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Review

Mar 29, 2011

Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit – Armed & Dangerous DLC Review

Lights Off
2 Mediocre
Retails for: $6.99
We Recommend: $2.49
  • Developer: Criterion
  • Publisher: EA
  • Genre: Racing
  • Released: Feb 22, 2011
  • Platform: Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
  • Reviewed: Xbox 360

Criterion has been working hard on new content for Need For Speed Hot Pursuit since November. Over 3 weeks, 1 DLC pack released per week. The first is Armed & Dangerous. This adds 2 modes to Online competition.

Most Wanted, where racers defend a VIP, or “Most Wanted” against a full pack of Cops. If the Most Wanted racer crosses the finish line without being busted, a bonus is awarded to the racer and the other races not wrecked by the race’s end. This mode heavily relies on teamwork. While this sounds a lot like the regular Hot Pursuit mode for online, it has a bit of Interceptor mixed in. You can now free roam the map to lose the cops rather than sticking to a default location. This can be a lot of fun, chaotic, and sometimes short depending on how organized your team is.

Arms Race, is where you are given a bevy of weapons at your disposable (nothing new added to the mix of EMPs, Jammers, Spike Strips, and Turbo).  When I first saw the trailer for this mode, I thought it was going to bear more resemblances to the [former] Bizarre Creations game, Blur, where the power-ups were strewn across the race or there’d be some sort of infinite amount of EMPs and Spike Strips. Turns out, not so much. You are given many more EMPs, Jammers, Spike Strips, and Turbos than any other race and mode – it just doesn’t carry that much weight.

The heavy focus on Online play is a hard sell when it takes a while to find a game depending on which class of car you pick. The overall experience of the new two modes is nice, and adds something different to those who play online long after the racer and cop careers are done. However, it still feels a bit shallow. Three new achievements/trophies are added to the game (if you’re into that sort of thing). This is the 2nd paid DLC pack released for Hot Pursuit – unfortunately it’s not so hot, making it more like Cool Pursuit.