The Need for Speed series has been one of the most successful racing games in the Electronic Arts stable, besides the Burnout games. The racing series that's given us the high speed chases in exotic cars that we can only dream of ever owning. The series has gone through multiple changes, from just racing, to police chases, to illegal street racing, to pro racing, and finally now to its latest installment Need for Speed: Undercover. Gone is the rice-burning games that reminded us of the Fast and the Furious and in its place is a game that returns the series "back to its roots."

The high-intensity police chases were what made Need for Speed popular and they're back! The adrenaline was always pumping as you blazed past the cops and they chased you. As the thrill of the chase began, all you could think of were creative ways to shake them. If you got past them you felt like an outlaw, only to realize you still have a race to run. If you failed, the cops either handed you that dreaded speeding ticket, or they slapped on the cuffs and busted you. Going to jail was not an option for you so outrunning the cops and dodging their roadblocks was the name of the game. This cat and mouse chase made the game fun.

Now that I've got you excited about police chases, let's briefly get into the game's storyline. You play the role of an undercover officer in Tri-City Bay. Your job is to help "clean-up" the city streets, but you won't take them on alone. Along for the ride is Federal Agent Chase Lyn, played by Maggie Q. After your introductions, the game will become a high stakes showdown to take down the criminals. You'll race against a variety of opponents with their high-powered cars. Don't forget to avoid the law, because even though their on your side, you don't want to blow your cover.

Like the previous Need for Speed games since Underground 2, the game will have you driving in an open city as you look for races and other things accomplish to advance the game. Your partner will give you clues on where to go and all you'll have to do is drive there. Of course you can do whatever you want in the city which pretty much is like a sandbox game, but you must race to progress through the storyline as well as upgrade to new cars.

Speaking of cars, Electronic Arts have assured us that there will be a wide variety of cars including imports, exotics, and even muscle cars to race with.

Undercover's multiplayer is the wild-card in the mix. You can play online in a variety of race modes including Highway Battle where the object is to race to a determined point on the track. There is also a mode called Cops and Robbers where two teams of anywhere up to four players race against each other sort of like the road rage online team battles in Burnout. One team picks up the loot and tries to make it to the drop point while the other team tries to ram them off the road. There is also police chase modes as well as your standard racing modes found here.

Currently, Need for Speed: Undercover is looking like a solid arcade racer. For once, it seems the series will have a decent, but not too cheesy storyline. The cinematics in this game are of high quality and will make you feel like your in a big-budget Hollywood movie. The gameplay graphics are pretty good as well and will give you a good sense of speed. The thrill of the chase has returned with the police playing a big factor in the game. In the end, I'm glad to see that the Need for Speed series has returned to its roots.

Need for Speed: Undercover releases on November 17.