Fun to play but some of the elements in the game are getting quite old.
The graphics look a lot better than the grainy TD4 visuals. Track design is also more realistic as there are some shadow detail on the road and objects. Car details are also improved with pre-rendered reflections.
The cop chase is surprisingly still the same! Unlike NFS III, Accolade is still using the same method which is to overtake the racer to bust him. NFS III is already using advance method of busting racers such as pitting, roadblocks, spike strips and the box in method. Be the cop mode is quite annoying because you have to hold down the siren button in order to bust the racer!
Cars in the game look much better compared to TD4 but the design are kind of awkward. Cars like the Nissan Skyline have a really flat rear and the front a little too round and tires are little too big! Some are OK like the Dodge Viper. Generally, the cars' looks are kind of a so-so job (all thanks to Pitbull Syndicate for doing the game design.)
The crash physics are well... hilarious! Once the player's car hits a traffic vehicle, the car is sent flying somersaulting or spining in the same direction (execpt for the PS which the game's crash physics is a little more polished than the PC.) Also, cars tend to spin out of control rather easily than AI controlled cars. Computer makes mistakes which is the advantage but the AI gets to catch up with you quicker than you can outrun them which can make you wining chance slim. Same goes for the cops.
Sound quality is also so-so. Some of the many cars have the same rattling sound as the others. The crash sound is like an weak pathetic explosion which made me laugh sometimes because crashes don't obviously sound like that!
MISC.
-Drag racing is available but it's too short and unexciting.
-Don't really feel the speed as in the PS when going fast.
-Cars look like bitmap images.
-Dashboard view is taken out.
Overall the game is cool but not as great as Need For Speed III and it's previous installments like Test Drive II. Cop chases is what is probably letting the game down a bit. Depends whether you like it or not, you decide.