One of the most solid installations in the franchise so far, but it fails to go farther.
It's been three years since I've been pleased with a Need For Speed game that has a fair amount of online play, tons of great rides and good customization, and a story that, though not entirely epic, has a fair length.
There isn't much new to associate yourself with, the formula is all there and the engines are ready, but of course this game does try something new, and the most notable of this is the online features, two new additions called Cost To State and Highway Battle. Though I have to commend EA on the freshest thing this game has to offer, I do have to note the if you're looking to play something like Cost To State, which doesn't turn out particularly well in this game, you would be much more suited paying half the price for something along the lines of Burnout.
As for the actual story, it does manage to put you into something of a good amount of length, especially with the massive map(whether the map is that good is another story, let's just say a lot of it isn't very accessible). However, the story lacks something original, though relatively different, it has the same old feel of any high-speed cop story to be told, but again, EA deserves props, as they have in the past, for attempting to add a deep story to this project.
So there you have it, the rides are nice and the racing is perfectly fine, the map is harsh but the length makes up for it, as it does for the story as well, and what can I say, though EA lacks the ability to perfectly tackle what racing games are all about, they are one company surely putting in one of the greatest efforts, and hey, the game is still solid and well-done, something that hasn't been done for this franchise in the last few years.