Whats Best Burnout2 or Hot Pursuit 2?
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marconelly!
Veteran
Graphics - Burnout 2 hands down. I think BO2 is the best looking arcade racer on any plartform. Rock solid 60FPS, progressive scan support, very high polygon count (resulting in high traffic activity and amazing looking crashes), very respectable textures, quite impressive lighting with great looking, and sometimes 'blinding', glare on cars, road and the scenery. Many people on the tradeshows couldn't believe the game was running on PS2, and that should tell you something.
On the other hand, NFS has licensed car models, which generally look better design wise and are also modeled very well. NFS also has great looking tracks with colorful scenery, but where it loses against BO2 is the framerate (good, but not rock solid) and aliasing (again, not terrible but BO2 looks much smoother and sharper) Another thing NFS has and BO2 doesn't, is a slick, well produced intro FMV.
Gameplay - both games are really good, and are quite different. In BO2, reckless driving (slipping close by other cars, driving in the opposite lane) is increasing your boost meter. Once you fill it up, you can activate it, and experience the wipeout kind of speeds. Control remains very tight and manageable even at the highest speeds, though. There is also a mode where you drive police car and have to chase down a runaway car and slam into it enough times to make it stop (kinda like old Chase HQ game) Third distinctive mode in BO2 is the 'crash' mode where you are given a scenery with lots of trafic that you have to slam into and cause as much carnage as possible. If you do it well enough, you progress to a next level. Later levels have a puzzle quality to them because you have to think where to crash and under what angle to accomplish enough damage.
NFS has simillar modes (police chase, racing) but I think it offers somewhat greater variety in track designs, as you can take various shortcuts, and you always have the police to take care of. Police is also attacking you in some creative ways, throwing flaming barrels at you from the helicopter, and even firing missiles. As I've said, both games are really, really fun, and it's hard to say which one has better gameplay.
Sound - both games support DPL2 surround and sound very good. Crashes in BO2 sound frighteningly real in surround sound. Music choice in both is solid, and I'd say there is something for everyone. I think NFS uses licensed music from the less known rock bands.
On the other hand, NFS has licensed car models, which generally look better design wise and are also modeled very well. NFS also has great looking tracks with colorful scenery, but where it loses against BO2 is the framerate (good, but not rock solid) and aliasing (again, not terrible but BO2 looks much smoother and sharper) Another thing NFS has and BO2 doesn't, is a slick, well produced intro FMV.
Gameplay - both games are really good, and are quite different. In BO2, reckless driving (slipping close by other cars, driving in the opposite lane) is increasing your boost meter. Once you fill it up, you can activate it, and experience the wipeout kind of speeds. Control remains very tight and manageable even at the highest speeds, though. There is also a mode where you drive police car and have to chase down a runaway car and slam into it enough times to make it stop (kinda like old Chase HQ game) Third distinctive mode in BO2 is the 'crash' mode where you are given a scenery with lots of trafic that you have to slam into and cause as much carnage as possible. If you do it well enough, you progress to a next level. Later levels have a puzzle quality to them because you have to think where to crash and under what angle to accomplish enough damage.
NFS has simillar modes (police chase, racing) but I think it offers somewhat greater variety in track designs, as you can take various shortcuts, and you always have the police to take care of. Police is also attacking you in some creative ways, throwing flaming barrels at you from the helicopter, and even firing missiles. As I've said, both games are really, really fun, and it's hard to say which one has better gameplay.
Sound - both games support DPL2 surround and sound very good. Crashes in BO2 sound frighteningly real in surround sound. Music choice in both is solid, and I'd say there is something for everyone. I think NFS uses licensed music from the less known rock bands.
randycat99
Veteran
Hey, is Rush a "less known rock band" these days? 
Just kidding, good review!
If aliasing is an issue, how can it be worse in one over the other if they are both being rendered at the highest available resolution for PS2? I don't think either one is using antialiasing. Shouldn't they be the same with respect to this factor?
Just kidding, good review!If aliasing is an issue, how can it be worse in one over the other if they are both being rendered at the highest available resolution for PS2? I don't think either one is using antialiasing. Shouldn't they be the same with respect to this factor?
marconelly!
Veteran
Randy, just play both games, you will see it for yourself. BO2 just looks better in that regard. Very smooth, and very sharp looking at the same time. They did a great job with graphics in that game.
randycat99
Veteran
I have them both right now, and I didn't really notice a big difference. Maybe it is there if I look harder for it specifically, but casually, I don't think there is a difference to speak of. The fact still remains- if both are being rendered to 640x480, I don't see how aliasing could be different between the 2.
marconelly!
Veteran
Aliasing can come from many things... not only the resolution. The algorithm used to downsample the 640x480 picture to 640x240 before displaying it on an interlaced TV field, is the edge antialiasing used or not, how different textures seam together...
randycat99
Veteran
Are you suggesting that there is some sort of AA being used in BO2?
marconelly!
