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How Metascores Are Calculated
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Altered Beast
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games. |
Need for Speed Undercover has players racing through speedways, dodging cops and chasing rivals as they go deep undercover to take down an International crime syndicate. The game heralds the return of high-intensity police chases and introduces the all-new 'Heroic Driving Engine' -- a unique technology that generates incredible high-performance moves at 180 miles per hour during breathtaking highway battles. A mix of computer graphics and live-action movies immerses gamers in the rich world of the Tri-City Bay Area. The city’s open-world environment features over 80 miles of roads, including an enormous highway system that sets the stage for highway battles. These high-speed, high-stake chase sequences push players to the limit as they fight off cops and opponents while whipping through traffic at 180 miles per hour. An intelligent new A.I. mechanic delivers a realistic and high-energy action driving experience. Going back to the franchise’s roots, Need for Speed Undercover features more aggressive and intelligent cops whose sole purpose is to take down the player quickly and by any means necessary. Need for Speed Undercover also features the series' signature car customization, real-world damage and realistic driving physics. The game includes some of the hottest licensed cars such as the Audi R8, BMW M6 and Lexus IS-F. [Electronic Arts]
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more... 88
WonderwallWeb
NFS Undercover is a return to form for this long running racer series, the inclusion of the cops really puts pressure on your racing and with the addition of the usual upgrade and tuning options it helps to make this a top arcade racer.
 82
HellBored
Moving away from the track and back onto the roads may have returned Need for Speed to where it belongs, but things aren’t perfect yet.
80
360 Gamer Magazine UK
While the gameplay feels simple and easy to interact with, there’s plenty of options and a decent array of customisation for your vehicles. A combination of arcade fun gameplay and a massive playground of a city to do it in should have you entertained for weeks.
80
Da Gameboyz
Need for Speed Undercover is the best NFS game since Most Wanted but there are still a few more areas which need to be improved before we call Undercover the Need for Speed champ.
80
Cynamite
Adventure or racing? Definitely racing! The cut scenes are not suspenseful enough for an adventure. But I like Tri-City with its varied missions and the intuitive controls. Unfortunately the game sometimes drops to a low frame rate.
80
Team Xbox
While Need for Speed Undercover delivers in the areas of cinematic production, audio, visuals and through its sweet vehicle roster, it falls a bit short in the realm of top-tier, arcade-quality handling models.
79
Games Master UK
Nearly a return to form, but the new 'grown up' attitude takes away more than it gives. [Christmas 2008, p.62]
78
DailyGame
The police chases are fantastic, but the plot's bad and the gameplay is confined to an area that's much smaller than it seems like it should be.
76
GameFocus
If you like action racing games this is a worth while rental at the very least. There is much to do in the game and even though it feels like the game is just missing some key factor to make it one of the best arcade racers around it is still enjoyable.
75
1UP
As a mashup of :Need for Speed: Carbon" and "Need for Speed: Most Wanted", Undercover is ultimately fairly successful. For many, though, in a post-"Burnout: Paradise" world, the question has to be raised: "What does this give me that Paradise doesn't?" The answer to that is "cops and robbers," a mechanic that has worked well in single-player since the days of Hot Pursuit, and works even better online when played in teams of 4-on-4 in Undercover.
75
Official Xbox Magazine
A good time can be had, but only if you're patient...and a really big fan of Most Wanted. [Holiday 2008, p.68]
75
Worth Playing
I had a lot of fun with the Career mode in Need for Speed: Undercover, and the easy-to-grasp controls really make this an accessible and fun title in the Need for Speed franchise. Don't expect a lot of innovation or new ideas, as a lot of the things that were implemented seem to be pulled from previous NFS releases, but I think race fans will be able to have some fun with this title.
75
Kombo
Undercover is a great way for the NFS series to get back on track.
73
Xbox World 360 Magazine UK
Black Box have taken little in the way of risks but it's not faultless - the streets can feel quite empty (depending on race type) and the framerate can get a bit juddery. But you can't say that EA hasn't given us what we asked for.
70
Meristation
Undercover is entertaining, has excellent controls and offers lots of variety for the vehicles avaliable, which combined with a great soundtrack makes a solid racing game. Sadly, the mediocre technical performance undercuts the presentation values and the light difficulty level will turn down the most dedicated players.
70
Totally360
Need For Speed Undercover has a tremendous premise, however, it feels unfinished in certain areas.
70
GameSpot
Need for Speed returns to its roots with hokey cutscenes, wild cop chases, and solid racing action.
70
GameZone
Need for Speed Undercover makes a good attempt to recapture the visceral sense of racing that the series made its name on, but doesn’t bring much new to the table.
