How those all-important races are instigated will be paramount to the 'completely immersive' experience, of course. Rockstar is looking to make the transition from laidback cruise to drunk-on-adrenaline driving a seamless one. We witnessed the trusty 'flash lights at challenger' technique, followed by a pre-race race to the starting line, the race itself and then straight back to cruising with a bare minimum of bother and certainly no deviation from the game world.
We were told that there would be around eight ways to hook up with other drivers and enter races in this satisfyingly smoothalicious style. For what it's worth, our money's on a device in the same vein as GTA IV's Whiz cell phone making an appearance, allowing the player to make the call - whenever they want - to other racers in the city and hitting them with the challenge of an automobile throw down.
A 29-year-old PC racing game going cyberpunk anime with Troy Baker, Initial D drifting, and cutscenes from the Metroid: Other M studio sure wasn't on my Game Awards bingo card
A speedrunner just beat Need for Speed: Most Wanted's world record by 90 minutes - by using Half-Life's Gordon Freeman instead of a car
