I took someone out with the spike strips. So those definitely work. You just have to use them correctly.

Played the demo last night. I've been a fan of the modern NFS games, particularly Undercover which no one else seemed to like. This feels like a NFS game, which is good (although bad for you guys expecting another Burnout). The social aspects of the game seem like they'll be a lot of fun too.

Finally got to the demo this afternoon and the controls do leave something to be desired. The cars totally over steer. As a cop, I was able to knock out all four races in under 3:30... but as a racer, I had trouble just getting into 5th place. I'm still getting this game, but I hope they tweak it a bit.

I pretty much committed to sticking with Burnout Paradise despite being excited about this.

Just tried the demo - didn't care for it at all; not the feel of it, not the looks of it - nothing.
Last year's Need for Speed is way better than this.

I wish Criterion would've done another Burnout game instead. Fuckin' EA...

I dunno. I enjoyed the demo. I'm looking forward to the game. Oversteering can be fixed with sliders and there's a lot more to the game (social aspects, etc.) that we haven't even gotten a taste of.

I hope you're right. I don't recall there being sliders for previous games.

I assume everything comes with the ability to tweak... until it doesn't (or they refuse to adjust through a tuner update). And then I complain.

I felt the same way. The demo turned me off completely. I might revisit it when it drops to $15 in about 3 months.

IGN Review is up now. Maybe every one's fears were a little unfounded.

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Closing Comments
Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit is pure over-the-top driving entertainment. The cars and environments are gorgeous, the crashes are spectacular, and the new Autolog feature breathes new life into the time-honored tradition of video game competition among friends. The single-player races can become somewhat repetitive and there are some presentation issues, but overall, Hot Pursuit is a blast. If you’re looking for a high-octane racer that grabs on tight but doesn’t take itself too seriously, give this one a shot.
.IGN Ratings for Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit (PS3).
Rating Description
out of 10 Click here for ratings guide
8.5 Presentation
The menus aren’t exactly beautiful, but they get the job done. A few gripes here and there, too. No cockpit view? Sadface.
9.0 Graphics
I’ve never seen better-looking environments in a racing game. The scenery shines, the cars are beautiful and everything runs smoothly.
9.0 Sound
Excellent. The engine notes are spot-on, and hearing certain cars is bound to give you chills. Rain, thunder and environment sound are dramatic. Soundtrack is better than I expected.
9.0 Gameplay
The cars are a blast to drive, the crashes never get old, and the races truly come to life. Hot Pursuit just feels good in your hands.
8.5 Lasting Appeal
The career mode gets a bit repetitive after a while, but the brilliant Autolog, online multiplayer and the sheer enjoyment of driving and crashing offset it.

OVERALL 9.0 Outstanding

^^ Sweet. I'm as fired up for this game as I am for CoD.

I had mixed feelings on the demo. The street racing segment was just a standard racing game. Playing as the cops was pretty fun, though. Hopefully the online modes will be the game's strong suit. As it is, I'm overwhelmed with new releases, so this one will either be a Christmas gift for me, or a game that I pick up for a lower price down the road. (See what I did there?)

Well, it's got a $20 credit from Kmart and Amazon. How long until you see a price point much below $40?

I'm trying to decide between PS3 and 360. For the PS3 is that I have a steering wheel already and it has a more organized online community here. For the 360 is that I have more online Friends there.

Are many here going to be buying it? For what system are you all leaning?

Ordered from Amazon... hopefully with Shift and the $20 credit.

PS3, btw.

I'll be pre-ordering this week for PS3. Waiting for credit from a trade-in of Medal of Honor to show up.

While the environments look realistic, they also look bland and uninspired - about as boring as the desert plains they're depicting.

Ordered mine for the 360 -- and I suspect Kmart will have it for $39.99 within 3 weeks of launch (just like they did for Enslaved, Vanquish, MoH, NBA 2k11, etc).

It's going to be $39.99 @ Sears during the black friday sales. I'm sure Amazon will be matching that by then.

Apparently $35 at Target on Black Friday.

If it dips below $30 before Christmas, I'll grab it. I just have way too many racing games to get through right now. Still playing Forza 3 and have PGR4, Blur, Dirt 2, Pure, Need for Speed Undercover, Burnout Paridase, Motorstorm 2 and others to get through.

Think I just got convinced:

Got my trade-in credit from Amazon for Medal of Honor and placed my pre-order today. $7.95 out of pocket after that and the $20 credit from Call of Duty.

in the Kmart thread on CAG, $35 has been confirmed for Kmart as well - on Thanksgiving and Black Friday

Does this game feature the ability to upgrade your cars via tuning them like Most Wanted? Or do you just accumulate cash and buy new cars that are fully equipped?

Also, from the video Decker posted, the cars look to control better than what I experienced in the video. They still look "heavy" but they don't appear to over-steer when correcting your path. I hope the controls are tightened up just a bit before Tuesday's release.

No upgrading or tuning as far as performance goes, they say that specifically in the review. Seems like you do unlock upgrades to your "weapons" like the spike strip, helicopter, etc over time. I think you also just unlock cars as you go, there doesn't seem to be any buying of cars. Could be wrong on that.