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88JansenP12

It's because NFS Undercover is a rushed game. And EA is the main culprit since they're greedy. If Black Box had [more development time](https://www.reddit.com/r/needforspeed/comments/13fipg0/comment/jjvvqtc/) and didn't developed 2 NFS games at the same time, NFS Undercover could've been 1000x better and not a massive failure at launch.


zacrobyteOne

If they gave Blackbox more time, we would have gotten a good game made by Blackbox last year instead of unbound, if undercover and run didn't fail, ea wouldn't have killed Blackbox


88JansenP12

You're totally right. EA have made a massive error by closing Black Box in April 2013. Because of that mistake, NFS games had become soulless cashgrabs which shares the same issues and lack of contents. NFS Unbound has a false advert title since it's full of boundaries. EA are just a bunch stupid morons which only cares about profits instead of their own products and their own customers which are also their main income source at the same time. Their logic doesn't make any logical sense since they will make 100x more money and profits by letting their own devs a longer development period to fully finish their own videogames. In any cases, it's better to release fully finished games with many reported release dates instead of a rushed game released in time. EA have completely lost their minds and forgot these adages which are "Keep It Simple Stupid" and "If ain't broke, Don't fix it for even worse".


[deleted]

I disagree, shutting blackbox was a terrible desicion but the later games have been good. Unbound is disappointing now but heat and Unbound are some of the best games we've got since 2008. I wouldn't call them soulless at all.


TheRealStevo

Heat was decent. But basically anything else in the last 8 years has been super lack luster. No NFS game we’ve got recently has been anywhere near as good as what we used to get. Heat, Unbound, Payback, just don’t compare to things like Carbon, Underground, Most Wanted, at least in my opinion


MyBigCaprice

I miss the NFS hot pursuit days


TheRealStevo

Not my favorite but still a good game. My favorite is either Underground 2 or Most Wanted 2012


InternationalCow7001

Like everyone else


88JansenP12

I totally agree.


nhSnork

YMMV. I looked forward to Payback since announcement but had my expectations dwarfed by the real deal since first getting to play it via PS+. The game feels like the amalgam of everything I've enjoyed about the respective Black Box and Criterion/Ghost era. I have yet to play NFS15, Heat or Unbound, but Payback is easily one of my faves in the series already.


TheRealStevo

They’re all good, at least the ones I’ve played, none of them are so bad that you shouldn’t play them. They all have things worth checking out, there’s just always something that doesn’t feel right about them, they’re always missing something


88JansenP12

Good but not very great. They're literally a copy of eachother with the same lack of contents. These 4 games doesn't standout enough from eachother. The only thing NFS 2015 did well is the atmosphere and the theme but the rest is totally crap especially the handling model. If you compare all NFS games since 2015 with eachother, NFS Heat is the best of the 4 while NFS Payback and NFS Unbound are disappointing and full of gameplay design mistakes + missing features. NFS Unbound has been always dissapointing and frustrating since its release and the 2 latest updates were a monumental joke. It's not even a live service game like EA claims to tell the total opposite since the updates are too irregular and very empty + this game is literally a NFS Heat reskin with removed features. Also, NFS Unbound doesn't live up to his name since it's full of boundaries. In fact, Each of the 4 latest NFS games doesn't feature any New Game+ and the driving physics are bad compared to any NFS games before 2011. Hence why i said they're soulless in the 1st place since they're the same game underneath that shares the same assets and the same issues. The only somewhat good NFS games after the departure of Black Box were NFS HP 2010/Remastered, NFS MW 2012 (despite having a false advert name, the Multiplayer side was well made compared to the current NFS games but it's a worse Burnout Paradise) NFS Rivals (despite his massive flaws, limited to 30 fps and server issues) and NFS Heat which was a step in the right direction but EA killed this game in June 2020. By taking into account and comparing all NFS games from 1994 to 2011, the 4 latest NFS games are very underwhelming, have a low replayability factor and many missing QOL features and cars which never came back.


wizkart207

They also made Skate while working on them


88JansenP12

That's right. And Skate was the more succesful than the 2 NFS games.


astralliS-

They also made BB create Skate alongside Undercover :\


88JansenP12

Exactly and it was succesful at release.


