Need for Speed Most Wanted (2012) Review

"So uhhh...Burnout for Speed Most Wanted?"

Video Review

Intro

Alright so this years Need for Speed is once again being developed by famed Burnout developer Criterion.   Their first attempt at a Need for Speed game was the widely acclaimed Need for Speed Hot Pursuit in 2010.  Like its predecessor Hot Pursuit Criterion once again is re-using an already established Need for Speed title and remaking it with their own style.  This time its Need for Speed Most Wanted which was originally released in 2005.  It's safe to say that this new Most Wanted game is not just a rehash of the game made in 2005 actually the only thing that remains similar between the two is the title and the core design structure.  By that I mean you will once again be taking down the top racers and trying to become the "Most Wanted Racer".

Structure

Let's talk about the structure of the game first.  Its actually quite unique because this is a through and through open world game that seems to have a serious grudge towards menu systems and load screens.  The latter all gamer's should be pleased to hear, as this game does an excellent job in minimalising the "Need for Screens" (Word Play intended).  As soon as the game starts you are dropped in the city put in a car and directed to your first "Jack Spot".  A jack spot is what the game calls the specific area in which one can find a new car and swap the one they're driving for that car.  Once a jack spot is found that car is automatically yours and you can access it via "Easy Drive".  Easy drive is the in-game menu system that can be pulled up at any time whether you're currently in an event or free ride by using the D-Pad.  This Easy Drive takes place of your typical menu system structure that most racers tend to follow.  Its this feature that allows this game to be purely open world, this one feature gives you access to starting races, customizing your ride, accessing multiplayer, and countless other things.  This level of freedom may be a bit overwhelming to someone who has never played a sandbox racer before.

Easy Drive

In order to progress through this game you must complete circuit races, sprint races, pursuits (yes cops make a return), and speed traps.  All of which grant you experience points which moves you further up the Most Wanted list.  Once a certain amount of experience is exceeded it opens up the ability to challenge a New Most Wanted racer, and if you can beat him in his race you claim his spot on the list.  Even after beating the racer though you must then chase him down and wreck him to claim his ride as your own.  Believe me when I say their car is worth your trouble.  Speaking of which there are 44 cars in the game 10 you get from defeating each Most Wanted racer the rest are simply scattered throughout the city at the jackspots. All of these cars can be found from the very beginning of the game.  Each car has 6 events to be completed ranging from easy, medium, and hard difficulties.  When you find a car it's completely stock, and upgrades can only be gained by placing 1st or 2nd in those 6 races.  That's one area in which this game is seriously lacking the customization isn't very in depth it consists of things like choosing very basic changes like type of tires,nitrous, transmission, and body types.  For example you unlock short geared and long geared transmission and you choose which one to equip to your car.  Obviously if you pick long gears your top speed would increase at the cost of acceleration and short gears would be the opposite.  Not only that but there is absolutely no cosmetic upgrades to your car.  Actually the only way to even change your cars color is by driving through a "pit stop".  Pit stops are just repair shops scattered around the city that when driven through instantly restores your car to pristine condition and changes the cars color. I assume the only reason the color is even changed is just to help in escaping police chases.  Either way car enthusiasts who like to tune and customize their car and make it their own identity will be highly disappointed in that aspect.  It's quite obvious that this game does not try to appeal to simulation fans and sticks firmly to a more arcade game play style, which isn't too surprising considering NFS and Burnout are both arcade franchises.  Being an open world game it does feature what some people have come to dread collectibles (and yes achievements are linked to them).  These  "collectibles" consist of bashing through billboards, gates, finding every jackspot, and speed cameras.

Gameplay

This game does what it needs to in terms of game play.  As already mentioned this is an arcade racer through and through, so keep that in mind.  Anyone who has played a previous Burnout game will instantly realize that the cars handle much more like they do in a Burnout game then your typical Need for Speed game.  Which in my opinion is not a bad thing actually putting criterion on Need for Speed might be the best thing for the franchise.  Although part of me would rather just see a new Burnout than a NFS/Burnout blend but that's beside the point.  If you like the way Burnout cars handle then you will love this game because it's pretty much identical.  Drifting around corners at high-speeds and nitrousing on straightaways whilst weaving in between traffic is as much of a thrill as one would expect.  Bringing cops into the mix is definitely a plus, they bring a higher level of intensity to the races.  Not only that but they also break up the otherwise lifelessness one would get from free riding through the city.  Especially since you have to drive to every event you haven't already attempted, allowing cops to pursue you on the way breaks up that dullness of continuously driving form point A to point B.  Cops are also handled very well in this game because you gain experience points by evading pursuits which give them a purpose.  Plus, if you get busted the only consequence suffered (besides humiliation) is that they'll put you back to your cars jack spot which is only annoying if you were trying to get to a race.  Also while in a pursuit you aren't allowed to start a race or teleport to a jack spot which is kind of to be expected.  One thing that needs to be noted that might annoy some people is the lack of direction during the races.  You can see the checkpoints on your screen but none of the roads are blocked off so while this is nice for finding hidden shortcuts it can also frustrate if you accidentally miss your turn.  This won't be a problem for people who don't mind looking at the map in the bottom left of your screen as it highlights the path you should be on.

High Flyin'

Visuals + Longevity

The city of Most Wanted is very well designed with a mixture of street and off-road sections, and some nice hidden ramp areas to send your car soaring.  Graphically I wouldn't say this game is astounding, but it definitely looks good and has some nice small details.  This can definitely be seen with the games lighting,  coming out of a dark tunnel and being blinded by the sun upon exiting.  Obviously there are better looking racers out there *cough* Forza, but arcade racers aren't really known for nor do they need spectacular graphics.  Of course this game does look absolutely beautiful when you're racing down the road at 200 mph with a swarm of cops on your tail and laughing at their feeble attempts at trying to bust you with roadblocks,spike strips, and SUV's. One slight complain some might have is the overly crowded HUD (Heads up Display) which clutter your screen.  This can become even worse due to a lot of pop-ups constantly appearing on your screen due to crashing opponents and such.  One thing that will please most people is you do get a decent amount of bang for your buck.  While some people may just rush through and defeat all the most wanted racers and call it done (which is about 10 hours) completionists will be spending 30+ hours trying to complete every race for all the cars and finding all those collectibles not to mention wasting away some time messing around with random pursuits.  There's also a very social oriented multiplayer for people looking for something more than just the single player.  The multiplayer has a ranking system ,encourages beating friends score, and obviously racing people all around the world.

****ing Pigs

Conclusive Opinion

This is an undeniably fun arcade racer that blends the NFS and Burnout franchises together with success. It's apparent that the gameplay is a bit more Burnout heavy, but this is welcome.  The open-world design this game embraces wholeheartedly may scare off people who like a little more structure and a little less freedom to their racers.  That being said I still enjoyed this game and I am not a big fan of open-world games. The high end police chases mixed in with a great sense of speed make the racing experience intense and fun.


Pro's                                                                         Con's
+ Adrenaline filled arcade racing experience               -Gameplay can get a bit repetitious towards the end
+ Well executed Open-World Racer                          - Lack of Structure may scare some away
+ Diverse gameplay with plenty of content                  -Constant crashing may be frustrating to some
+Well implemented Police Chases                              -Crowded HUD

Rating