Since 1995 the Need for Speed series has happily occupied the middle of the road in the genre of computer and console automotive racing games. Unfortunately, the games often fail to sparkle in any unique way and leave much to be desired. ProStreet in particular has some irritating hiccups that may push all but the hardcore NFS fans away. Before a race begins youre forced to listen to obnoxious comments from irritating announcers that make you want to sigh, roll your eyes or even pump your engine exhaust into the PA booth. Also, be careful not to hit anything or drive over too much gravel, for as soon as you reach the "totaled" damage level, the race is over for you. This is extremely frustrating. And to top it all off, you don't even get to feed your inner saboteur and enjoy the view of your gnarled, flaming hunk of metal! With features like steering assistance and an automatic transmission, the gameplay is by no means a match for that of a serious racing simulator like RACE 07. ProStreet doesn't even deliver the heaps of fun you get from joyriding in a game like Driver: LA Undercover. On the other hand, the mild physics and simple driving controls are reasonably approachable to most casual gamers who are somewhat familiar with the racing genre. And ProStreet does integrate a great soundtrack that includes songs from Junkie XL, Bloc Party, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Overall, Need for Speed: ProStreet (a generic title for a generic racing game) fails to provide much more than a few amusing laps around the track.
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