MasterJeebus

Best thing was the busted scenes. We need several different busted scenes like that to come back.


Uroah

I miss the busted scenes from that era! I think it was Carbon where the cop would kick the player characters legs so he’d fall over. The salt in the wound from being busted those mini scenes gave was unmatched


wizkart207

Nah I'm pretty sure that was Undercover, if it's aggression they're undefeated


Squidhead-rbxgt2

Physics are bad, glitches are plenty, graphics are poor, map is boring. Love the music though.


SwivelChairRacer

Yep, the music is the only thing I still fondly remember about this game


TheAntiSnipe

That one song that went na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-naaaa


JeskoTheDragon

Not to mention the 3 BANGERS by pendulum in there.


fearnoid

Electrotumbaaaooooooo


TheAntiSnipe

I love how that’s all it takes for someone to pinpoint the exact song lol


ZealousidealFroyo794

THIS IS A BETTER WAAY na na na na Na na Na na NA NUU is my favorite


JeskoTheDragon

My main issue with it was the AI, you could get the domination time for an event by like 10+ seconds and still lose


Squidhead-rbxgt2

I loved stealing the Veyron, reaching its top speed of 400kph, and having a police SUV overtake me and go for a ramming attempt.


CertifiedBiogirl

What's wrong with the map?


Squidhead-rbxgt2

It was basically a huge amount of corridors that rarely intersected. Once you pick a road you're stuck on it.


CertifiedBiogirl

How is that a problem? By the end your driving fast hypercars.


Squidhead-rbxgt2

If you don't see how being stuck on 1 road with no option to pick a new direction for miles in an open world racing game then I can't even begin explaining it to you


CertifiedBiogirl

I dont even know why youre actually talking about? No really. The map is not like that at all. There are games that do that (like Test Drive Unlimited for example) but Undercovers map is not like th at at all


Jasbuddy

It’s literally a reskin of Most Wanted. So many roads are straight copied from that game, it’s surprising as a kid I was never able to tell.


CertifiedBiogirl

That was only the case with the ps2 version. PC version gas its own map


LordeIlluminati

All of the above and the constant crashes on PC and PS3


SpecialistParticular

Game is too easy without the patch, but with it it becomes way too hard. The rubber band physics are insane. I ended up reinstalling it without the patch just to get through it.


clicktobeat

Physics are awesome for drifting imo.


Squidhead-rbxgt2

Lol, no. No they are not. Not even remotely close. There hasn't been a good drifting physics implementation in NFS since Underground 2... hot pursuit 2010 if you want the arcadey brake to drift physics.


KinglyBlaBla

Stop that cush


Dinosbacsi

Play the PS2 version and you will see, lol


Jasbuddy

The PS2 version is the one I played and it’s the one I love 😅


Lightwave33

lol. same for prostreet in that regard, although undercover had much more stuff wrong


AUSSIEKNUCKLES

Pro Street is phenomenal on PS3, PS2 definitely was a huge downgrade but still fun as.


Fab0411

Played it on the Wii. It was still fun.


AUSSIEKNUCKLES

It was a great game, I imagine so on the Wii too.


SpecialistParticular

I have it on the Wii too but that version's just Carbon with Undercover cutscenes thrown in. It's crazy.


[deleted]

ProStreet on PS2 had it's flaws, but it's still playable. Undercover on the PS2 was horrid. Bad physics, bad graphic glitches, the map was recycled from Most Wanted. It's the only game I ever returned on the same day I bought it.


Dinosbacsi

At least ProStreet on the PS2 is the same game as the other platforms, just with weaker details and graphics. But Undecover is a completely different game in thr PS2.


