

Ivan Novozhilov’s blistering Need For Speed Underground 2 fan remake is just the latest of these Unreal-powered passion projects, deftly recreating the thrill of racing through the streets of Bayview with modern-day graphics. Aside from remakes of existing titles, Unreal Engine has been used to build dream games based around classic characters like Superman and Spider-Man. These include visually stunning recreations of classics like The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time and the original Metal Gear Solid, as well as more contemporary tributes to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.


Using Unreal Engine 4 and the new Unreal Engine 5, modders from all across the internet have built impressive remakes and remasters of classic games just like Need For Speed Underground 2. Novozhilov’s Need For Speed Underground 2 remake is still a work in progress, and EA has yet to give an official response to the project. According to DualShockers, this still-in-development fan remake adds more than shinier graphics to Need For Speed Underground 2, as Novozhilov aims to fix various issues from the original game like stuttering radio noise and missing textures on top of new features like named locations within each track, optimized in-game weather and destructive environments, and drastically revamped driving behavior. Sure enough, this brief demo features impressive graphics as a speedy blue racecar zips through dark city streets, complete with more dynamic reflections and lighting. However, a modder named Ivan Novozhilov recently imagined how a revamped version of Need For Speed Underground 2 could look and play if it was built using Unreal Engine 4, and posted a video of his work under the YouTube handle of 2Unreal4Underground.

Related: Zelda: Ocarina of Time In Unreal Engine 5 Is Simply Breathtaking Some of these rumors hinted at a modern remaster of Need For Speed Underground, but publisher EA was quick to shoot down these claims. On the other hand, an updated remaster of 2010’s Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit was met with a warmer reception, and recent rumors have hinted that brand-new Need For Speed games are in development from Criterion Games and Pokémon Unite developer TiMi Studio Group. However, more recent years have not been as kind to the Need For Speed series, with newer entries like 2019’s Need For Speed Heat being met with mixed reviews at best and various Need For Speed sequels being delisted from online servers due to waning player interest last year.
