Need For Speed Undercover (NFSU) might well turn out to be one of those defining games for the iPhone. The whole package here is amazingly slick, the graphics look and feel incredible and the controls are even better (more of that later).The basic idea here is to play as an undercover cop and infiltrate street gangs and take them down all through speed races. It is a little similar to the Fast & Furious franchise but these two latest iPhone games are very different.
NFSU storyline is split across three districts and there are about 8 races in each. From the onset, this feels so much like a big console game. A very high quality video intro sets the scene with Maggie Q and later Christina Milian making an appearance as the plot drags you in. No matter how good the N-Gage might be, very few handsets could seamlessly intermingle video clips with gaming.
The guys at EA have also spent time figuring out how to create some unique controls for the touchscreen. The car auto accelerates and you just need to tilt to steer and braking is a simple touch on the screen. That's all fairly standard. However, the extra gestures are a little different. Swipe upwards to activate the nitro. Swipe downwards with two fingers to pause and a single downward swipe initiates the slow motion. You can even pinch to zoom when you're in the garage. To be fair a pause button could have been placed in the total corner but the double swipe is a cool feature and frees up the screen from virtual buttons.
There is only a single story mode and it is quite linear in its progression. However, there are a bunch of different race types so the variety is always there. Some of the levels will have you delivering a stolen car while being chased by the police. Others are all about crashing into and destroying as much public property as possible.
Every race earns you money (and more can be gained for stylish driving) and you can use this to boost up your garage. There are 20 real cars to choose from and they can all get engine/performance upgrades as well as some new rims and spray.
The only criticism is the long term play. This $9.99/£5.99 game will give a few hours of pleasure but once the story is complete, there's little reason in revisiting. Fast and Furious does not have as good a driving experience as NFSU but the online scores will always have you coming back.
From: Mobile Game FAQs