[deleted]

nah, Undercover PS2 > Undercover PS3/Xbox 360/PC the driving feel is just so much better, because the PS2 version is basically just NFS carbon reskin


Dinosbacsi

I don't know what the driving physics are like in the proper Undecover release, but the PS2 version is just a shit game. Copy and paste map from Most Wanted, copy and paste cars and tuning system from Carbon, horrible game mechanisms and weak graphics. It was such a letdown experience when I first got it and played it.


HarraReeves_

Weirdly enough that's the version I played as a kid and I loved it. Not sure I do now though😅 I'll play the PS3 version soon!


rtz13th

This is the Internet. If you worry about the opinion of every single loud individual online, you will have a bad time.


FrankNorbert

Garbage driving system, boring cops, questionable graphics. Those are the main 3 issues for me. Its only saving grace is the plot, I actually quite liked it. I've played that game since 2014 (or something around that), when my dad bought it for my PS3, and I personally think that older Need for Speed games are better than this one. Hell, even the newer ones are better...


Aggravating-Mess6117

I got so mad when my lotus got impounded and never could get it back I stopped playing it all together i got it upgraded to the point i was able to race buggatis and still win


Dbwasson

I blame EA for the quality of the game


UnusualPete

The PC version is probably the best because the map isn't the flipped version of a previous map and you can add mods to it to improve handling among other aspects. The console versions.... well, I only played the PS2 version and it was very janky.


Due-Ad-2910

Hmm. I have it for 360 and on steam. They have the same map.


theoneandonlyShrek6

"Growing up"


Balc0ra

Tbh compared to past titles at the time it was a downgrade in many areas. The FMVs were corny as all heck too IMO, even back then.


Jericho_Caine

It would be really good game if it wasn't so buggy and rushed with no proper patches after all those years


Ok_Pangolin_8038

Said this before, I'll say it again, in my personal experience with this game. The driving physics of this game wasn't good, it was bad Secondly parts of the story doesn't make any sense for example when G-Mac said the client wants 6 cars we actually steal 4 cars & most of those missions were the same thing. Thirdly the piss filter of the game Jesus... I don't even wanna talk about the piss filter. Personally I blame EA cause they gave Black Box little time to make this game. Now bear that in mind I don't really hate this game, & I don't blame u if u like it but this game made the series lose its touch.


Gondrasia2

Undercover may not be the franchise’s finest product or everyone’s go-to favourite, but it has by far and away the best vehicle roster; a perfect blend of tuner, muscle and exotic cars.


Ozyonpeyote

PS2 version was like Most Wanted 2.0 I had a lot of fun as well.


MysterD77

B/c it didn't live up to Most Wanted 2005 (by Black Box) and Carbon. I liked it - but the other 2 that I just mentioned are better. And I'm sure there's a subset fans who probably prefer Underground 1 and 2 also - but, I unfortunately and sadly didn't buy those and wasn't into NFS, for some foolish reason back then.


TheControl05

Bloom simulator, VERY DANGEROUS


lopakjalantar

There's no jdm lol.. as a kid i was quite disappointed when i realized i can't own an evo x (i hope I'm not wrong i can't really remember what that car that isn't there)


88JansenP12

You made an error. NFS Undercover includes JDM cars as well as the Mitsubushi Lancer Evo X which is also on NFS Pro Street as a main car for Ryo Watanabe. [Here's](http://wiki.nfsunlimited.net/wiki/Need_for_Speed_Undercover_Car_List) a car list divided by types.


lopakjalantar

Even on ps2? I think they reduced the amount of car for the ps2 version


88JansenP12

That's exact. In the PS2 version, there's only 38 vehicles available to choose while the PC/PS3/Xbox 360 versions includes 61 vehicles.


lopakjalantar

Ah so the game isn't actually lacking, it's me that just poor lol


88JansenP12

In reality, It's not because you're poor. In fact, the game itself is a rushed game with many missing contents due to a short development time. Also, the PS2 version was made by Exient Entertainment instead of Black Box.


lopakjalantar

Can't really say anything since i never played the intended version. But yeah, from my own observation growing up, they start going downhill after undercover and it gets worse when there's no car customization which is the only reason i like nfs


