By: Tyler Miller
When I think about Need for Speed, one of the first things that comes to mind for me are the cop chases from the original Most Wanted. The exhilaration and adrenaline rush that I get from them was something that engrained itself in my brain. They were challenging, but they were fun nonetheless. That’s far from the case in Need for Speed Heat.
The cops in Need for Speed Heat are so damn annoying and frustrating that I actively avoid trying to get into a cop chase whenever I play at night time. For those that don’t know, the game has to sides to it. There’s the day time where you can partake in legal races and earn money for new cars and parts, and there’s the night time where you do illegal street races that increase your reputation in the street racing community. The higher your rep level, the better parts and cars you unlock for purchase. During the day the cops pretty much leave you alone, but at night time they’re on the hunt. Doing races and any illegal activity increases your Heat level. The higher your Heat level, the more rep you can earn, but it also makes more cops search for you in addition to making them more ruthless in chases.
It’s a fair balance to have, but they get way too aggressive far too quickly, and it’s damn near impossible to shake them off once you reach Heat level 3. Once you reach that point, the cops are going as fast as you are and somehow manage to keep up with you no matter how many twists and turns you take to try and lose their line of sight. They also ram into you which does damage to your car and can eventually wreck you which results in being busted. You can also try and wreck the cops, but doing so damages you, so it’s counterproductive to even attempt it. This is especially frustrating when you have four cops chasing after you and try wreck one, but lose a good portion of your health and still have three others chasing and ramming you nonstop.
This system is so annoying and stressful that I don’t let my Heat level get higher than 2 because of the potential to end up in a cop chase that I know I won’t be able to get out of. Sometimes I’ll even end the night as soon as my Heat level reaches 2 because it’s just not worth the risk of losing out on the rep I earned. Unfortunately I can’t always do that since cops can start chasing you during races as well. I like that because it adds an extra level of excitement to them. But since your Heat level will increase throughout the race if you’re being chased, you could potentially end up starting a race with Heat level 1 and finish with it about to reach Heat level 3. So I’ll finish the race, but then lose the rep I earned because I just can’t get away from the cops that were chasing me the entire time.
It’s a shame that the cops are built this way because the night life is so much fun to engage with. The world looks the best at night and so much of the progression is built around gaining rep at night. It takes me back to when I would play Underground 2 or the original Most Wanted as a kid. I would love to engage in the night activities more and get into intense cop chases, but with how the cops are currently in the game, it’s just not worth the frustration and anger that I feel whenever I play.
TheComfySpot 