Some may find this feature good while others may scoff at the thought of such a NFS game. This game seems to be very true to the harder simulation style of racing over street style. The steering is extremely sluggish and without the proper suspension tuning a car, even something with as much oversteer as a good, old muscle car, seems to drive as if it were front wheel drive instead of rear wheel.
Pro Street really brings the need for smart and proper tuning in order to excel at the game. Even I, someone who plays Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport, find this game to be challenging when it comes to properly tuning the cars especially something like a muscle car.
When entering a grip race, I have found that sometimes a tuner is the absolute best choice over everything else, however, other classifications such as the muscle cars can work in one's favor or even one of the new “muscle cars” (When observing the quotation marks around “muscle cars,” please keep in mind that I don't consider anything after the last production model of the Buick Regal GNX to be a true muscle car).
The drag racing on the game requires a good deal more skill than it did on the older NFS games. One must completely control the shifting even on launch. Throw the car in first gear too soon and you false start; shift too late and you won't get a good time. Also when going for first gear, one must be careful on certain cars that you stay inside of the green perfect launch area on the RPM gauge, or you will not receive the best time.
The red line area on the cars varies greatly depending on tuning and installed parts as well as the car itself. The easiest car to perfect launch in that I have found is the Camaro Concept. The Concept has a very high red line and is a good car for someone who isn't good at perfect shifting and launching in the beginning of the game. I would talk about the drifting aspects of the game, but I find that I am not nearly proficient enough at the drifting in the game to warrant discussing it as if I were proficient at it. I have found though that muscle cars do not drift well at all. As for the speed races, I feel the same way about them as I do the drift races.
I haven't become good enough to warrant discussing them in this particular review. Overall, I give this game a 5 out of 5. NFS Pro Street is a definite must if you enjoy either the old NFS games or even simulation racers. Even someone new to the NFS franchise should be most pleased with the gameplay.
I would say one of the only problems with the game is the lack of an ability to see the interior of the car such as in Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights. Go out and buy this game. I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed with it once you try it. Do expect to need time to acclimate to the new NFS gameplay style.
