What many expected to be an excellent online mmo, turns out to be something you just get bored of.
When I first heard about Need for Speed World (NFS World)...to be honest, I was a bit excited. I had been looking for an online racing game since I wasn't in the mood to upgrade to the current consoles and had found several of the most recent Need for Speeds to be just disappointing.
When the game launched I played it for a little while, but didn't start playing it for real though until about six months after launch, took a break...and have tried playing it again very recently. All I have to say is that the game hasn't changed my opinion about it over those three stints of play...It's not what it was hyped up to be.
In the world of Mmos, substance is key; the top games online have almost unlimited things to do, and those things act as a way of keeping people interested in playing. NFS World doesn't really have that. The game features very little and although that may be enough for some people, it just fails to keep you going.
In total that game has somewhere close to 50 cars featured, runs on a world which is a mix and match of the worlds of NFS Most Wanted and NFS Carbon, and features even less customization options than Most Wanted did, and for those who don't want to deal over real money for those options...literally none.
In total the game gives you the sense that EA just threw in bits and pieces of several NFS games (from cars, to parts, to features) and called it a day. The cars look ok, but unless you have a good graphics card your going to be stuck on low-medium settings with what is basically PS2 graphics. Not bad, but not that great either. Free roam is rather boring, despite the addition of a "Treasure Hunt" side-quest which can be done once per day. Races vary from circuits and sprints. They can be done against the AI (single race), random opponents (multiplayer race), or with friends. However, these races get boring quick, especially since it takes several level ups to unlock a varied selection of them...and they usually don't give great rewards.
The other race mode is called "Team Escape" and basically captures the police presence of the world. You and up to three others work as a team to 'escape' the cops (run a certain distance in a specified time, with a limited number of busts shared by the team). I found these races to be the most fun, and the most rewarding. But, like all the other parts of this game rather dull, and not interesting enough to keep you interested.
The total picture?
Need for Speed World, is a mediocre try by EA to create a world NFS fans to race in. Although it counts as something, with limited features, few worthwhile updates, and just too much grinding...players find this online experience too dull to keep them playing.
The Good
It is an online racing game
It is free to download and play
The servers aren't that bad (lag wise)
Great way to spend an hour of your time....here and there
The Bad
Lack of content (on all fronts)
Various bugs, and poor programming
Too much grinding
Playing for free, means playing with little
Side Problems
The police have a habit of busting you at 75 mph
Traffic cars are all undercover cops
The North American server has in my opinion too many Spanish only speaking players, virtually eliminating the main chat rooms for those who can't speak the language.