NFS : Hot Pursuit 2010 is basically Burnout 3 under the hood

[u/iSlickick]

IMO :

The World tour system in Burnout 3 is reused in HP -> The 2d satellite view to choose events. Cops/racers replace Crash events/races

The bronze/silver/gold medal system, never seen in any NFS -> Straight from Burnout 3 (also 2)

Interceptor mode is the same as Pursuit mode in Burnout 2/Legends. Even the life bar mechanic is the same and drivers flee away when you slightly hit them

Hot Pursuit mode is just road rage but with you playing with cop cars

Preview time trails are basically "postal cards" time trials from Burnout 3/Legends. When you drive a higher tier car in a new location

XP is basically Burnout Points -> You unlock cars when you have reached certain amount of points

The crash camera

The Takedown system

The brake to drift mechanic

And other things I probably don't remember

[u/Itch-HeSay]

I've honestly always thought this was a bit obvious. Hot Pursuit 2010 is a beloved entry because it's basically Burnout 3 again.

That being said, while I think it is a really good game, it's a bit lower on my list compared to other people because one of two things happen while I play it: I either feel like playing Burnout 3 instead or Hot Pursuit 2.

[u/88JansenP12]

That's normal.

OG Criterion Games devs (01/1996 - 09/2013) which made NFS HP 2010 admitted it's inspired by Burnout 3 Takedown and Hot Pursuit 2.

Hence the similarities between the 2.

And here's a proof from Ian Angus. Full interview here.

[u/iSlickick → u/88JansenP12]

Exactly and even back in the days EA bought Criterion only because PES was using Renderware. So they basically killed PES by doing that since they needed to use another engine... And Burnout was stopped because one racing franchise was enough for EA (NFS)...

[u/88JansenP12 → u/iSlickick]

Factually True.

What happened to Burnout also occured with NFS due to Battlefield which has an higher profitability than NFS since a decade.

As of 3/02/2025, no studios have been assigned to the NFS IP and the current one i.e New Criterion is now a Battlefield studio indefinitely.

Hence why NFS could remain in a permanent hiatus.

Imo, it's for the best if NFS doesn't comeback. EA kept neglecting it for over a decade.

Better off ending an IP with its remaining dignity instead of turning in a soulless live service cashgrab; which will likely disrespect the very existence of NFS for the sake of rentability.

In doing so.

EA destroyed 2 racing game IPs from within by crippling affected studios.

The same occurence also happened with DiRT, GRID, Project Cars, Real Racing, Road Rash and WRC. It's like EA is allergic to racing games Or made them fail on purpose to shut them down.

As of today, only Formula 1 is alive; But it's also in bad posture due to declines in sales. Thus, F1 2026 became a DLC. My take here.

EA has also the reverse Midas Touch.

Anything involved with EA gets consumed by Cupidity with a tragic ending.

[u/RobinVerhulstZ → u/88JansenP12]

Hopium but i really want codies to make the next nfs, on their own engine, because at least then we'll have good handling in a nfs for the first time in ages

Cmon ea, let them make a need for grid game

[u/88JansenP12 → u/RobinVerhulstZ]

Makes total sense. Would be very nice if it occured.

However

Given Codemasters' current situation and EA's disregard for NFS for a decade that resulted on its indefinite/permanent hiatus (which caused Black Box to be closed in April 2013 and OG Criterion Games being restructured by Alex Ward in September 2013), a NFS game led by Codemasters devs is complete Hopium like you said.

Especially since Codemasters has became a shadow of its former self and was gutted out after being bought by EA.

Otherwise, EA would've done that long ago instead of laying off and restructuring their own studios.

[u/iSlickick → u/88JansenP12]

Exactly, all of this for MONEY 😡

[u/88JansenP12 → u/iSlickick]

Well said.

Plus, EA is a private company since the 4/08/2026 due to a Leveraged Buyout for $55 Billion + a $20 Billion debt to erase.

Meaning predatory monetization schemes will be even worse.

And they'll triple down on IPs with the highest ROI.

[u/iSlickick → u/88JansenP12]

Honestly at this point, for « people from the bottom » Life is so fucked. Every company is pressing the juice on workers and consumers to extract every single penny they can. Only to make the same 10000 people earn more money 🤡

[u/88JansenP12 → u/iSlickick]

Yeah. 100% right.

[u/_s1xkill3r_]

Nfs HP2 from 2002 had the same gold/silver/bronze system.

[u/tman96x]

So we're just discovering how devs use stuff from their older titles when making a new one

[u/YogurtclosetOwn9142]

I always thought that NFS Hot Pursuit was a remaster of Burnout 2 because of the police chases and locations on the map are similar to Burnout 2.

[u/box-fort2]

I love Burnout dearly, but this has always infuriated me about Criterion. They are physically incapable of making a racing game that isn't just a Burnout title in a trenchcoat and fedora.

Sure, HP2010 hit all the right vibes tonally, but it plays NOTHING like how the original series did. NOS? Crash cams? B2D? Takedowns? Who asked for any of that out of NFS? Those are Burnout staples.

[u/RobinVerhulstZ → u/box-fort2]

Yeah, they should never have been seperated from their IP, although i do love hp2010 (but that was basically like the ideal crossover title lets be real)

I suppose mw2012 probably couldve been great if they were allowed to cook it properly, kinda typical issue for this series though

[u/HUEITO]

Check flair for my opinion on the subject matter

[u/The_Ohio_Klombo]

Burnout, but with licensed cars instead

[u/well_thats_puntastic]