Need for Speed: Undercover Set for Release Nov. 18

Shakil published 17 Aug 2008, 10:18 in gamers - 355 views

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We first heard about it back in June, but Electronic Arts has now officially announced the latest entry in the Need for Speed series, along with a release date: Need for Speed: Undercover will hit store shelves on November 18, and naturally, it'll be available for every computerized apparatus with a button -- Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PSP, Wii, Nintendo DS, and PC (via GameSpot).

As the title suggests, players will go undercover to infiltrate an underground racing scene, which has some sort of connection to an international crime syndicate (because everyone knows all international crime conspirators love street racing). Helping propel the story will be a number of live-action cut-scenes, and EA has brought on board actress Maggie Q (of Mission: Impossible III and Live Free or Die Hard fame) to play agent Chase Linh, who oversees the undercover operation. You can get a preview of Undercover's theatrics (sadly, sans Maggie Q) in this new trailer:

Undercover is a return to the seedier, story-driven approach of earlier Need for Speed games, after last year's ProStreet was set in more official racing circumstances. EA CEO John Riccitiello noted the gameplay will resemble 2005's Most Wanted, with car chases, underground racing, and highway battles.

As Riccitiello explained back in June, Undercover will also be the first Need for Speed game from EA Black Box that had a development cycle longer than 12 months. "We were torturing a very talented group of people up in Vancouver, which makes it harder to be as innovative every year. So, I think we are going to get better from here," Riccitiello said. "Last summer we added head count and split the team in two, so now there are two teams on a 24 month cycle. And this is sort of their first 16 and-a-half month game...Because we didn't do it far enough ago to give us a full two year dev cycle."

Well, 16 is better than 12, anyway. Let's just hope the extra time adds up to a better game in the end.

Copyright © 2008 Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc.