Need for Speed Most Wanted

"This game is awesome!!"

First of all, I'd like to say something to all those chumps that didn't like this game. Get a clue! This game has all of the elements necessary to make it a hall-of-famer. First thing I'd like to do is break it down to you like so...

Graphic Design:8/10
The graphic design of this game has all the characteristics of Gran Turismo 3. I enjoyed GT3 when it first came out because it was considered by a lot of folks to have a ground-breaking game design, as far as the graphics were concerned. The game had everything that everyone had anticipated, and then some. Unfortunately, NFS:MW was somehow deadlocked in the design of GT3. This gave the gameplay a somewhat fake realism that couldn't be ignored. What I really enjoyed, and the reason for the eight rating, is the fact that you could go off-road and smash up the scenery with your ride. That was a lot of fun, especially cruising the golf course.

Gameplay:10/10
The gameplay was really exciting for this game. The people at EA games really knew what they were doing when they created this game, although I was rather disappointed that they got rid of the drift racing for this game. They did add a good kind of race in it's place, however. Tollbooth races were a lot of fun, and much like my comrades before me have stated, it was you against the traffic for the most part. I really enjoyed the concept of having to battle your way through fifteen experienced racers, known as the "Blacklist Racers", after you lose your original ride in the beginning. I was also overjoyed by the fact that the fuzz gets involved, highly, with this game. I thoroughly enjoyed smashing up their cruisers while evading them, it was a blast. But watch out, though, the police in this game are smart, and they will catch on to your evasion tactics. This will allow them to deploy their own tactics to stop you in your tracks. One other thing that I liked about this game is that in some of the blacklist race events, the police got involved, too. You either had a choice of going with a maximum probability of the police getting involved, or a minimum probability. I always went for the max, since getting your bounty up is a must. Another interesting addition to this game was your ability to track your rap sheet at your safehouse. This gave the gamer an edge on the fuzz, because it told the gamer exactly which cars NOT to use. Remember, the higher the bounty on your car is, the faster you go through the conditions of the pursuit. So, if you enjoy Condition 5 pursuits, then by all means, use that Lancer that has the three million dollar bounty on it, 'cause that's what you're gonna get.

Sound:9/10

The music sucked hardcore, considering the fact that I despise rap music of any kind, but the sounds of the engines were fantastic. I honestly believed that the car was real, judging by the sound. With every upgrade you made to your ride's engine, it sounded more and more of what it's supposed to be: a street racing car. I also liked the fact that whether or not you shifted up, or down, those little sparks flew out of your tailpipe. And the sound that the car made when you shifted is exactly how a street racer is supposed to sound, considering the fact that a racing transmission is supposed to sound like that. I also liked the fact that you had a police scanner in your ride, so that the fuzz didn't just pop up on you at the most inopportune times.

Overall:10/10

I believe that this game has all the makings of being one of the greatest racing games ever. Not only because of the gameplay, but because of the realistic sounds and police chases. I thoroughly enjoyed Need For Speed Underground, and Underground 2, but this game was different, and somewhat special. It didn't hold ground with everything else that came before it, it broke new ground into the racing game genre. And for those who hated this game because it didn't have drift races, or you couldn't drive at night, or whatever, Need For Speed: Carbon is your game. It's just like Underground and Most Wanted put together. And yes, Seargent Cross is still going to be a pain in your ass, since he's the first person you have to race against in the game.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/27/07