Game Review: Need For Speed Most Wanted (2012)

Publisher:

EA

Developer:

Criterion Games

Genre:

Racing

Release Date:

October 30, 2012

Platform: PC (What I tested it on but, could be played on XBox 360, PS3 and later Wii U)

Get your cars Ready Guys!

After a quite a long time (7 years), NFS with a 'Most Wanted' Title is back, this time, from a different game developer, Criterion games. Well exactly after, a pretty unsuccessful last year's launch, The Run, isn't good enough as other games of the franchise’s. The folks at Criterion Games now get back from developing the NFS: Hot Pursuit (2010) and they plan to get an awesome racing game for you guys. 

So, Let's talk about the features of the game

Graphics & Audio

The graphics are amazing. They show how good computers can render games. Even my HD 7850 (which is known to be a decent graphic card for today standard) won't cut the game at high stable 30fps+. I have to lower settings down. There’s a lot of beautiful detail and a ton of awesome special effects that accompany your more reckless driving, smashing through billboards or bouncing off other cars is always visually satisfying to the players, plus that kind of amazing graphics on the objects. The urban landscape is mostly bright with the exception of a few darker, more industrial areas and the overall palette and design is fantastic. It’s not as crisp as some other top-tier productions, such as BF3 but it’s pretty impressive through, not like what we see when it's 2005 and we have the old NFS Most Wanted. Although, I'm sure weaker system won't run this game. We use to know that NFS games are not that demanding, but now we do. Although still, graphics is a great plus in this game.

Crackling audio effects, and a smooth-voiced narrator that introduces you to the high-speed world of street racing, police codes etc. All makes the game's audio experience awesome. Although I can't judge the soundtrack, but it's fine to my ears. So that's a plus too.

Gameplay

First, when I got to the game, I started off with a Porsche (not sure, I think it's a Carrera) and as you know, this is different than the old NFS: MW. Then, I started exploring around and find new car jackpots scattered around. These jackpots let you drive the car you found, so you don't have to pay/buy to get cars. Changing cars is pretty simple, open the easydrive option. Then, I started racing, it was very simple. Press the right arrow (opening the easydrive option, on a 360 controller), go to race and select the race (to track the path to go to the race), then all you have to do was go to the location where the race starts and you're good to go.

After finishing a race, you got parts that can upgrade your cars and you can equip it to mod the car. These mods include Tires, Nitrous, Chassis, etc. So again, money no involved. Upgrading those parts are also not requiring any money, yet, it's easy to mod them (even you can while you race :D, but you have to race too, the game doesn't pause), similar when you start a race but you have to do certain things to get the pro part. Although, sadly, it stops at 'pro', we can't upgrade all the way to ultimate like the old NFS: MW.

The way you race is similar to NFS: HP, the same controls and car movements, etc. You also have crash cutscenes, which I believe isn't that necessary because it'll waste your time. If you fail a race, you shouldn't fear, you could easily restart at the race, or after you finish from the easydrive options. I think it's pretty nice.

Although you got a good car at the start, most of us would change it because there are lots of cars better than your first Porsche. But, when switching the car, you must to race up again to get mods. which means that races are exclusive to each individual cars, different than what we see on the Old NFS: MW. Also, the car choice is okay-ish to me, cars now has different specialties. Regular sports car (Medium top speeds, acceleration, control, off-road, weight and toughness), Supercars (Excellent top speeds, acceleration, control, medium weight and toughness but suck at off-road), Superlights (Excellent acceleration, control, very lightweight bad toughness, top speed and off-road) and finally Large Off-Road cars (Excellent toughness, off-road, medium control, top speed but very heavyweight and has a bad acceleration). Personally, I don't think it's nice to start up with a Porsche, start with something worse and go high up to a Koenigsegg Agera R. So of course we won't see a Range Rover vs Ariel Atom in a race (haha).

But, the Most Wanted races are similar to one of blacklist races in the Old NFS: MW. You can use all cars that you have and have a duel with your Most Wanted opponent. There is 10 of them and they've got their own individual cars that you could get after beating them. The only difference is that you don't have to get lucky to get their car as in the old NFS: MW. But you have to shut their car down/immobilize them to get their car. I think this is a great addition.

You also have auto-repairing stations. They repair your cars when you go past through their gates, they can fix damages and flatted tires after hitting spike strips. One thing that annoy me though, is when you race there is no arrows that cover roads in a turn. You can slip easily into the road which you're not suppose to go through.

The Setup of the city is nice, it looks like a real city and it is really similar to the old NFS: MW, it lets you explore and drive like in a real city. Even though that I memorize nothing of road in this Fairhaven city (haha).

Oh yes, finally polices. I think this is the only the 'significant' bad thing. They come in almost all the races! and they disturb you while racing! Although, pursuits are similar to the old NFS: MW, you have heat level, cooldown and when you get bust. Low Heat levels are Okay, but High Heat levels is crazy and it's almost inevadable. Polices go everywhere, have spike strips (yes, they flat tires, but we can still able to drive our cars at lower speeds), we don't have a place to immobilize the police by dropping a building and we don't have hiding spots. But the good thing is, nothing happen when they bust you just, the game restarts. Personally easier police, adding pursuit features and something happening when you get bust (like 1/3 car tow, pay fine, etc.) would be better.

Oh finally, (Don't worry, this is the last from the section) This game is not a simulation game, but it still 
provides good racing experience.

Storyline

The goal is to become the most wanted racer in Fairhaven, and that means taking down the top 10 most wanted. You need a certain number of speed points (just like bounty in the old one) to challenge each member on the list, so you have to work your way up, by winning races, doing some good stuff like founding a shortcut getting milestones, etc.

There is no cutscenes with people at the store as other NFS series such as The Run, Carbon, Undercover and even the old Most Wanted. . But, that makes this game 'no have real story'. It's just like the NFS: HP. This shouldn't be a problem. But, giving it a good story could make the game better.

One thing that I complain tough, I think there is a lack of the 'progression' experience as the other NFS games, such as the old NFS: MW. I don't know how to explain this in a more detail fashion, but simply it's like there is no feeling that you are getting better and better throughout the game. This could be because of the story problems or the money problem. If I were the developers, I would add a bit of a story, but acceptable ones.

Conclusion

So yes, Finally, got here. I think this game is pretty good to play. Excellent graphics. Good Gameplay and Choice of cars. But easy improvements can be made, especially the money usage and the storyline. Cash and storyline makes the game more real-life like. Also, the cops, they shouldn't be in a race (In a special race although, it's OK, but not in a basic race) and pursuits features suppose to be like the old most wanted (like hiding spots and building that could fall off immobilizing cops). The mods can be improved to ultimate levels like the old Most Wanted too. Minor improvements such as, not using crash scenes, giving a mainstream car at the start, pause the game when opening the easy drive option, arrows that cover the road, etc. could be made. This game could not be played at weaker PCs. But overall, a fun game to play, better than NFS: The Run, it's predecessor.

Rating 0-5:

Graphics & Audio: 4.75

Gameplay: 4

Storyline: 3.75

Racing Experience: 4

Stars (my rating of the game) 0-10: 8! (Good)

Thanks for reading! Should you get this? Yes if you're looking for an NFS game! Although not as good as the old NFS: MW.

(sorry for the mistakes I made for this review, it's my first review)

Extra tags (leave them out)
need for speed, nfs, most, wanted, most wanted, mw, by, a, 2012, review, images, screenshot, people, playthrough, cheats, hints, PC, xbox, 360, wii u, racing, genre, 2005, black edition, limited edition,