OK, so what you duders think bout the demo? I think they failed to reboot the franchise. The game plays like Prostreet with cops. The cars feel heavy, but yet you are able to pull off impossible drifts (but a simple pass is a tough job). Arresting duders is also stupid, hitting them in the trunk 2-3 times is hardly entertaining, and passing them and smashing brakes or pushing them of the road doesn't seem to do any damage. Discuss.

I have mixed feelings.  I was VERY excited about this game when I first heard about it.  I just got done playing the demo and I am not sure yet what I think.  The cars feel very heavy so I don't feel like I have a lot of control because its so easy to over-steer.  I really wish the demo had more then just 1 race, and also let you play as the racer and not just the cop.  I also would like to have a handful of cars to try just to make sure it wasn't the 350Z cop car that seemed heavy.  Now my problem is, Pre-order from Amazon.com and get $20 credit towards next game purchase, or wait to see what the reviews are on it.

" I have mixed feelings.  I was VERY excited about this game when I first heard about it.  I just got done playing the demo and I am not sure yet what I think.  The cars feel very heavy so I don't feel like I have a lot of control because its so easy to over-steer.  I really wish the demo had more then just 1 race, and also let you play as the racer and not just the cop.  I also would like to have a handful of cars to try just to make sure it wasn't the 350Z cop car that seemed heavy.  Now my problem is, Pre-order from Amazon.com and get $20 credit towards next game purchase, or wait to see what the reviews are on it. "

I'm not sure about it either, and the way EA forces you to watch an annoying and long unskippable video, and the friend thing (which I don't have anyone on my list to unlock) SERIOUSLY turns me off the product.
 
WTF is EA doing?

Is the demo out on xbox live? Didn't notice. But I can already feel the disappointment growing, by reading your thoughts :( 
 
@JacDG:
I was hoping for Burnout served as NFS too... alas.
 
I'll check it out though. And see for myself.

I'm disappointed by the scummyness of EA and wouldn't think less of anyone who felt similar but someone on my friends list finally played the demo and unlocked the 2nd course and I've preordered the game.
 
It just hits the arcade style racer points better than the last few NFS games did for me, and hell, better than Burnout Paradise.
 
Now I just hope I don't regret my decision.

I needed to get used to the heavy cars in this game but once it clicked, it played fine. It's definitely a 'tap brake to drift' type of game that really doesn't use the brake for any other reason. Or I could say it's totally like Burnout. I beat Revenge and totally beat Paradise City as well.
 
Of course I'm also a god damn Hot Pursuit 2 fan so my experience might have been colored in that aspect as well but this game plays solid. It just needs some getting used to.
 
Oh and by the way, the Crown Vic is the way to go for fast kills. The Z is fast but is too light weight to get the job done. Got my 4 kills in 1:35...
 
I need to unlock that other race though... Stupid EA restricting races. I need a friend!

" I have mixed feelings.  I was VERY excited about this game when I first heard about it.  I just got done playing the demo and I am not sure yet what I think.  The cars feel very heavy so I don't feel like I have a lot of control because its so easy to over-steer.  I really wish the demo had more then just 1 race, and also let you play as the racer and not just the cop.  I also would like to have a handful of cars to try just to make sure it wasn't the 350Z cop car that seemed heavy."  

I haven't had a problem with oversteering on the 360 controller really.  The cars feel more stiff & tight than most racing games IMO.

I LOVED Hot Pursuit 2 on the Gamecube, I really wish this was good. 

Thanks for the impressions. No need to pre-order this then

I really enjoyed this, once you get used to the handling it's a lot of fun and trying to beat your friends high scores can quickly get addictive.
I'm not sure the demo was the best representation of the full game though, it seems like it will play rather differently in the open world setting, instead of the linear race tracks you're given in the demo.

" I really enjoyed this, once you get used to the handling it's a lot of fun and trying to beat your friends high scores can quickly get addictive. I'm not sure the demo was the best representation of the full game though, it seems like it will play rather differently in the open world setting, instead of the linear race tracks you're given in the demo. "

" @WinterSnowblind said:

" I really enjoyed this, once you get used to the handling it's a lot of fun and trying to beat your friends high scores can quickly get addictive. I'm not sure the demo was the best representation of the full game though, it seems like it will play rather differently in the open world setting, instead of the linear race tracks you're given in the demo. "

I assume the courses will only be selections of the larger world, just as they are in the demo though, right? "

I didnt like the social aspects but i liked the game as a whole. And i would have really liked it if i could have tried out the open world or the online. 

I felt like Criterion could have done better.All the Burnouts handled great with tight steering that put the entire control in the player's hand. The over steering aspect of this may make it look cooler for a spectator but feels odd while playing. You get used to it but it still doesn't feel right to me. I was stoked upon announcement, but after playing this I think ill just play burnout paradise or go buy split second

I heard not very good things about the handling system from friends who played it at PAX Prime, and those concerns were NOT unfounded. Here's my bitch list: 

1. The handling system is STRANGE. The fastest way through a sharp turn is to let off the accelerator, drift into the apex, and hit your nitro to push through it. It feels closest to Ridge Racer, but even that's not even close to accurate. I had a solid feel of the system down within three races, but that doesn't mean I like it.

2. Shortcuts that aren't really shortcuts. I suppose they're handy in the middle of a chase (which we didn't really get a chance to see here, from the wanted side), but some are pretty negligible.

3. It's not 60 fps like Burnout Paradise was. This annoys the living shit out of me. All racing games should be 60, because 30 just gives you a grainy, coarse driving experience... and for what? Better textures of the mountains you aren't looking at? Criterion, of all studios, should know better. Ugh.

4. No customizing, and perhaps the fewest paint options I've ever seen. This isn't Test Drive Unlimited. These cars shouldn't be limited to their real life factory-offered paint jobs. 
 