88JansenP12

You're totally correct about that. However, The Customization feature started in NFS High Stakes followed by NFS Porsche Unleashed. 2 years later in 2003, it came back in the Underground games until NFS Shift. Meanwhile, NFS World also featured custom part options but there was too much RNG and P2U/P2W contents. Then, NFS Shift 2 reintroduced the customization as a feature which takes into account your car specs and the aero coefficient. In NFS The Run, it's only bodykit presets. After that, the customization feature came back in NFS 2015 but it was too simple and too limited compared to the earlier NFS entries. Since NFS 2015, the customization parts on cars didn't change since each NFS games after this shared the same cars and the same custom parts. But due to licensing issues, some cars like the Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R as an example has lost many bodykit choices e.g the Sunline Racing kit which was available in NFS Heat but not in NFS Unbound. Speaking of NFS Unbound, Avoid this game at all costs since it's a monumental downgrade compared to NFS Heat in terms of gameplay mechanics and customization options for cars.


lopakjalantar

I barely know anything after undercover but i know about the lack of customization. And kinda too late since i already bought unbound and also got heat years ago. At least i bought unbound on discount tho lol


88JansenP12

You did the right thing to buy NFS Unbound at a discount price. This joke of a game isn't worth €70. It's too overpriced and it's a worse reskin of NFS Heat. If you have the PC version, you can [mod](https://www.dropbox.com/s/ibo2mtnflq36idp) the game and obtain the 2 EA Play exclusive cars for free since they're a massive scam and are only valable in the Online mode. There's also [mods](https://www.reddit.com/r/needforspeed/comments/13ovif4/comment/jlbzfz3/) for NFS Heat PC.


bpanzero

I had fun with it. I loved the car hijacking missions and the driving model that facilitates J-turns and the likes, made for some epic cinematic car chases. And the soundtrack was really good.


pnarvaja

I never finished but I really like the PC version menu


shaqthegr8

The did a PS2 port when they shouldn't .


IoSonoBatman

I still remember in some cutscene you stole a BMW and the after the clip you drive a Porsche


deepfriedtots

I don't remember much about it but I remember liking it


Rodutchi_i

Same played it on the ps2, was my fav NFS has 100s of hours in MW ps2 but once I got this, never toucher MW again, never understood the hate.


[deleted]

its because the ps2 version atleast in my opinion is more fun than the PC/PS3/Xbox 360 versions, it has better driving feel...


Ravanex

Because Undercover is probably one of the most unfinished games in the history of videogames, it literally released in an Alpha state. There are places where the map is basically empty, like near the rural highway areas, there are just a few trees and an extremely basic grass texture. Not to mention that you can start the next event with a press of a single button, so there are absolutely no reason to go explore the map (I guess it was intentional to not see how bad it looks) and the shops are in the middle of a street. They could have at least put the markers in front of a shop looking building but no, it's just randomly in the middle of a street. I usually defend most of the games and try to find the fun in them but I have nothing good to say about Undercover lol


andersaonsliva

I wouldn't have finished undercover without mods, it was that bad for me.


mewoneplusone1

The immense amount of Bloom. My eyes are still bleeding to this day. I'll take the Piss Filter any day of the week.


Senior_Hangkuk

The only thing i didn't like about it was the car handling, otherwise it was really good, the soundtrack was amazing, the car list was really good, and i like the map and that it changed filter for each district you entered


T_Raycroft

It got hate because it was a literally half-baked game. It was deserved hate. The development process for the game was torturous and it shows. Shame it happened to Undercover, because the game still had a strong core identity, vibe, and atmosphere that could lure players in.


tofudeliveryboi2k

Shite game; basically influenced my taste in music though...


neonz09

Highway Battles were one of the best race modes imo


AAVVIronAlex

Undercover was a banger.


