Need for Speed: Most Wanted
- November 17, 2005 21:11 PM PST
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The latest installment is refreshingly new while still retaining all the old elements that have fueled the series for so long.
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Reign of the PoPo
For you speedsters, this is probably the last thing you would expect to hear, but if it weren't for the 5-0, this ride would be lock and towed to the nearest dump heap in an instant. Reminiscent of the classic Need for Speed Hot Pursuit games, Most Wanted adds the black-and-blue element to your usual adventure of hobnobbing with urban street riders. The more you build your reputation as a pavement peeler, the more the police will be on the lookout for you. And police in this game are aggressive, which makes the gameplay much more enjoyable and challenging; they'll bump you, set up road blocks, and trap you until you're arrested. Clearly, constantly being pursued by cops break up the otherwise standard race competitions you must endure throughout the game.
The Most Wanted world is an amazingly beautiful cityscape; it is by far the best looking of the Most Wanted bunch (albeit the current-gen versions still shine, too). The well designed urban sprawl is divided into very distinct boroughs, each populated with wonderfully curvaceous streets and speedways that lead to some very detailed areas. The fully customizable cars remain eerily but realistically waxed to a clean polish, too.
Baritone hums of revving engines aren't the only sweet sounds in Most Wanted. An eclectic mix of rock and hip-hop tunes resonate well, but it's the authentic (and sometimes funny) banter between the dispatcher and other cops that really shifts your driving experience into high gear.
Street Formula
If you're one of the lucky few who picked up an Xbox 360, steer toward Need for Speed Most Wanted immediately. You'll be rewarded with an addictive adrenaline rush that is not unlike...well, eluding those pesky police in real life.
