Most Wanted is showing its age, but there is still plenty of action in this fast-paced, high-octane racer from EA.
For years and years it seems, Need for Speed has been a staple in the racing genre for its high-speed chases and thrilling action. Back in 2005, Need for Speed "Most Wanted" launched and was a launch title for the newly released Xbox 360. Need for Speed takes a new turn overall in the series, and makes everything on a more personal scale by adding a story to its campaign, and a brand new open world to explore in-between races and events. While the acting overall is atrocious, it is better than nothing. You also have a variety of customization options with your ride, and that can grant you tons of options in this game.
In Most Wanted, you have a huge open world to drive around in and complete races, milestones, and more. You start out with a basic vehicle, and over time, you will build that vehicle up in the most tricked out ways possible. Each race you complete, you gain cash, and that cash is used for upgrades to either parts, upgrades to your ride's performance, and even visual upgrades such as paint jobs and vinyls. There are a variety of ways to customize your ride, and for the rich racers out there, it never hurts to gain multiple cars for specific styles of events that you need to complete.
The action is fast-paced and will have you on the edge of your seat. The game starts out small overall in terms of the scale of the races and police chases, but as you progress through the game's campaign, you will soon find yourself being hunted like a bat out of hell. A new feature to the series is what is called the Speed Breaker, which can be used by merely pushing the X button. It allows you to slow down time and maneuver wherever you need to go almost without anything wrong happening. This is a nice feature to have, especially when going around some of the sharper turns in the game, as well as trying to use shortcuts that you nearly miss.
Now different with the series is the way of storytelling. You have FMV scenes featuring real actors using the absolute worst dialogue I have ever seen in a quality game. Some may believe me to be harsh because it is a racer. Well, when you have a story in a game, or a story of any kind for that matter, it needs to be good. This just feels like EA threw it in there to say, "Hey, we can do that!"
Well, EA, no you can't. Not when it makes me laugh 85% of the time.
Okay, so it isn't the worst I have ever seen, but you will laugh at this. It could be a whole lot better, and the actors could stand to be a little bit better, or at least try to be more convincing. You star as a no-name racer whose car gets sabotaged by your archrival, Razor. What a name, right? Well, with the help of a guy named Rog, and what most would agree a gorgeous woman named Mia, you will start from the ground up and move up the food chain known as the Blacklist. Fifteen racers control this list, and It is your job to move up to the very top where Razor now resides. This game isn't long, and should only take roughly fifteen hours to beat. Did I mention to you achievement lovers out there that all 1000 points are achieved by simply beating the game?
Well, now I have, so go and get 'um!
Need for Speed Most Wanted is a good racer. The action is intense during races, and even when you have a big lead on the final lap, you still run the risk of losing. This game thankfully doesn't have any major issues, but there are numerous ones that are minor enough, and worth mentioning. Texture popping is common, and some shortcuts aren't really shortcuts, and can really turn an easy race into a very difficult one. The campaign is extremely repetitive, as you have to do pretty much the same thing over and over in order to reach each Blacklist member. It may seem fine for the first few ranks, but once you crack the top ten, it becomes very tedious. The online community is also dead, with no surprises there of course, but that means that replay value is an issue. For achievement lovers and hardcore Need for Speed fans, this can be an enjoyable game, but if you are looking for a racer to spend months with, you'd be better off playing Forza, or even Burnout.
(+,-)
+ Easy Achievements
+ Races are fast and intense
- Tons of minor flaws
- Campaign is repetitive
(Overall Score) 7.5/10