Guides
Grave performance issues, a bland narrative, and a condescending level of difficulty burn through most of Need for Speed Undercover's potential for fun.
Read Ryan's full review
Need for Speed: Undercover is the newest installment in the Need for Speed franchise, which returns to a free-roam environment and its arcade-style gameplay.
Back to roots
Need for Speed: Undercover is the twelfth installment in the popular Need for Speed racing series. After disappointing sales from the predecessor ProStreet, Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitello stated that it was "OK, but not good", and went on to promise that Undercover would be a drastic improvement, with new innovations and better gameplay. He also pointed out that Undercover would have a much longer development cycle than the previous Need for Speed games.Gameplay
The game is mission based, and are the backbone of the live action story. However, players are not required to play all the events such as circuit and sprint races. The career mode will last for around 20-25 hours, but this is only the tip of the iceberg, and will last much longer if you are wanting 100% completion.Police/Cops
The police become ever more challenging as you progress through the game. The new Heat and Threat mechanic adds new layers of complexity, and as the chase increases, as does the intelligence of the police. Players will notice their tactics changing, as well as becoming more aggressive with their intent to catch you. The system is closely tied to the player's skill, and so the police behavior is very varied throughout.Traffic
Catch me if you can!
Environment
All the racing takes place in the free-roaming Tri-City, offering busy streets, highways and residential neighborhoods. The game is entirely open world from the start, and is said to be of a very large size; eight minutes to circumnavigate at a constant 160mph, according the developers. The game is set at a particular time of the day, called the Magic Hour in Hollywood. It is in the early hours of the morning where everything is golden and the light is quite bright. This means that there is no day/night alternation when driving.Story
On August 15, 2008, Need for Speed Undercover lead developer Bill Harrison revealed that the star actor in the story mode will be Maggy Q. Maggie Q, who has starred in Mission Impossible III and Live Free or Die Hard, plays Federal Agent Chase Linh, a seductive handler who recruits and guides players as they go undercover in a police car. Players take on jobs and compete in races to try and take down an international crime smuggling syndicate. Little is known about the plot at time of writing, but it will expand as the game goes on.Game Modes
There will be Circuit, Sprint, Checkpoint, Highway Battle, and Cops and Robbers. Highway Battle pits you and an opponent on an intense high-speed battle through the massive Tri-City highway system. Split-screen has been removed from the game.Cars
Undercover groups the cars into American, European and Japanese, which represent the three customization classes. Even cars that haven't been released to the real-life market are included in the game, and there is wide variety to pick from that will suit everyone. It is also possible to drive the police cars in certain modes. The cars also take damage, which is generated based on impact zone, speed, mass and the type of car being driven.Confirmed Cars (Updated Nov. 13th)
- 2006 Aston Martin DB9
- 2008 Audi R8
- 2007 Audi TT
- 2006 Audi RS4
- 2009 Audi S5
- 2003 BMW M3
- 2008 BMW M6
- 2006 Bugatti Veyron 16.4
- 1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS
- 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS
- 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
- 1971 Dodge Challenger
- 2007 Dodge Charger SRT8
- 2006 Dodge Viper SRT10