70
Game Informer
Even though I’ve got the gas pedal down as far as it’ll go, the game fails to satiate either the need or speed parts of the equation.
70
Cheat Code Central
One can't help but notice that the franchise has seen better days.
70
ZTGameDomain
Need for Speed Undercover is a solid if not predictable step for the series. The lack of difficulty and frame rate issues are at the top of the list of its problems, but if you are a fan it is worth checking out.
70
X360 Magazine UK
Beset with technical flaws and with ideas slightly above its station, Need For Speed: Undercover is nonetheless loveable and at times thoroughly enjoyable. If you squint.
70
Total Video Games
Between the excellent Midnight Club LA and the slightly disappointing Burnout Paradise, Need For Speed: Undercover unfavourably finds itself amongst some stiff competition.
70
Official Xbox Magazine UK
So Undercover is a bit off-balance. Its bright spots, like the anticipation it builds for unlocking all the ridiculously fun race types, are dragged down by the slow-paced progression. A good time can be had, but only if you're patient or a really big fan of Most Wanted.
70
GameDaily
With the superior Burnout Paradise still making the rounds, Undercover won't rev everyone's engine. If you liked Most Wanted or the Hot Pursuit games, however, you'll want to climb behind this wheel.
70
Gamervision
The main problem with Need for Speed Undercover is that even though it is a lot of fun, it’s just not compelling or interesting enough to keep you coming back for more. While playing, I kept thinking, “Man, this would be a perfect weekend rental or budget title”, but I never thought about dropping $60 to get it new.
70
MS Xbox World
More forgiving Most Wanted fans will find a lot to like in NFS Undercover.
70
Level7.nu
Undercover is in almost all aspects a return to the well for the Need for Speed series. Adrenaline filled races with the police hot on your heels is as fun as it always was and the online mode Cops and Robbers is a blast. The presentation is also solid, building on top of the foundation laid with ProStreet with a design more resembling Burnout Paradise. Unfortunately the framerate occasionally grinds almost to a halt, a big problem in a game so utterly focused on speed. Undercover is also way too easy, not offering any form of challenge until the very end. It's an unfortunate example of great potential gone to waste.
70
games(TM)
The cut-scenes, in all their sincerity, still manage to be completely laughable. Yet it’s hard not to enjoy them despite the fact they’re not really doing the job intended. [Christmas 2008, p.97]
70
Gamestyle
While not a complete success, it is a refreshing change and a step in the right direction, unlike Quantum of Solace.
70
Armchair Empire
I give them props for trying to re-work the popular Most Wanted angle of this series, I just wish it was a bit more evolved instead of running out of gas too early.
70
GamingExcellence
On the whole though, Undercover certainly isn’t a terrible game; considering the glut of games on the market this holiday season, Undercover gets enough things right to bring it past bargain bin status, but the problem is, there’s not much to dig into beyond that.
68
Gamers' Temple
Need for Speed Undercover is street racing for the short attention span crowd.
67
GamingTrend
There’s probably a fantastic game in there somewhere, and given a bit more development time, it might have shown it’s true colors. As is, however, NFS:UC is awfully tough to recommend.
67
Xbox360Achievements
Undercover is definitely a step in the right direction and if it wasn't for the horrible design issues (buggy GPS, frame rate issues and dodgy AI), the game would be scoring closer to the 80's. It's ultimately these design issues that spoil what is a solid racer. Chances are, if you can look past these issues, you'll actually really enjoy the title, I did ... but I have the patience of a Saint.
67
GameTrailers
Need for Speed Undercover lacks challenge, struggles technically, and practically requires sunglasses to play. The framework for a stronger game is present, but the final product simply doesn't come close to competing with games like "Midnight Club: LA" or "Burnout Paradise."
65
Gameplayer
NFS of old was about hot cars, hot pursuits and miles and miles of open road, and Undercover make a semi-successful fist of recapturing some of this magic. Looks great, plays fine. There’s no getting around the fact, however, that Undercover is basically Most Wanted with a new lick of paint. Can somebody please green-light Hot Pursuit 3? Surely the open-world horse has been well-and-truly flogged?
65
Gameplanet
An unimpressive arcade racing experience. Need for Speed: Undercover seems to lack any real sense of immersion and is graphically a bland experience.
64
3DJuegos
Need for Speed Undercover is one of the biggest bluffs of this final quarter of 2008. Far from catching the spirit of Most Wanted, the game of Black Box fails in its proposal because of an excessively easy campaign and because of its "shock-car" style driving.
62
InsideGamer.nl
From a technological perspective, Undercover is a humiliating installment in the Need for Speed-series. The frame rate stutters, the open world is dead, and the story is laughable. Even then, Undercover offers some of the same over-the-top racing fun we have gotten used to, and the game will surely get your adrenaline pumping when getting behind the wheel of some of the hottest cars in the world.