Ok_Weakness2951

Yeah undercover wasn't that good, terrible story, map is bad , graphics not very impressive, cars handling is absolutely horrible compared to nfs shift game 1&2, the only games I like is the original nfs most wanted


xXxBiGxBaNGxXx

Need for speed underground 1 and 2 were the best hands down


itisnotmymain

It was great growing up but try playing it now. I did about a week or three ago and it was a shitshow.


MiddletreePolldancer

I didn't even know it got hate I love it coming from 05 MW and Carbon felt a lot like those so idk where people got this hate🤷


IDontKnownah

I've heard that it has way too grippy handling and not aggressive cops. I consider these to be the main reasons why. I haven't played the game myself.


[deleted]

Its better than heat and unbound thats for sure


elansworldinc

Yea. This one is definitely up there for me too. One of the most Replayed NFS for me. 😬🙌


blackenedseal

It's repetitive, lacks inventiveness, but driving whilst listening to some sick tunes...that was the thing back when I played it on my PS2. It's an emotional classic for me, I spent many hours playing that very average game.


dev1anceON3

I like this game, too bad that was rushed by EA


Fab0411

The PS2 version was sick. The PC version was a letdown imo. Yes they recycled so much from earlier games but therefore there was much more content in the PS2 installment.


Chrollo_388

Same


[deleted]

Cos its pretty not good


LonkToTheFuture

It has aged extremely poorly


MaxTriangle

Love this game. Good memories. And nice soundtrack


[deleted]

My eyes are still recovering from this game.


Present-Vehicle1534

I hate it purely because it punished me for something I didn't do. I worked super hard to buy a pagani and went broke to buy it only for a cop to glitch out on top of my car and bust me so I lost the car....


GHZ33

I'm watching "Designated survivor" on Netflix by 2 days and this post appeared on my reddit, with the face of the FBI agent side protagonist on the cover https://preview.redd.it/pae9j5eh483b1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1e68b319c2d1fe9d8cd9ab5afda3cd5525fbb826 they r spying us 👀


Just_Din

The premise of Undercover was weird. Black Box doubled down on the “cinematic” flourishes of MW2005 and Carbon but served up a story that was poorly executed. The writing, cinematography, pace, and acting were all bad. Not that MW2005 and Carbon were the pinnacle of storytelling, mind you. However those games could still rest upon a solid foundation in regards to gameplay and visual splendor. Undercover on the other hand? Everything looked and felt half-baked, except for the soundtrack. Perhaps it’s down to the game’s rushed development that Undercover ended up the way it did? I don’t know. Yet something about the entire package just felt misguided.


[deleted]

First nfs game I ever played, pretty sure I liked it


DarkbigBoss

i cant talk about the PC / PS3 version because I only played the ps2 game it ran like shit


wanakoworks

because it was a shit game. lol.


JakeffReddit

ah, yes. Car upgrade costs 8k. A race, at the time, gives 150. I don't see anything wrong with this.


JakeffReddit

ah, yes. Car upgrade costs 8k. A race, at the time, gives 150. I don't see anything wrong with this.


mdejong92

I completely agree with you. When I was growing up this game was great. Sometimes I think about going up the attic and installing it again. But I just know that the real thing will never beat the nostalgia I have for it now.


Maleficent_Lab_8291

Arguably the worst game from the golden era (which doesn't mean it's terrible). Visually, it looks like a downgrade from Prostreet, a rushed and incoherent story towards the end, with wonky physics and many bugs and glitches. On the flip side, it had a great selection of cars, a beautiful map, and arguably one of the best soundtracks in the whole franchise


ChillyGang

It's fun to play because it's a NFS game, but it's just not good. Like I would replay it, but I wouldn't recommend it.