- 1996 Ford Escort Cosworth
- 2006 Ford Focus ST
- 2006 Ford GT
- 2006 Ford Mustang GT
- 2006 Koenigsegg CCX
- 2006 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560
- 2006 Lamborghini Murcielago LP640
- 2008 Lexus IS-F
- 2006 Lotus Elise
- 1995 Mazda RX-7
- 2006 Mazda RX-8
- 2006 Mazda Speed3
- 1994 McLaren F1
- 2008 Mercedes CLS 63
- 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX MR
- 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO
- 1989 Nissan 240SX (S13)
- 2009 Nissan 370Z (Exclusive Debut)
- 2007 Nissan GT-R (R35)
- 1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34)
- 2006 Pagani Zonda F
- 1970 Plymouth Barracuda
- 1965 Pontiac GTO
- 2006 Pontiac Solstice GXP
- 2005 Porsche Carrera GT
- 2008 Porsche 911 GT2
- 2006 Porsche 911 GT3 RS
- 2006 Porsche 911 Turbo
- 2008 Renault Mugane Coupe
- 1967 Shelby GT500
- 2008 Shelby GT500KR
- 1998 Toyota Supra
- 2008 VW Scirocco
- 2006 VW R32
Tracklist
1 - Airbourne - Girls in Black
2 - Amon Tobin - Mighty Micro People
3 - Asian Dub Foundation - Burning Fence
4 - Bonobo - Scuba (Amon Tobin Mix)
5 - Circlesquare - Fight Sound Part 1
6 - Floor Thirteen - Blame it on me
7 - From First to Last - I once was lost but now am profound
8 - Hybrid - The Formula Of Fear (Matrix DUB)
9 - Innerpartsystem - This empty love
10 - Justice - Genesis
11 - Kinky - Mexican Radio
12 - Ladytron - Ghosts
13 - Mindless Self Indulgence - Never Wanted to Dance (Electro Hurtz Mix)
14 - Nine Inch Nails - The Mark Has Been Made
16 - Ojos De Brujo - Piedras vs Tanques
17 - Pendulum - 9,000 Miles
18 - Pendulum - Granite
19 - Pendulum - Tempest
20 - Prodigy - First Warning
21 - Puscifer - Indigo Children (JLE Bub Mix)
22 - Puscifer - Momma Sed (Tandemonium Mix)
24 - Recoil - Shunt
27 - Splitting Adam - On My Own
28 - Supergrass - Bad Blood
29 - The Fashion - Like Knives
31 - The Qemists - 2 Stompbox (Spor remix)
32 - The Whip - Fire
33 - Tricky - Coalition
34 - Tyga - Diamond Life
PC System Requirements
MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
- OS: Windows XP/Vista
- CPU: Pentium 4 3.2 Ghz or AMD Athlon 64 3500
- RAM: 1GB MB RAM or higher (Windows Vista requires 2 GB RAM)
- HDD: 10 GB free disk space or more
- Graphics: 256 MB or higher (Pixel Shader 3.0, PCIe only)
- DirectX: Version 9.0 c
RECOMMENDED REQUIREMENTS
- OS: Windows XP/Vista
- CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo, AMD 64 X2 5200 or AMD Phenom
- RAM: 2GB MB RAM or higher (Windows Vista requires 3 GB RAM)
- HDD: 10 GB free disk space or more
- Graphics: 512 MB or higher (Pixel Shader 3.0, PCIe only)
- DirectX: Version 9.0c
SUPPORTED VIDEO CARDS
- ATI Radeon X1600, X1800, X1900, HD 2400, HD 2600, HD 2900, HD 3000, HD 4000 Series
- NVIDIA GeForce 7300, 7600, 7800, 7900, 8500, 8600, 8800, 9500, 9600, 9800, 200 Series
| Game Name | Need for Speed: Undercover |
| Platform(s) | |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Developer(s) | |
| Genres |
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| Themes | |
| Original US Release |
Nov. 18, 2008
need a fuzzy date? |
| Original US Release |
know the real date? |
| Aliases |
Trivia
Which female actor does Need for Speed: Undercover star?
- Maggie Q
- Lisa S
- Anna R
- Touchya S
- Can I
User Reviews
| Platform | User Reviews | Avg. Score |
|---|---|---|
| All Reviews | 7 reviews |
|
| PC | 1 review |
|
| PSP | 1 review |
|
| PlayStation 3 | 1 review |
|
| Xbox 360 | 4 reviews |
|
| Add your own user review | ||
Associated News
Bonus Round Part DeuxCheck out the second installment of my appearance on Gametrailers' weekly panel.
New Releases: Nov 17 - Nov 23!There are definitely some games in here that people will buy. I can name at least four!
Videos
 |
Need for Speed: Undercover Keller Trailer He takes it personal. Real personal. |
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