5. The Autolog system allows you to search your friends' friends list to see who has the game. That's actually kind of terrifying in a privacy kind of way. One contact on my list that I play Blur with, had tons of recommendations from his account, many of whom I recognized from playing against on Blur as well. I can only assume they've played the demo and that's why they're being recommended. Is anyone else weirded out by this?

I'll buy it because GT5 got delayed and tons of my friends and I are arcade racing addicts, but otherwise no way.

" I'm not sure about it either, and the way EA forces you to watch an annoying and long unskippable video, and the friend thing (which I don't have anyone on my list to unlock) SERIOUSLY turns me off the product.  WTF is EA doing? "

 That's actually kind of terrifying in a privacy kind of way.  

The competitive features of the AutoLog, I found, were subtly enticing. With plenty of people on your friend list playing, I could see it becoming very competitive. I don't really think games have that take-home feeling of competitiveness lately really. The controls, a little bit weird, took a short time getting used to but it's good fun.  
 
For the cop event, I noticed that where you hit the vehicle determined how much damage - side hits seemed to do substantially more, if you're able to ram them on a corner, or get a good T-bone in. 
 
Graphics are shiny, the roads seem pretty decent. Maybe not Day 1, but definitely pretty quick. I like the idea of its pick-up-and-play allowing you to quickly compete with friends and then go do something else.

Autolog!!
 
sorry, already bored of hearing that, forcing me to watch the trailer gametrailers forced me to watch multiple times already was dumb, handling is floaty and full of nonsense, crashes look... fine.
The powerup things are functional, just seems like everything needs to be more over the top to be impressive.

Whoa, why do the car handle so poorly?  I loved the way cars controlled in the Burnout series and these cars feel TERRIBLE.  No purchase for me.  Too bad.

I liked it. Handling, visuals, sound. It all felt very NFS HP to me, which is a good thing. Not sure of any other way I can explain it.

I will wait for an end of year sale before I purchase this game.

" @RageousX said:

 That's actually kind of terrifying in a privacy kind of way.  

Terrifying?  It would be nice to have an opt out option, but someone on your friends list playing Blur isn't exactly sensitive personal information.  I'd expect to see this kind of stuff roll out over all sorts of games in the near future I'm afraid... "

My impression of the demo: Needs more Burnout

 I was very much looking forward to this but after a couple of plays of the demo's cop mission I'm not so sure. I'm not a big NFS fan but I played a hell of a lot of the original Burnouts. The crash-out animations for racers seem to be coming from a limited pool and don't feel very dynamic. I can see this getting too repetetive too fast. The saving grace could possibly be online play; chasing real people might work out to be more interesting. At present I wish to remain up here on the fence.

Disappointed. 

The demo to me felt very bland. Even though I didn't like Burnout Paradise is was incredible to look at, so much crazy shit on screen I had to check I wasn't having some kind of pharmaceutical induced seizure. Also for a game with the word 'speed' in the title, it didn't feel very fast at all. To be honest Burnout 3 is still my personal favorite of Criterion's creations and I don't thing this game is going to change that.

Can i just add someone on xbox live from this forum just to unlock the second track?? 
 
i won't bother you or anything but i need to play this fecking race

Demo's kinda weak. Then again, with Criterion working on it, I was expecting more of a Licensed Burnout, than what the E3 demo showed. (A couple of cars rubbing against each other, until the racer just turned sideways to let the guy demoing the game on stage win.)
  
Criterion, bro... I am disappoint.

Is the demo still gold exclusive on the Xbox?

They usually stay 7 day gold exclusive, so my bet would be it still is.

@animateria
 
Yeah, I played hundreds of runs over the last few days, and suddenly, apparently from pure luck, knocked out all four cars in just over 1:30 (after being unable to improve on 3:25 for the first DAY).
 
 Handling:  I also feel it was a mistake to start people off with only the cop race and the Crown Vic.  The 350z seemed ineffectual, and the Ford seemed ridiculously heavy and unresponsive.  After the Racers Reborn event was unlocked, driving different cars and earning boost by drifting through oncoming traffic, it felt a LOT more like Burnout: Paradise.  The heavy, zig-zaggy oversteer is different on both consoles: the tight center on the 360 controller made it easier to make slight nudges (almost like tap-steering with the d-pad), but I got pretty comparable times on both systems pretty quickly.  Not GOOD times, but comparable ^_^;;

I had this game preorded and was really excited but i am not feeling the demo at all. First off there is something just plain ugly about the graphics. It doesnt seem like there is the same fine level of terrain detail as in Burnout Paradise or NFS undercover.  Everything looked grainy and lower res, like i was playing FUEL.  Also, it seems like there is only one view in the demo. Is there a cockpit view? How about at least a hood cam? Why aren't these in there? After playing NFS Shift and Midnight Club LA in cockpit view i really dont wanna go back to the silly over the car view. I'm not sure i want to get this at all now. 
 
At least Shift 2 is still going to come out. That should be good even if its only Shift 1 with different tracks. TDU2 might be good, or might be waay to European. i cant tell yet.

 It felt like shit while playing. And it didn't help that I got more of a Burnout vibe rather than a Need for Speed vibe. 
I'm not impressed.

okay, well i double checked. NFS Hot pursuit does have a hood cam and a front-bumper cam. You hit RB or R1 and you can toggle the view. You can't change it from any options menu. I went back and played some NFS undercover just now and that game definitely looks alot prettier. Details like lightposts dont look jagged and the framerate is smoother i believe (keep in mind this is NFS undercover after the big patch that fixed everything). I think Hot Pursuit looks uglier because they decided to make the tracks more dynamic and render more area in realtime (like large branching shortcut routes) but i'm not sure the tradeoff was worth it at all.