Veteran
Well, to display picture on an interlaced TV, hardware has to downsample that picture from the 640x480 framebuffer to 640x240 and display that on every other line on the screen. Downsampling it simply by removing every other line causes image to flicker and become aliased. However, if you downsample it properly, you avoid those artifacts to a great degree. Most games do that, and only some 60FPS games on PS2 don't (VF4 for example).
G
Guest
Guest
BO2 has better lighting but uglier car models.
randycat99
Veteran
marconelly!, we'll have to agree to disagree. I'm looking at BO2 right now in demo mode, and I don't see any great improvement in aliasing or effects where it is being minimized to a greater degree. Both games seem on the same level as far as a 640x480 presentation, AFAICT.
The biggest difference in look between these 2 games is that BO2 has a more sharp, clinical CG look while NFS has a softer, film/photo look. Both ways are perfectly valid presentations as far as quality, just different. I just hope people don't look at both of them, notice how different they look, and then conclude that one way is right and the other is obviously wrong or inferior.
I'm looking at BO2 right now in demo mode, and I don't see any great improvement in aliasing or effects where it is being minimized to a greater degree. Both games seem on the same level as far as a 640x480 presentation, AFAICT.The biggest difference in look between these 2 games is that BO2 has a more sharp, clinical CG look while NFS has a softer, film/photo look. Both ways are perfectly valid presentations as far as quality, just different. I just hope people don't look at both of them, notice how different they look, and then conclude that one way is right and the other is obviously wrong or inferior.
On the PS2; of course!
which has the best graphics? B2. Criterion went all out. But NFS2 isnt no slouch. And they're both FAST.
which is the better game? NFS definitely. More modes, tracks, better track design, more variety, smarter A.I, more challenging, you name it.
which is the most fun to play? NFS again.
which would you recomend? NFS yet again. Seriously, it's the best in the series. B2 is great gun as well, just lacks any depth and challenge of NFS this time. And really, these two games get compared alot but they're completely different games in many respects.
which has the best graphics? B2. Criterion went all out. But NFS2 isnt no slouch. And they're both FAST.
which is the better game? NFS definitely. More modes, tracks, better track design, more variety, smarter A.I, more challenging, you name it.
which is the most fun to play? NFS again.
which would you recomend? NFS yet again. Seriously, it's the best in the series. B2 is great gun as well, just lacks any depth and challenge of NFS this time. And really, these two games get compared alot but they're completely different games in many respects.
marconelly!
Veteran
I would recommend BO2 over NFS for the pure exhilaration it offers. Building the boost meter and uleashing it, gives the feeling that few games can do
marconelly!
Veteran
Hehe, honestly, I do prefer the reckless driving/ultra speed/boost concept of BO2. I love it when games have that quintessential boost button (Super Hang On, Turbo out Run ))
))randycat99
Veteran
Aw hell (might as well), if I were to split hairs on stuff I don't like:
In BO2 there is an SUV and a pickup that "redline" at 7500 rpm. OK, whatever!
...and every car (and SUV/truck?!) has to be a turbo with that turbo-blowoff sound. Riiiight. This game just screams "generic" at me. I can't get into a game like that. In a driving game, I'm looking for a bit "more" than hitting the same nitrous boost button on the same car just to go fast in the midst of some traffic.
What about those engine sounds? They sound like they are coming out of an old videogame playing on Z80 hardware. Seriously!
Ironically, when you collide with the other opponent racers, you (or they) bounce off like balls on a pool table. What happen to those fantastic crash mechanics???
To me, the only thing BO2 graphics have over NFSHP2 is that nice looking street specularity. I'm not going to lose sleep over it. ...And that specular bloom thing? Yeah, it's nice, but my impression is that after its 15 min of fame are up, no one is going to care about specular bloom in a game (especially when it starts to appear in absolutely every possible game you can get your hands on). Essentially it is in the running for next most overused effect in videogames (my prediction).
(Mind you this is all in jest. I'm just fun-bashing BO2.)
In BO2 there is an SUV and a pickup that "redline" at 7500 rpm. OK, whatever!
...and every car (and SUV/truck?!) has to be a turbo with that turbo-blowoff sound. Riiiight.
This game just screams "generic" at me. I can't get into a game like that. In a driving game, I'm looking for a bit "more" than hitting the same nitrous boost button on the same car just to go fast in the midst of some traffic. What about those engine sounds? They sound like they are coming out of an old videogame playing on Z80 hardware. Seriously!
Ironically, when you collide with the other opponent racers, you (or they) bounce off like balls on a pool table. What happen to those fantastic crash mechanics???
To me, the only thing BO2 graphics have over NFSHP2 is that nice looking street specularity. I'm not going to lose sleep over it. ...And that specular bloom thing? Yeah, it's nice, but my impression is that after its 15 min of fame are up, no one is going to care about specular bloom in a game (especially when it starts to appear in absolutely every possible game you can get your hands on). Essentially it is in the running for next most overused effect in videogames (my prediction).
(Mind you this is all in jest. I'm just fun-bashing BO2.)
