Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered PC Performance Review and Graphics Comparison

Remastered Graphics VS Original Graphics

When comparing Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered to the game’s original PC release, it is clear that EA’s graphical improvements have been implemented alongside changes to the game’s brightness, contrast and colour vibrancy. 

These screenshots were taken using an Elgato 4K60 Pro MK.2 capture card, and highlight how the game’s original PC version is darker in colour and has more vibrant colours than the game’s remastered version.  

Strangely, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit’s original PC version looks better than the game’s remaster in some regards, with the road appearing more detailed and less flat because of how the original was presented. Reflections and draw distances are clearly enhanced on the game’s remastered version, but its hard to deny that EA’s colour scheme changes aren’t doing Hot Pursuit’s new version any favours. 

(Original VS Remaster)
  

  
Hot Pursuit’s Remaster features more details within the game world and an improved shadow system, as can be seen with the increased of parked vehicles in the area seen below and in the building shadows at the right of these screenshots. 

Again, we can see that EA has made Hot Pursuit Remastered brighter, making the game’s sky less vibrant while making the game appear flatter than its predecessor. Yes, the original is almost “too dark” in some cases, but they have now addressed the issue by making the game too bright. To many, this will make the remaster look worse than the original.

(Original VS Remaster)
  
  

The increased draw distances in Hot Pursuit Remastered significantly reduced pop-in within Hot Pursuit Remastered, making high speed races a lot more visually pleasing. In the distance, we can see that more foliage is drawn, and at the left of the screenshots below, we can see that the roadside barriers have a new, more detailed model. 

Again, Hot Pursuit’s colour scheme changes make the game appear less vibrant.

(Original VS Remaster)
  

  
Below is a strange instance when the original game looks better than the remaster in most regards, with the Remaster’s only real improvement being the removal of aliasing through TAA. Aside from that, the scene below looks worse than the Remaster, with the hillside appearing less detailed while the game’s altered brightness and colour scheme make the game appear a lot less vibrant. 

(Original VS Remaster)
  
  

Below we can see that new objects have been added to Hot Pursuit Remastered, with this scene receiving cones at the side of the road. The game’s new SSAO system also appears to not shade the nearby tufts of grass in the same way, making the remaster look worse in this scene, despite the game’s further-out draw distances. 

With the lamposts at the side of the road, we can also see some TAA ghosting, which is practically invisible outside of well-timed screenshots. 

(Original VS Remaster)