Need for Speed Undercover : an awesome XBL racing game for Windows Phone 7.

Wanna go for a ride? Then take your Windows Phone for a spin with Need for Speed: Undercover. Silly intro puns aside, I have to say I was very impressed by this game. It’s got pretty much everything you would expect from a high quality racing game.

The game is based around a storyline where you go (as the name suggests) undercover to race around & beat opponents in an attempt to get accepted into different gangs to bring them down from the inside! This is all shown through the various cut scenes which are actual videos with actors in, not just a couple of poorly animated 3D characters.

Talking of 3D, the graphics throughout the game are brilliant. The last few racing games I reviewed were on Windows Mobile & they are nothing compared to this. The main menu of the game shows the ‘safe house’ that has been set up for you, with your car in the middle. But it’s not just a still image; it circles around the room which I feel is a really nice effect. On the wall is a map of the local area which you zoom in on when you want to choose a race to play.

No matter which type of race you are doing, the controls are still the same:

-          Steer using the accelerometer.
-          Use N2O to have a burst of speed by flicking up the screen.
-          Brake by tapping the screen.
-          Slow down time by swiping downwards (for doing fast little manoeuvres)
-          Pause the game by swiping down with 2 fingers (very nice addition)

Overall, there’s not much I can say other than I’m impressed. It’s a great game with plenty of gameplay, a nice variety of fun races & great graphics. Definitely worth the price. If you’re not convinced, go try out the free trial which gives you a race or two to play with. My final note is that it would be great to have a multiplayer mode to play via the internet or between devices, when WP7 finally supports it. That would be a very welcome addition.

Download The game from the Windows Phone Marketplace

Posted in: Windows Phone,Windows Phone Games