EA's sequel to the popular NFS Underground could have done a lot better
Bayview is a big open world area where you can drive freely, the new feature in the Need for Speed series. You can drive anywhere around the city. There are different boroughs in the game, each one will be unlocked after beating a number of races and earning reputation. Also you can sign up a contract with a sponsor, where you can earn a little more money then normal race events.
Some of the race events from the first game are still present which are Circuit, Sprint, Drift and Drag, however new race types are Outrun, SUV, Street X and Underground Racing League (URL).
The open world has racers which cruise around the city, driving towards them will give you an option to activate an Outrun race, in this race, you have to race past the other racer and drive away from a certain distance until you lose sight of them, winning will earn you credits. A good thing about this is that it's optional and you can earn a lot of money whenever you need it.
SUV's are the newest addition to the game, as you can simply drive a SUV against other SUV's in a circuit race and it adds more depth to the game. Customization options for the SUV make it worth while.
Street X is a race against 3 other racers on a small tracked circuit, a bit like a circuits races, however on a smaller scale, similar to the drift tracks, which fits the underground import scene well.
Finally the URL or Underground Racing League, which are races set on closed tracks outside city streets, such as stadium racing tracks or the city airport, it's formula is a tournament, were at the end of each race, the racers earn points, after a set of races, the racer with the most points wins. Again, this setting does fit the setting well.
The biggest feature and point towards the game is the customization. Customization to your vehicle will give you a rating, which is used to enter specific races. The selection has improved a lot, such as the hoods, body kits, bumpers, etc.
New improvements include the electronic systems which can be placed inside the trunk and Hydraulics. However the bigger and extremely parts for visual use which are noticed at the front image of the game whenever you start the game, is unlocked at the very end and unfortunately there isn't much to offer as there is a limited amount of split doors and hoods and to be honested, I was expected more. However on the bright side, you will still have a lot of fun exploding the customization options of the game.
Winning races after a certain event will get your vehicle onto Magazine or DVD cover much like the first game, the added plus is that you can drive to different locations on the map and take the picture yourself at different angles, which I found to be a lot of fun.
One problem I had was having to spend a lot of time driving from one area to another, to enter races, this taking the fun out of the game and having to make decision on which races the player would like to enter is a little time consuming.
Finally the story is a little shallow, having to be displayed in a comic book, it doesn't use what the Playstation 2 was set out to do (and the same goes to XBOX, PC and Gamecube).
Being a sequel to the first underground game, this game does offer a lot more in the customization department, also with more licensed cars and a few new additions to the game despite a few flaws, it makes it a good sequel which is worth playing through.