[Pilot_51]

I guess I blended that in too much with the rest...
I haven't tried multiplayer yet since I haven't found anyone with the game (each player needs the game). There is no free roam, the closest to "free roam" is "free run", which just lets you race the track alone, and unfortunately with a lap limit (4 max) like all the other modes.

As for career mode, I'm almost done with it, and it's challenging. I found that even towards the end of the career, you can pick a slower vehicle and the AI will be slower too, which makes it easier to avoid traffic and walls and has helped me win some tough races. I've had so much trouble that I tried improving my win/loss ratio by quitting before crossing the finish line not in first place, but I found out the other day that quitting counts as a loss (they got smart). Nitro doesn't seem to add as much speed as it should, it mostly just adds a fisheye camera and noise, with a small increase in speed, that is unless the AI uses nitro the exact same time I do. There's loads of stuff that can be used in high score lists, such as max speed, best jump, distance driven, minigames, etc.
One thing to add in sound, there's a good quality echo when you go in tunnels.
Some more on realism, the front and back wheels spin independently depending on grip and engine/brake. With certain vehicles, you can lock the rear wheels with the E-brake and burn rubber with the front wheels. I notice bouncing is a little overdone though, crash and you'll be bouncing or wobbling for awhile, which makes it really difficult to control until it settles down about 5-10 seconds later, although it's a relief to pass your competitors doing it.

I think this game totally owns Asphalt and Ridge Racer in almost everything, but I do notice a few things that NFSU2 is a bit limited on that the others have better functionality, although so far it seems to be minor (other than the single card multiplayer of Ridge Racer). I'm ready to sell Asphalt now that I have this game, but I won't since I like having lots of games.