until today, i can't believe this rushed title by EA from 2007 still dominates a majority of my playtime
it's got next to everything I ever wanted from a racing game
> clear distinction between tuner, muscle, and exotic type cars in the handling
> amateur race day atmosphere without giant sanctions and sponsorship galore (product placement still exists though, but not interrupting)
> driving at extreme high speeds is genuinely dangerous and uncontrollable
> intuitive tuning options that actually make a difference to your car and helps you win certain track types
> NO BRAKE TO DRIFT GOD BLESS
> curated + composed soundtrack with variety and DOESN'T suck ass
> urban aesthetics carried from vinyl to track decorations
> Tokyo Dock racing
> non-linear career path
> rubberband is minimal
> great damage model
> grip racing actually gives better time than handbraking every turn
I could go on forever but holy fuck this is, in my opinion, where Need for Speed last peaked. the recent entries aren't bad per se but the 2000 - 2007 BlackBox EA run of NFS games were LEGENDARY
plus, it's another entry to the collection of iconic protagonist cars of the franchise; hell, maybe even the genre
MY MAN RYAN COOPER