Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit is a 2010 racing video game developed by Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Microsoft Windows, iOS, Android, webOS, and Windows Phone. The Wii version was developed by Exient Entertainment. Hot Pursuit is the sixteenth Need for Speed title and was released in November 2010, with digital distribution versions released within December 2010. This version is a reboot of Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit (1998). A remastered version, titled Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered, was released on November 6, 2020, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and on November 13, 2020, for Nintendo Switch.
Hot Pursuit's gameplay is set in the fictional Seacrest County, which is based on the American states of California, Oregon and Washington[citation needed], in which players can compete in several types of races. Players can compete online (except in the Wii version), which includes additional game modes such as Hot Pursuit, Interceptor and Race. The game features a new social interaction system called "Autolog", which is a network that connects friends for head-to-head races and compares player stats for competition. The game also features paid downloadable content in the form of new cars, new race and pursuit events, and new trophies and achievements.
Hot Pursuit was well received by critics at E3 2010 and was most notably awarded with "Best Racing Game" from the 2010 Game Critics Awards as well as several other media outlets. It won several Best Racing Game awards, including Best Driving Game at the Spike 2010 Video Game Awards. The game also won a BAFTA Award for its Autolog multiplayer component.
