Hello Everyone. The following is a follow up to my last piece on the PSP Need for Speed Titles. I've gone through Underground Rivals, Most Wanted 510, Carbon Own the City and Prostreet last time. I recommend reading it to catch up on my points.
https://mieckfram.blogspot.com/2019/09/psp-need-for-speed-part-1-underground.html
That leaves just Shift and Undercover.
-Shift:
Initially, I was planning on playing Gran Turismo PSP so I could experience a proper simulation racing game to be able to judge Shift. Turns out, I didn't have to do it because the PSP is nothing like the console versions that focused on Simulation. Instead, the PSP version is just another arcade racer set in real-world locations on linear tracks. Unlike ProStreet PSP, the tracks are places in real cities like Chicago, San Francisco etc converted into tracks rather than actual race tracks. The Tracks do look really good. In fact, the game as a whole looks pretty good. I'd argue it's the best looking of the PSP NFS games. The opening title screen and menus are fantastic.
---Career
Somewhat similar to the console versions, the player completes events on a linear tree-like menu to earn points to unlock more events. Along the way are 10 Race Kings, elite drivers with their own strengths. They are in the regular races and if the player beats then enough times during those, they then challenge the player to their own events where if the player wins, they take the King's car and their spot. Events include races, drifting challenges and speed traps.
Speaking of progression, The Game handles it differently from its predesccors. Now, winning select races will unlock entire cars instead of needing to save money for it. Racing with a car increases a loyalty meter where the manufacturer will award you upgrades. Shift really wants the player racing in many different cars throughout the adventure.
Customization is pretty good with lots of options for Vinyls and ways to move them. It's far more than prior PSP NFS games.
So it all seems great right? Sadly, I didn't enjoy the actual racing and gameplay. The game focuses far more on drifting but the controls seem really slippery. I can't make a drift without oversteering and any corrections exacerbate the problem regardless of car. The tight and narrow tracks make collisions frequent which make it impossible for me to build up speed. I fully admit that perhaps I am playing the game wrong which makes it hard for me to enjoy but I feel the game could have more tutorials and ways to practise first before all in if that was the case. I am bad at Wipeout but at least the games had ways for me to practise.
If you can get into the gameplay, you'll have a decent time with the game.
-Undercover:
My first exposure to the Game in any format was in a magazine my school had. In that magazine, I remember 2 things. A section for Mk vs DC saying "Who would want to rip off Superman's head? Put your hand down Lex". The second was a section for Undercover saying "Because Most Wanted 2 wasn't catchy enough".
Most Wanted 2005 is pretty influential. It has a narrative sequel in Carbon. A mechanical Sequel in Undercover and a reboot in MW 2012. But the PSP version feels more like an expanded DLC to Carbon Own the City that takes cues from Most Wanted 510.
The Gameplay consists of a return to OTC's style of physics and even sound and menu effects. There are some changes like a different line up of cars, less anemic upgrades (finally) and now the integration of police into regular events with 510's Speedbreaker.
In My OTC review, I complained about how the police were almost absent from the game. Undercover tries to improve on that by having cops wandering around the world. If they see you during races, it will trigger a pursuit. There are also specific events for this like escape the police. This does add more variety to the usual events but there are problems. While the cops aren't overly aggressive like in 510 they are way too docile in Undercover. They aren't great at detecting racers tearing past them to even initiate a pursuit. Even during races they aren't very aggressive and their health bars mean it is easy to completely destroy them and then not worry about it. There are events where you have to hold onto the police for 3 minutes and I nearly botched it when I took out the cops with surprisingly little effort. There are also helicopters. In MW the main console game, these worked as you could go under structures like bridges to lose them, but in Undercover PSP, there isn't really anything like that so helicopters feel like ways to arbitrarily extend what are otherwise toothless pursuits you've already won until their fuel runs out.
Speaking of which, there is technically an open world that the player can explore parts off during select events. Some like pursuits are more open than others. Unlike OTC's map, this one isn't very interesting, it's just regular roads and areas. There are no shortcuts, hidden areas, offroad areas or any place really worth exploring. A side effect of the menu based design also means that police chases don't even persist after races. The map itself, though technically accurate to the design of Undercover, isn't all the interesting because the 3 individual cities are so small that you'll race so much through them and you'll exhaust and get bored of them long before it's time to move on. The second city uses the same curvy road way too much. I'd rather OTC's approach where the whole city is used for events.
Races are the same from the past few games but with a few tweaks and additions, regular races can now have 8 drivers, and a new event is present called "Cost to state" where you have to crash into civilian cars and street signs to cause damage to the city. Now, Console Most Wanted had a version of this as well but that was during pursuits where it was much more tense and dangerous but here it is very tedious. Another new mode has you delivering a select car to a destination with minimal damages that may involve opponents or the police. Aside from that, You have the usual sprints, circuits, lap knockouts, outruns and takedowns. Most races can be completed in under 2 minutes but the 3-6 minute ones really drag.
Sadly, I couldn't finish the game. There's a glitch in the 3rd city where the 3rd set of events has a delivery that won't finish. I was kinda relieved that I don't have to play more.
The story is kinda interesting and actually works with the set up of NFS protagonists being avatars. I like the idea of the player interacting with street racers and having to take them down and how the character feels is what the player feels. Does the player feel kinda bad for taking down people who trust them now? Or are they like their boss in it's all just a job. The way the story is set up does work nicely while letting the player project onto the story. It's not exactly the best written but it works. Honestly, I wouldn't mind other racing games that feel compelled to have a story to take notes from this.
I'm also not a fan of the music but you might like it more.
-Conclusion.
Undercover is a decent albeit pretty boring game. The story set up is decent and the gameplay is fine but the maps and races are dull. I'd only recommend this game if you're really interested.
So I've finally finished my NFS PSP retrospective. Now it's time to rank them.
-1- No Contest, It's Own the City. It's most complete NFS game with the best map, races and story. I recommend checking it out.
-2- Bit of gap but I'd give it to ProStreet. The racing is fun and you get a lot of decent cars.
-3- Bigger gap but I'd rank Most Wanted 510 and Undercover together. They're about the same
-4- Underground Rivals and Shift. I don't recommend playing these.
Now that that's done. I think I'll take a break from racing games for a while. I do at some point want to take a look at Test Drive Unlimed, Juiced 1 and 2, and Asphalt 9. I like to choose my topics on things I feel people don't talk about much. My next piece will either be on a Spongebob game, Prince of Persia, a Pokemon Rom hack depending on which one I finish first.
Thanks for reading and I wish you a good day.
