Date posted: May 10, 2009
Categories: Featured, Reviews, iPhone
Comments: 5 comments | Leave a comment |

For the casual players unfamiliar with EA’s reputation in the gaming industry – they’re big, very big. But that title also comes with the cost of criticism-catching of colossal proportion. Sure they’ve had their fair share of outstanding titles under their belt, but these days the NFS franchise has been a magnet for criticism in respect to its less-than-innovative gameplay; and it has been in need of virtual resuscitation for quite some time now. But with the release of EA’s first “real” offering (meaning specifically developed for the iDevice ground up); it may soon change. No, it’s not because of the lack of any real competition in the App Store; there’s enough quality racers up for sale that have gained critical praise (see Fastlane). It’s probably because it’s one damn good looking iDevice game. EA have raised the bar for those looking for a definitive racing experience; and as far as visuals go for the iPhone/iPod touch this one looks stunning. From the glitz and glamour’esque presentation that EA have always admittedly brought to their games, to a quality soundtrack they have never failed to provide, this is an overall package you might not want to miss out on. We enter the racetracks one more time to test if EA has learnt from 2XL Supercross’ shortcomings.

Externally, Undercover looks beautiful. Developers have recently been pushing the iDevices further and further to create some handsome looking titles; but only few have managed to stay on course and match that of Undercover’s visual finesse. From the detailed car models (meaning great for a mobile/MP3 device), refined circuits and drag strips to the various modifications you can buy for your vehicle – it all looks great. EA’s trademark presentation is all intact in the iPhone/iPod touch iteration, and I’m willing to claim that this might be the most polished looking game available in the App Store right now. The HUD, the menu, and the “cutscenes” all show a high level of polish. But in all its glory, there is still one issue that needs to be ironed out for future updates. On certain occasions the framerate will drop considerably, most noticeably when there are multiple cars on screen at a time (we’re looking at you, Hot Car and Cop Takeout events). Though they were only momentary drops in framerate, it still managed detract the overall experience of the game. When you’re speeding down 140mph+ you’re expecting to pick up that sense of speed and attempt to create your personal car chase scene straight from a movie. With the framerate temporarily dropping in and out, we can’t help but to feel a little cheated out of our very own Gone in 60 Seconds rendition. But fortunately, this framerate issue isn’t as nasty as it sounds so you’ll still have your moments reliving your Angelina Jolie-in-a-fast-car fantasy. Or Nicholas Cage if you’re F. Mills.

Audio wise, EA’s always a sure bet. From Madden, FIFA, to the NFS franchise EA will always supply a great variety of songs and this one is no different. They’ve also conveniently added the necessary option of allowing you to listen to your personal playlist, but with a killer soundtrack I’m sure some of you will prefer to listen the in-game audio instead. The gameplay aspect of the NFS franchise is usually what lacks any real depth. Sure they’ve added a few things here and there over the past few years to add flavour to the game but nothing outstanding has been implemented to separate it from other street racers out there. Thankfully enough, this isn’t the case with the iDevice version. With the lack of any real street racer on the system and EA’s effective implementation of the multi-touch and accelerometer controls this one feels extremely intuitive. The cars handle very well and it’s satisfying to flick your finger up to use up that NOS and gain a little more speed. Flick your finger down allows you to trigger your speedbreaker, where the game enters slow-motion and allows you to manoeuvre carefully for a short amount of time. These controls are super effective and feel natural right off the bat, and that’s what makes NFS: Undercover work on the iDevice. It handles similar to most racers that are on the platform right now, but yet they feel a lot more intuitive.

With everything EA has packed into this 100MB+ game; there’s bound to be some sacrifices. One such demand was the framerate, the second is the length of the game. There’s enjoyment to be had in this polished game, but unfortunately the ride is over a lot quicker than we would’ve liked. The races might be challenging in some instances, but if you’re familiar with racing titles this one is an easy playthrough. Sure there are a wealth of customisations and great looking cars to unlock from the Firebird, the new Nissan 370Z to the mandatory Gallardo. Hell, even the Pagani Zonda is here. But it still doesn’t justify the length of the game, and I think that may be a dealbreaker to those who are looking to spend their $9.99 on a lengthy game. All in all, EA’s debut for the iDevices equate to one hell of a ride despite its shortcomings. With a killer soundtrack that also allows you to play your own music, graphics almost unparalleled and intuitive controls for the system, it’s a deal that’s hard to pass up. If you still haven’t found your racing fix for the iPhone, this street racer will definitely give you the adrenaline pumping experience you’ve been waiting for. So the final question everyone wants to know the answer to is this: has EA lived up to the hype? The score below should be able to answer you that. What are you still waiting for? EA has made a quality NFS game and surprisingly it arrived for the iPhone – hooray!

Written By Jeff Effendi

A games journalist writing for various editorials such as AppGamer and MS Xbox-World, Jeff also contributes to big-time magazine 'Australian 360'. Being the first Asian-Australian to join The Koalition, he's unfortunately subject to a wealth of jokes in the office, just ask Edward.

1. Fenris89 says:

   July 6, 2009 at 11:47 pm

   Do you happen to know the song titles for the soundtrack? Cause I can’t find them anywhere!

   Reply
   • Arnaud says:

     August 13, 2009 at 2:16 pm

     One song is “Girls in Black” by Airbourne (available on iTunes). I can’t ID the other ones and I really want to know too, cause they’re all great – I want to buy them and none of them seem to be on the official OST (also on iTunes). EA – if you’re reading this: why not put them up for sale on iTunes with a special link from within the game? Better yet, include unlockable discount coupons.

     Reply
2. Wolf91 says:

   October 22, 2009 at 12:32 pm

   ?This last point is important because there are some who advocate for democracy only when they are out of power; once in power, they are ruthless in suppressing the rights of others. ,

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3. Loy95 says:

   October 23, 2009 at 12:26 am

   When I encounter problems at the bench, I use my computer to learn from other watchmakers. ,

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4. Red60 says:

   October 23, 2009 at 11:36 am

   Well, first it was thought that black children needed to be around white children to learn. ,

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