music composed for the game is orchestral and sublime. They sound almost military, and would fit perfectly into a war game!

NFS Hot Pursuit Remastered is, in my eyes,
the closest thing to perfection in the arcade racing genre.
The driving sensations are epic and exhilarating, the game's content is plethoric…
HPR is by far my favorite Need For Speed of those available on Steam,
EA never released the NFS from Black Box's golden age, namely Hot Pursuit 2 (2002), Underground 1 & 2, Most Wanted and Carbon.
In short, after everything I've mentioned in this review, you can see why NFS:HPR is a must-have game!

Need for Speed ​​Hot Pursuit Remastered is developed by Stellar Entertainment Limited and released in 2020. As its name suggests, it is a remastered version of the 2010 game, originally developed by Criterion. I never did a review of the original NFS Hot Pursuit which I loved so much, and the game ended up being delisted from Steam. Now that I'm finally tackling Hot Pursuit Remaster, I'm going to kill two birds with one stone, dealing with the additions and modifications made by this second edition. I remember the enormous hype that Need For Speed ​​Hot Pursuit generated in me when it was presented during E3 2010. The grandiose trailer featuring a wild race between a Koenigsegg CCX, a Pagani Zonda and a McLaren MP4-12C, all three chased by high-powered police cars including a Bugatti Veyron, with the cover of "Tainted Love" by Marilyn Manson. Then a Lamborghini Reventón enters in a heroic and thunderous manner with the song "Edge of the Earth" by 30 Seconds To Mars, who valiantly comes to stop the offenders still on the run. Old-school NFS fans like me would finally have a Need For Speed on a par with the Hot Pursuit of yesteryear! Although the original game has aged like a fine wine, in 2020 EA and Criterion are gracing us with a sublime remastered edition. Seacrest County is a racing paradise on Earth. This splendid fictional town is divided into several districts, each offering a different biome. The scenery varies from immense forests, vast desert areas, snow-covered mountain roads... Races can take place day or night, on clear, sunny, cloudy, foggy or drizzly days. The game's graphics were already detailed in the original game, and are further enhanced in this edition. The game is divided into two distinct campaigns, in which you can play either a Racer or a Cop. Each of these two parts offers a large number of races, as intense as they are varied: 78 "Events" as a Racer, 63 as a Cop. Drive dangerously to fill the Nitrous gauge, driving against the flow of traffic, taking shortcuts and of course, drifting. Hot Pursuit's gameplay is based on a "Brake To Drift" mechanic, similar to games like Ridge Racer or OutRun. A simple press of the brake button, followed by the accelerator, puts the car into drift mode, which is necessary for big bends. And that's an understatement: some of the bends are huge, several metres or even more than a kilometer long! You'll need to collect a gold medal at each "Event" to finish the game at 100%, which is no mean feat [url=https://youtu.be/uT1f7r2Lrrc](See here)[/url]. I'd like to make it clear from the outset that Hot Pursuit is a rather arduous Need For Speed, which will put your driving skills to the test... Indeed, the further you progress in the game, the more aggressive the AI of the Racers and Cops becomes, and I'm weighing my words carefully here. The various competitors will do everything they can to overtake you, and the police will do everything they can to stop you, they're not there for fun. As a Racer, your goal is to become the most wanted and famous driver by successfully completing every race. There are several types of race to choose from, and it's worth noting that there's no circuit mode where you have to complete several laps. The most classic mode, soberly named "Race", consists of sprint races against other competitors. The "Duel" mode is virtually identical, except that you face a single opponent. The "Time Trial" mode is all about getting to the end of the course before the time runs out. The "Preview" mode is based on the same principle, except that the game lends you a car of a higher category, and therefore much more powerful. The "Gauntlet" mode puts you in the wheels of a fugitive with a squad of police chasing you, and these frantic chases are also timed. The "Hot Pursuit" mode is the most mythical of them all, featuring frenzied chases and a fierce battle between the Racers and the Police! As a Cop with the prestigious SCPD (Seacrest County Police Department), you'll have to arrest all the most dangerous offenders using expeditious methods. Once again, you'll face a variety of challenges that will turn you into a seasoned police officer. "SCPD Interceptor events" are pursuits in which you must arrest a single traffic offender. "SCPD Rapid Response events" are races against the clock, with every collision costing you time. SCPD Preview Rapid Response events are identical to Racers' Preview mode, except that a collision means lost time. "SCPD Hot Pursuit events" is the ultimate mode: you have to stop all the participants in an illegal race, by brute force! Depending on the type of race, you'll be entitled to equipment to help you win. There are 6 different types of equipment, for use in "Gauntlet" mode for Racers, "Interceptor" mode for Cops, and "Hot Pursuit" mode for both sides. As a Racer, you can benefit from: EMP, an electromagnetic pulse that temporarily damages and slows down the affected car, Jammer, to prevent an opposing EMP from hitting you, the Turbo, which boosts your car to phenomenal speeds. As a Cop, you'll have: Road Blocks, to slow down Racers in the event of contact, a Helicopter, which drops harrows to slash the tires of offenders. Finally, both sides feature Spike Strips that can be released from the rear of the vehicle. Moreover, in the three modes in which you are entitled to equipment, you can perform Burnout-style "Takedowns" on both Cops and Racers! Hot Pursuit offers a wide range of dream cars, divided into several performance categories. I'm obviously not going to list them all, but you can select cars from prestigious brands, such as: Lamborghini, McLaren, Porsche, Maserati, Koenigsegg, Aston Martin, Pagani, Bugatti... Once you've chosen your car, from a selection available in each race, you'll also need to select a color, even customizing it to your personal taste. Meanwhile, a narrator explains the vehicle's technical specifications and history, in the style of the early Need For Speed. PC gamers, at least those like me who buy their games exclusively on Steam, were deprived of the DLC from the original Hot Pursuit. Now, NFS:HPR contains all the DLC we weren't entitled to back then. Unfortunately, some of the cars present in the 2010 game have disappeared in the Remaster: the Carbon Motors E7 Concept, as well as the Mercedes SLR and Stirling Moss. On the other hand, I deplore the absence of Ferrari vehicles, in both the original and the Remaster, especially in this NFS, which aims to be a tribute to the 90's episodes. I'd also have liked to see more cars from the early NFS games, to get an even more nostalgic feel for the game. Fortunately, mods are available to compensate for this [url=https://youtu.be/gbWWhJIh_jI](See here)[/url]. The soundtrack is nice, containing mostly pop, rock and electro tracks. Here are some of my favorite songs from the game: "Bombshock" by Hadouken, "Stronger" by Lazee & Dead by April, "Watercolour" by Pendulum, "Nothing From You (Redanka Remix)" by Pint Shot Riot, and of course the iconic "Edge Of The Earth" by 30 Seconds To Mars, popularized by the game's first trailer. It's a shame we don't have the option of adding our own music to the game, as this would have been the icing on the cake. The chase music composed for the game is orchestral and sublime. They sound almost military, and would fit perfectly into a war game! NFS Hot Pursuit Remastered is, in my eyes, the closest thing to perfection in the arcade racing genre. The driving sensations are epic and exhilarating, the game's content is plethoric… HPR is by far my favorite Need For Speed of those available on Steam, EA never released the NFS from Black Box's golden age, namely Hot Pursuit 2 (2002), Underground 1 & 2, Most Wanted and Carbon. In short, after everything I've mentioned in this review, you can see why NFS:HPR is a must-have game!