solid game, too bad more inspiration wasn't put into single-player.
the good: great handling module let's you decide if you want to brake for corners or drift them, city wants to be explored, computer AI will sometimes try to take you down, good police chases and heat system, fun multi-player races, you can change cars and mods on the fly at any time. graphics are what you'd expect. online free roam.
the bad: no story at all - your opponents don't even have names no voice acting or cut-scenes- , frustrating getting taken down 3 times in a row right when you spawn because there's no brief immunity, no RPM or gear gauges, no visual customization at all and the performance customization is shallow, can't change controls or hud. co-op challenges are boring.
the medium: modest car list, music soundtrack isn't as good as EA games usually are, decent engine sounds, runs at about 30fps on pc on high-ish settings (560 ti)
bottom line: solid game but not as good as the original most wanted for its time. the racing is fun but lack of story mode feels uninspired.
verdict: give black box back the need for speed series and this time, let them complete the game without EA putting them on a time limit.