Most Need For Speed fans will know what I’m talking about when I refer to the most wanted game of 2005. The Need For Speed franchise has been reborn with the release of Need For Speed Most Wanted (NFSMW) on November 15 this year in the US Fans couldn’t stop talking about all the fantastic features of this game and the internet was full of headlines about this great title. But what is the buzz about? What makes this title so exceptional? Take a quick tour with me and you’ll find out.
The main attraction of Need For Speed Most Wanted is the return of the high-speed police chases that were introduced in the first installment in the series and perfected in Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit. But the police chases are much more involved than fans have grown accustomed to in previous versions of the game. Cops are much more aggressive, more skilled and better equipped. Don’t think you can adjust your ride to be the fastest and beat the police with speed, they have serious stuff under the hood and expert drivers behind the wheel.
Damaged models also return. You can completely destroy a cop’s car, while your own car can only be visually damaged by broken windows and damaged paint. Almost everything in the world of free roaming can be destroyed and used to your advantage during a police chase. Drive through a gas station or remove the pillars from the roof of a store and see what happens to the cops. The traffic models have also been improved and are still just as annoying as in every other Need For Speed title, but the game won’t be as fun without this annoying factor. The detail of the surrounding world has also received great attention. HDRR (High Dynamic Range Rendering) takes graphics to new heights and that’s one of the main reasons why the game takes place during the day and not at night like in the Underground series.
Speed-breaker is a nice innovation from EA to help players control their cars during high-speed chases. The speed switch is a lot like the bullet time feature in games like Max Payne and Total Overdose. One thing that may disappoint fans is the fact that car customization is much more limited than in the Underground series. You can only modify the spoiler, hood, roof vents, and window tinting. You can buy complete body kits that will fit muffler tips, headlights, etc. automatically to fit the specific kit you think of. You can still paint your car, add vinyl, put decals on your ride, and paint your rims (but not your brake calipers). Painting your car and changing its visual appearance is vital to your success in the game. This will help you evade the police by lowering your heat level after every visual upgrade or change you make to your ride.
All your performance upgrades are still available in the game and you unlock more powerful upgrades as you progress through the game. The only limitation with performance upgrades is that you can no longer choose your part brands, they are pre-selected with each upgrade. EA also removed the rather complicated tuning from Underground 2 and brought back the simple slider tuning that was introduced in previous titles. Just move the corresponding slider left or right to modify your car’s handling, steering speed, height, acceleration, downforce, top speed, braking, turbo and nitrous boost. This should be welcomed by gamers because they are no longer frustrated by hours of complicated tuning to get the most out of their games. The emphasis of this game is to become the most notorious street racer and that is why EA changed the theme from the tuner to the police chase theme.
There are over 30 cars to choose from including tuners, street cars, muscle cars, sports cars and exotics. Each and every car can be tuned and upgraded for maximum performance. You will discover that cash is a limited resource and you need to upgrade and buy strategically. You also have a chance to win your rival’s car by earning their pink sheet after each challenge. But before you can challenge a blacklisted member, you must first achieve a series of race wins and milestones to build respect among the racers and prove yourself worthy of racing against them.
The music continues the underground attitude, but the high-speed police chases introduce a new innovation: interactive music. Interactive music gives the game a cinematic feel. The closer the cops get, the more dramatic the music becomes. When you evade the cops, the music reaches a climax, but returns to a dramatic key as soon as a cop sees you again. The changes to the music are very precise and EA has done a great job creating the right atmosphere during these lightning-fast chases.
There are many other great features in this game but mentioning them all in one article is not practical. Need For Speed Most Wanted is a combination of all the great features of the previous titles and more. Great graphics, a great story with great actors like Josie Maran, great music and great cars. All these factors make the game the most sought after of the year.