"Whatcha gonna do when they come for you"

Need for Speed Most Wanted is the latest in the Need for Speed franchise. First thing that you know is that they brought back the cops after not having them in the 2 Underground games and makes the game more challenging at for me it is. One of the things that you will notice about this game that are different from the Underground games is; that there are not only the kind of cars that were just featured in Underground 1 and 2 such as the Chevy Cobalt or maybe a Honda Civic but your exotic cars like Porsche as well as the Lamborghini. Not only that but the feeling that Underground games had with having the statistics for the cars being not totally maxed out like in Most Wanted but in Most Wanted it may that of how the cars react to being at the highest statistics possible like with weight going in and out of the turns. If you have been playing racing games for quite some time such as myself, since 1999; I know that of how a car should handle in and out of the turns along with other characteristics of the cars.

Graphics: 8.3 out of 10
The graphics of Most Wanted are not as sharp as some of the other games out there on the market like Gran Turismo 4 or on other game systems such as the X-Box, but they are decent enough for the game in my opinion. The cars are nicely detailed every aspect of them sure they are not polished, polished; I think some people would say that the cars look realistic but not as realistic as some games out there currently. As for the track detailing to the free roam of the Career are nice but in my personal opinion they could've been a little better in the graphic department if worked on a little more but overall they are decent enough for a system such as the PlayStation2.

Difficulty: 8.9 out of 10
People may want to know how well is the difficulty of this game is when you rent or buy the game. The difficulty of Need for Speed Most Wanted I do have to say is quite up there mostly of the Career part of it with the cops and not knowing where they'll be. Sure the cops are easy at first but you have to watch it once you get up to a higher one where you'll be chased by tougher cops and let me warn you now that when you get up there in the higher cops they'll do whatever they can to stop you. Even though with being able to try to last as long as possible in a pursuit but the slightest mistake can cost you and try having the best time possible for the pursuit; so watch out with the cops. As for other aspects of the game it can be hard with some of the races trying to complete the Career part of the game with trying to maneuver the best through the course and through traffic.

Sound: 8.5 out of 10
The sound of Need for Speed Most Wanted is quite neat at some points of the game. Each car engine is different from the other, trying to make the game a little realistic in terms of Street Racing goes. The cop sirens are realistic and even with hearing the transmissions over the radio like if you have a scanner right there in the car with you so you are prepared for the cops when they lay down or set up anything to stop you in your tracks.

Gameplay: 8.0 out of 10
Need for Speed Most Wanted gameplay wise hasn't changed much since Need for Speed Underground 2 but it feels different than that of Underground 2. While in Underground 2 it seems like the gameplay felt realistic than in the previous Need for Speed games, Most Wanted on the other hand seems like a mix of Underground 2 and maybe that of Hot Pursuit 2 or even back from the days of the PlayStation Need for Speed games. That doesn't stop from being able to enjoy this game to the fullest and try to accomplish 100%.

Replay Value: 8.3 out of 10
Once you have managed to get everything done in Need for Speed Most Wanted if you thought it was challenging game then I highly recommend that you go about playing through the game again to see if you can try to better yourself. There are people out there that would be crazy enough to try to complete this game all the way again, and get some kind of satisfaction out of it. That is cool if you are like that, there are a few things in this game that you can try to go about doing things over again if you please.

Overall: 8.5 out of 10
Overall Need for Speed Most Wanted for the PlayStation2, is a good entry in the Need for Speed collection. If you are a racing freak like I am this is a game that you need to go about checking out if you haven't already, and if you want an extra challenge complete all the challenges that are in the game. The Career part alone may not be enough for most people here and the challenges should be plenty for you along with Career yet you have to know one thing be sure to try to build up your Rap Sheet if you want to be the baddest boy in Most Wanted. I am a badboy in this game but are you……and ARE YOU READY to take on Most Wanted.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/05/06