I'm a Criterion fanboy. I've explored nearly every nook and cranny of Paradise Island and clocked a lot of mileage with the myriad DLC available for Burnout Paradise. Yet, the team's reboot of the Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit series simply didn't click with me. Of course, what I played was an early build and one limited to a 1-on-1 versus mode -- hardly indication of what chaos to expect in a larger multiplayer match -- but that's not necessarily a recipe for a bad first impression.

Criterion's approach to Hot Pursuit, I was told, is to focus on the basis of the franchise: the thrill of the chase. However, the 1-on-1 chase that I played wasn't thrilling at all; despite being based on a solid concept: you play as either cop or racer (escaping the police) and utilize a number of weapons to slow down your opponent. The racer, for example, can jam the cop car's radar, while the cop can summon a barricade.