Apologies if there's already a first play thread on this game. Tried doing a site search but couldn't find anything.
So with NFS: Hot Pursuit demo coming out, it put me in the frame of mind to try playing Need For Speed World and actually give that a chance. For those of you that aren't aware what this is, it's a 'freemium' (Free to play and download but optional paid extras) racing MMO set in the Need For Speed world, completely done by EA.
I participated in the closed beta for this, and it was pretty poor at the time. It was difficult to get into races, regular crashes and other player cars warping everywhere, it was enough to put me off playing it. Coming back to it now it's kinda released, it feels like things have vastly improved and it feels a lot more solid.
It throws you in with a little tutorial and a few races to get you used to things.
The game's 'hub' areas are entirely free-roam cities that you can drive around, get into trouble with police, or find race events that you can choose to race either single player or multiplayer. As you participate in races and pursuits, you gain reputation and cash. Reputation = EXP in this, by the way, as you start off as a level 1 driver and work your way through the ranks, unlocking different perks as you go.
As you level up, you gain new courses to race on, new cars you can buy, new vinyl, and you gain a skill point that you can put into a certain skill. These don't throw the game out of balance, and if anything actually help to keep it in check. For example, i've invested a skill point in a race perk that automatically boosts my car's performance by 10% if i'm in 3rd place or lower.
Also on the subject of balance, when you're playing a multiplayer race, you never feel like someone's in an uber powerful car that you just can't beat through skill / powerup use.
As it's freemium, I thought i'd support the game a little and give them ?15 of my money. In return I bought myself a Lamborghini Murcielago and started getting myself into some matchmaking races. It attempts to matchmake you with simular performance cars as best it can, but I ended up against a Nissan Silvia in one race... And still got beaten!
I've done a youtube video showing just a couple of minutes of pursuit gameplay in free roam, so i'll upload that and post that here soon.
My main concern about the game, as much as I do love the feel of it, is the content. It doesn't feel very... substantial right now.
You will either be doing one of two things. You'll log on and just start matchmaking multiplayer races or you'll start picking fights with the police. That's it. It's very fun and actually quite addictive, but that's all there is to the game.
For something completely free to download and play though... Can't really go wrong can you.
Give it a try. http://world.needforspeed.com
So with NFS: Hot Pursuit demo coming out, it put me in the frame of mind to try playing Need For Speed World and actually give that a chance. For those of you that aren't aware what this is, it's a 'freemium' (Free to play and download but optional paid extras) racing MMO set in the Need For Speed world, completely done by EA.
I participated in the closed beta for this, and it was pretty poor at the time. It was difficult to get into races, regular crashes and other player cars warping everywhere, it was enough to put me off playing it. Coming back to it now it's kinda released, it feels like things have vastly improved and it feels a lot more solid.
It throws you in with a little tutorial and a few races to get you used to things.
The game's 'hub' areas are entirely free-roam cities that you can drive around, get into trouble with police, or find race events that you can choose to race either single player or multiplayer. As you participate in races and pursuits, you gain reputation and cash. Reputation = EXP in this, by the way, as you start off as a level 1 driver and work your way through the ranks, unlocking different perks as you go.
As you level up, you gain new courses to race on, new cars you can buy, new vinyl, and you gain a skill point that you can put into a certain skill. These don't throw the game out of balance, and if anything actually help to keep it in check. For example, i've invested a skill point in a race perk that automatically boosts my car's performance by 10% if i'm in 3rd place or lower.
Also on the subject of balance, when you're playing a multiplayer race, you never feel like someone's in an uber powerful car that you just can't beat through skill / powerup use.
As it's freemium, I thought i'd support the game a little and give them ?15 of my money. In return I bought myself a Lamborghini Murcielago and started getting myself into some matchmaking races. It attempts to matchmake you with simular performance cars as best it can, but I ended up against a Nissan Silvia in one race... And still got beaten!
I've done a youtube video showing just a couple of minutes of pursuit gameplay in free roam, so i'll upload that and post that here soon.
My main concern about the game, as much as I do love the feel of it, is the content. It doesn't feel very... substantial right now.
You will either be doing one of two things. You'll log on and just start matchmaking multiplayer races or you'll start picking fights with the police. That's it. It's very fun and actually quite addictive, but that's all there is to the game.
For something completely free to download and play though... Can't really go wrong can you.
Give it a try. http://world.needforspeed.com