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Need for Speed: Most Wanted Xbox 360 Review (Articles)

Need for Speed first began on PC, and looking back at that seems like looking back at black and white televisions- a thing of the past. EA's latest instalment of Need for Speed, NFS: Most Wanted revolutionises the NFS Series. The gameplay is better than in any previous Need for Speed title, and the graphics are amazing. Not only are the cutscenes cinema quality graphics, but so is the actual game itself. The attention to detail is excellent, and every crack in the road and pavement can be spotted. In the cutscenes, the game characters even look real. The cars are stunningly rendered and every single building is individual.

The graphics are so good, that they're almost better than real life!

The game's Career Mode basically involves a drag racer, (you) who wants to build up his reputation to become the most notorious racer in the city, by making it to number 1 on the ‘Blacklist'. Not only do you have to worry about your rivals, but you also have to worry about the cops. Throughout most races, the police will attempt to stop the race by pursuing and crashing into racers. They also do this on Free Roam if you break the law, which can be annoying at times, as you cannot return to your safehouse or modify your car during the pursuit. For those players who enjoy high speed police chases, ‘Bounty' mode allows this. Although evading the cops is difficult, there are certain in-game tricks which help with this, such as driving into the supports of the donut shop, causing a comedy, giant-sized donut to fall into the road and block pursuing officers.

Another game mode includes Split Screen, where you can play Circuit, Sprint, Speedtrap or Drag modes. These modes, (excluding Speedtrap) can also be played on Xbox Live. Circuit mode is a simple circuit race, where your aim is to finish in first place. Sprint mode is a timed race, to see how fast players can reach Start to Finish. The aim of Drag mode is the same as the aim of Circuit mode, except that the track isn't in a circuit. Finally, the aim of Speedtrap is to drive past each Speed trap as fast as possible. The player that earns the highest total score wins.

As well as Career, another Single Player mode is the Challenge Series, where players can take on the following challenges: Circuit, Drag, Lap Knockout, Speedtrap, Sprint and Tollbooth. For the more ‘old-skool' gamer, there's the Quick Play feature, where the game will automatically select a friendly race for you against the computer. Alternatively, why not try cruising the city in Free Roam mode?

There's nothing like a nice peaceful drive through town just before an illegal drag race.

As with previous Need for Speed titles, the game has its own soundtrack which features music from top bands such as The Prodigy. The game also includes an in-depth car customisation feature, which contains unlockables. As for Xbox Live Achievements, 15 can be picked up from this game, by winning every racer on the ‘Blacklist'. Like most Xbox 360 games, this game is HDTV Compatible.

As with every video game out there, NFS: Most Wanted isn't for everyone. If you hate racers, then obviously don't buy it, but if you love racers, or just enjoy a fun driving game, then this is a good game for you. Career Mode races can sometimes be a little tedious and same-ish, but it's subtle in-game jokes and cop chases make up for this by adding more fun to it than previous Need for Speed titles, and give it a bit of a Midtown Madness feel. Xbox Live race modes are a great way to have fun and make new friends. Although, the modes are limited on Live, and a maximum of only 4 players can participate in a race at once.

Have fun with insane police chases!

Overall, I think that the game is the best so far in the Need for Speed series, but still needs some improvement if it wants to beat other top racing games such as the PGR Series.

Graphics: 10
Audio: 9
Gameplay: 8
Longevity: 10
Xbox Live Play: 7

Overall Score: 8/10

The best Need for Speed game so far, with the best graphics I've ever seen. Will provide players with hours of gaming fun!

Review by Cornish Piskie

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