60
DarkZero
A steeping stone for the series, one that offers hope that EA can achieve better things in the future.
60
Jolt Online Gaming UK
It’s hard to really dislike Need for Speed Undercover simply because the core game is similar in many ways to the excellent Most Wanted. But it under-aims, underperforms, underachieves and does so while practically throwing a begging bowl at you in the form of purchasable unlocks.
60
Play.tm
It's a sparse game, and after you've sunk about ten hours into it you'll feel suitably empty, too. It's not rewarding, satisfying or endearing.
60
GameSpy
Undercover may push the nostalgia button for the NFS faithful. But substandard presentation and a host of nagging technical issues cause it to sputter across the line for a distant third-place finish.
60
Thunderbolt
A disappointing title. It doesn’t build on the series in any way, basically sticking to Most Wanted’s fundamentals, whilst adding more technical issues.
60
PTGamers
The game modes are not particularly intense, and the vehicles, although very detailed, fail to offer the feeling from the best of the series.
60
VideoGamer
After EA's recent run of quality, it came as quite a shock that Undercover simply doesn't feel ready. The in-game performance is frankly terrible and one of the main event types is deeply flawed. We can't deny that there's still fun to be had here, especially in the highway battles (and with some of the dialogue), but we simply can't recommend a game that performs so poorly that it's at times unplayable.
60
G4 TV
Need for Speed: Undercover is a game that both satisfies and disappoints on a regular basis. While the chases provide top-notch thrills and spills, you can’t help but feel like you’ve just done it too many times to really care anymore.
57
MEGamers
A very disappointing entry in the NFS series, which clearly shows that not much thought was put into making it. Tries to bring back the fun and rush seen in Most Wanted, but fails in almost every aspect.
52
ActionTrip
When all is said and done, Need for Speed: Undercover is a shallow experience unworthy of predecessors like Need for Speed: Underground or Need for Speed: Most Wanted.
50
GameShark
Framerate dips everywhere (going into turns and lots of graphic assets on the screen at once).
50
IGN
Need for Speed Undercover is a poor game with a ton of problems, both technically and in terms of design.
50
GamePro
It's clear that the Need For Speed series is in need of a GPS unit so it can get back on track.
50
EuroGamer
Despite overwhelming condemnation from the wider world then, Undercover is eventually a reasonably decent game. It's just a shame it takes so long to get there, when a simple difficulty level could have jumped the tedium.
49
Console Monster
The framerate is so shockingly bad, it effects the entire enjoyment of the experience.
42
Gaming Nexus
Undercover doesn’t cover any new ground, and the campy cutscenes – which are a better motivator than earning higher-tier vehicles – lose sight of the game’s pace car. The police chases are knowingly the high point, but even those grow subdued through saturated exposure.
42
Gaming Age
This port of Most Wanted that was a port of Carbon, which in itself wasn't good in the first place, is unforgivable from a team as financially stable as EA. Heck, Burnout Paradise, while not a great "Burnout-style" game, was a fantastic racing game, so how about counting your losses and just releasing one racing title and put all your money and focus on it.
40
Giant Bomb
I'll admit that my fondness for Need for Speed Most Wanted colored my expectations for Need for Speed Undercover, but this game's general failure as a racing game ends up being so significant that its inability to recapture the fun of Most Wanted in particular is kind of a moot point. There's no shortage of street racing games on the market right now, and there's simply no room for a game that can't nail down some of the basics.
40
Boomtown
A huge letdown for a franchise that is yearning for its reinstatement at the top. EA really should have done so much better. Why not just use the Burnout Paradise engine, create a new city, slap in the NFS gameplay and call it...Most Wanted Hot Pursuit Porsche Unleashed? I'd buy it. In fact I'd buy two copies out of unadulterated joy.
40
D+PAD Magazine
It's not just that Need for Speed Undercover is a bad game; it's that it's a bad game with an incredibly erratic engine. The flaws, problems and issues that exist in NFS Undercover are virtually inexcusable for a popular franchise from such an affluent publisher.
40
Kikizo
On the whole, Need for Speed Undercover is way below par and very disappointing.
16
Game Revolution
Unfinished, underdeveloped racing efforts like Need for Speed: Undercover leave the acrid taste of stale engine oil and greasy do-rags in my mouth. Luckily, it’s nothing that a little time spent with Grid or PGR4 can’t wash away. Undercover attempts to return the series to its former glory, but it’s obviously lost that loving feeling.
TANK gave it a9: Tabitha gave it a9: jazz15c gave it a7: Briab S gave it a3: [Anonymous] gave it an8: [Anonymous] gave it an8: [Anonymous] gave it a9: |
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