The fan remake of Need for Speed Underground 2 is making great progress, as seen in a new video.
Neon lights, roaring engines, and the unmistakable soundtrack:Need for Speed Underground 2is considered by many racing fans to be the absolute highlight of the series and, for good reason, holds thetop spot in the major GlobalESportNews ranking of the best Need for Speed games.
It is precisely this fan favorite that is getting a long-overdue next-gen makeover. The development team 2Unreal5Underground has uploaded a brand-new gameplay video of the fan remake to YouTube.
The latest video from the so-called TUFU project showcases fresh gameplay footage in Unreal Engine 5 and the current progress in development. For the first time, fans can admire completely new driving physics, AI traffic, and an Outrun race.
Spontaneous Duels and Busy Streets
Two new features take center stage in the roughly one-minute clip: oncoming traffic and high-speed outrun races.
The video shows the player drifting through the rainy, nighttime streets of Bayview in a green Nissan 350Z while dodging civilian vehicles.
The video also features the remake of the popular Outrun mode, where players can challenge another vehicle to a race. The goal is to outrun the other driver to win the race.
The scene looks very fluid in the video and should immediately bring back memories for many veterans of the series.
High-end graphics meet a nostalgic driving experience
In terms of technology, the team behind the TUFU project is relying entirely on Unreal Engine 5, and the preliminary results are already impressive.
The paved roads reflect the colorful neon lights of the city and the tuned cars, while modern lighting effects create a dense atmosphere.
But the project isn’t just making huge strides visually.According to the developers, the handling has been significantly improved to strike the perfect balance between modern physics and the driving feel of the original from 2004.
When will fans get behind the wheel themselves?
Despite the significant progress, fans of the series will still have to be patient. Since this is a fan project, there is no official release date at this time.
Furthermore, with fan remakes, the sword of the rights holders always hangs over the project. So far, Electronic Arts has not commented on the fan remake.
More on this topic:According to EA, Need for Speed has no future—and its past is fading away too
For Need for Speed fans, this remains one of the few bright spots, at least for now, since the series apparently no longer holds high priority for Electronic Arts.
The project team plans to incorporate key features from the original, such as the career mode, the open-world environment, and all tuning options. According to their own statements, about three-quarters of the game is complete.
