Pure racing fun and excitement. Sure, it's not as good as some simulated racers, but it's the fun that counts this time

User Rating: 8.8 | Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005) X360
I've been a fan of the NFS games since the very first one on PC. I remember the days of having to go to DOS and type in the commands to get the bad boy started. From the get go, my favorite portion of the game was the fact the cops chased you. I can't even count the hours I spent getting into high speed chases and some insane accidents along the way.

So we fast forward to many years down the line and we're upon the release of the latest NFS game: Most Wanted. Talk about a breath of fresh air. The previous Underground games were fun, don't get me wrong, but this iteration of the game is what I really think EA should have done all along with the Underground series. It always seemed out of place, to me anyway, that there was absolutely no police presence in Underground or U2... illegal street racing and no cops? I understand in many respects that having no police let you concentrate solely on racing, but it still didn't have the vibe it should.

With NFS:MW, the thrill is back, and with a vengeance. Not only are the chases just plain fun and exhilerating, but the audio and use of particular music in the game is top notch. From the sound of cars and obstacles whizzing by, the realistic engine tones of your car, to the intense music that kicks in when the cops get you in their sites, the audio production just helps set the overall tone of the game.

There's many other additions I could ramble about, but I'll let that to adventurous gamers to find on their own. As stated above, this is the best in the recent series of the NFS games. Thanks goes out to EA for finally making something a bit more worthwhile.