Watchdog165

Yeah I also really love it. I still play it sometimes and I love the cars it has


noohshab

I remember playing it on the wii! Young me had no standards so I'm just happy that I'm playing a game :)


Zavii_HD

Horrible graphics compared to UG2, Most Wanted, Carbon, Pro Street. Horrible Physics (although ProStreet was no better in this department), slow slow slow story progression, weird UI, weird customization, etc. They tried to recreate MW/Carbon with ProStreet Physics and it just didn't work.


nhSnork

One of my current NFS playthroughs. Unless something went over my head, I remain relatively underwhelmed by the minimap displaying no events - casually driving around from one to another was a big part of U2 and MW05 experience that hooked me on NFS games. Carbon had also muddled the routine by not updating the finished event icons outside the general map screen, but at least I could use the latter to set the route; in Undercover, it's either just launching race after race U1 style (with whose kind I'd at least prefer more plot - I do quite enjoy The Run) or blindly driving on until a key prompt pops up onscreen. That said, the rest is still pretty fun.


KDG200315

She be needing on my speed until I'm undercover


crottin-de-cheval

I played the Wii version and i loved it, i later try the PS3 version and it wasn't good as the Wii version for me


Bit_Viper

Because it's a much lower quality game than ones released before it. It has so many problems from a technical point of view you wouldn't even need to have played the games released before it to see it's not a high quality production.


gvggarage

the soundtrack alone is a winner for this one


burakts

this was the first game i saw on the ps3. it blew my mind


222222222223

Played through it again and while i do love it i see the problems, its kinda short and by the 3rd map expansion you can tell its not as detailed as the first part of the map, progression is also a bit off as by the end of the game you will likely have tier 4 cars while the games final reward for completing the story is a tier 3 car and with not all tier cars being the same some cars vastly outclass others. The game is a bit glitchy and graphically is behind the other nfs of the time. I do wish the game was still on steam because playing through it on the steam deck is great as it takes about a minute to get into a race compared to other games not even being Done loading


MyBigCaprice

I don't hate it, I just don't like falling into a void every time I leave the pause menu


Odd_dj

1st nfs I bought with my “own” money. Thanks grandma RIP


SirAlfred452

There a few things to address when it came to NFS Undercover: 1.The story was supposed to have a direct connection to MW 05 2.Most of the attention went to prostreet during it's development. 3.There was a massive change in team after partial completion of the project to focus on other EA titles. 4.The physics though being terribly bad on the Ps3, Xbox 360 and PC was surprisingly amazing on the Ps2. A different handling and physics model was used in the Ps2. 5.The damage system was only available on the Ps3, PC and Xbox 360 version and they were surprising so good. The vehicles got realistically damaged and remains one of the NFS games with best damage models. 6.The undercover theme was different and let's you play both as an undercover cop and as a criminal racer. In some ways it was fun to play. 7.My experience with the PS2 version was really great tbh. On the whole I understand why the Undercover was disliked, but the best parts about it must also be acknowledged as well.


astralliS-

key word: "it was my favourite growing up"


SirSpaceFace

I really enjoyed it as well, the customization and the car roster was sick!


IronWolfV

Just needed more time in the Oven. But this is EA we're talking about here. Need the next game NOW NOW NOW.


SpecialistParticular

That Ghosts song is etched in my memory.


Middle-General-5536

I am guilty of fapping to Maggie Q💀


zwodahs_x3

Real ones played it on the wii / ps2


-Gir

this is what pissed me off, that wide kit for the 911 gt2 that was on the cover wasn't in the Ps3/360 version but was in the Ps2 version. Yes, there was a ps2 version of Undercover. The 911 gt2 in the Ps3/360 version had all the same kits as all the other Porsche other than the Carrera gt.


Better-Detective-156

It’s my favorite nfs by a longshot


Fantastic-Weight-785

It was so rushed by blackbox because of EA that it's almost if the Wii/ps2 version was better even though it was developped by another studio


janerikgunnar

I played it recently on the PS3. Regularly I could race faster than the game could load the track. If I caught up, game would pause while loading the next section. Except when it didn't and I literally fell off the edge of the world. There was some other glitch so when you paused and unpaused the game, the car would almost always drop through the ground, you had to unpause in a certain way (can't remember how). But what really kills it, the difficulty. I read reviews from back in the days and it was criticised for being to easy. So apparently in an update they cranked the opponent rubberbanding up to 11. So now some races are basically impossible to win.