Need for Speed: Most Wanted - A Criterion Game

 PC
User Score
4.5

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 1020 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 254 out of 1020
  2. Mixed: 249 out of 1020
  3. Negative: 517 out of 1020
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Turbobutts
    Oct 30, 2012
    5
    I weep for the Need For Speed series, and I weep because EA seem to force Criterion to make mediocre Burnout Paradise clones instead of decent Burnout games. If you want a good NFS game, get the new Hot Pursuit. Otherwise get Burnout Paradise. Plain and simple. ---- Now for the sake of the responsibility I carry as a reviewer I will go into detail a little more. The map is small andI weep for the Need For Speed series, and I weep because EA seem to force Criterion to make mediocre Burnout Paradise clones instead of decent Burnout games. If you want a good NFS game, get the new Hot Pursuit. Otherwise get Burnout Paradise. Plain and simple. ---- Now for the sake of the responsibility I carry as a reviewer I will go into detail a little more. The map is small and boring. The cars all seem to handle and perform almost the same, and earning them feels underwhelming because it's so easy. Also there's no visual customization and you can't even pick your paintjob freely. Then there's the annoying crash cam and less than appealing soundtrack. All in all a bittersweet experience, especially for people who know what Criterion are capable of if they're not handcuffed by EA.… Expand
  2. Vasot
    Oct 30, 2012
    5
    Need for Speed: NOT Wanted. Where can i start from the annoying camera that you have deal every time you pass a roadblock or the car handling that feels like driving a brick with wheels. And what is with the cops I am driving with over 300 km/h and still the cops always stick with me even if i am dealing with average police cars. How is it possible a average police car run with the sameNeed for Speed: NOT Wanted. Where can i start from the annoying camera that you have deal every time you pass a roadblock or the car handling that feels like driving a brick with wheels. And what is with the cops I am driving with over 300 km/h and still the cops always stick with me even if i am dealing with average police cars. How is it possible a average police car run with the same speed with a Super car that runs almost 300 km/h ?!!? (smells like cheating AI to me). As for the rest there is no Single player story or any real purpose just running around some city trying to be number 1 in some list and doing similar races every freaking time (very boring !!!). Only good thing about this game are the graphics which are pretty good as for the rest it is a disappointing game that gets boring really fast… Expand
  3. emmanuelbriceno
    Jan 20, 2013
    7
    Multiplayer = frustrating derby, just crash, crash, crash, and more crash, crash, crash, crash, crash, crash, crash, crash, crash, crash, crash, crash, crash, crash, crash, crash, crash, stupid!!!!!!
  4. karcael
    Jun 11, 2021
    5
    Oyun pek iyi değildi. Düzgün çalışmadığı çok zaman oldu. Hikayesi herhalde o kadar kötüydü ki hatırlamıyorum bile. Bu oyunda hikaye var mıydı?! Grafikleri fena değil, oynanışı kötünün iyisi.
  5. franco214
    Nov 13, 2012
    6
    My problem with this game was where my expectations were before getting my hands on and some game time behind me. I love the NFS series and have hours of fun with friends racing and competing on Autolog. While these things still exist in Most Wanted i still feel like there is something missing from the experience. The handling took me a while getting used to and to be honest it rarelyMy problem with this game was where my expectations were before getting my hands on and some game time behind me. I love the NFS series and have hours of fun with friends racing and competing on Autolog. While these things still exist in Most Wanted i still feel like there is something missing from the experience. The handling took me a while getting used to and to be honest it rarely changes between car to car, providing no thrills from finding your next vehicle. The use of the easydrive system is good, if not a little difficult to use while racing, but once you are used to it can be very effective. For me the longevity in this game is lacking it has been less than a month out and i am feeling my will to play just slip away. Could have been much better.… Expand
  6. Meteorix
    Oct 31, 2012
    5
    The Good - The graphic level, the tunnes, lights, cars and world in general are well made, the highways and streets are pretty well for a simulation of the city.

    The Bad - is a Burntout Paradise game with no challenges, run as crazy and free as you want, the filters to make look good this games are way to heavy and with no optimization at all, almost anything bigger than a LOW setting    The Good - The graphic level, the tunnes, lights, cars and world in general are well made, the highways and streets are pretty well for a simulation of the city.

    The Bad - is a Burntout Paradise game with no challenges, run as crazy and free as you want, the filters to make look good this games are way to heavy and with no optimization at all, almost anything bigger than a LOW setting will drop your fps to 35 fps wich by the way is unplayable.

    Other than that, is not what expected from "MOST WANTED", just another arcade game.    … Expand
  7. AndreyATGB
    Nov 5, 2012
    7
    First off, I do agree with the points everyone is making. If you look at it as a NFS game, it's worth 2 or 3. Looking at it as a Burnout with cops and licensed cars, it's a good game. The cars do feel too heavy, the game is one of the worst ports on PC I've seen recently. At first glance, it seems to have graphics options, but don't be deceived. You can't change VSync and refresh rate.First off, I do agree with the points everyone is making. If you look at it as a NFS game, it's worth 2 or 3. Looking at it as a Burnout with cops and licensed cars, it's a good game. The cars do feel too heavy, the game is one of the worst ports on PC I've seen recently. At first glance, it seems to have graphics options, but don't be deceived. You can't change VSync and refresh rate. There's only one option for textures: high res on and off. My GTX 580 (which runs any other game maxed out no problem) cannot run this at all high. It has severe frame drops. Even on medium and low shadows, there are frame spikes. I was playing with a PS3 controller and got used to the driving mechanics quickly. Single player is easy and lasts about 5-6 hours. Multiplayer is fun, burnout paradise challenges pretty much. Another thing that annoys me a lot is just the overall slow feeling, when you change a car or finish a race, you'll have to stare at your car with no HUD until the stats of it go away. This is just unnecessary and stupid, it's wasted time every time. Another thing are EA's complete and utterly horrible servers, more precisely Autolog. It doesn't stay connected more than 10 minutes and when it does connect, it DOWNLOADS your progress not uploads. That means while you're disconnected all the speed points you earn will not be uploaded once you reconnect during the game. It will only if you quit and reopen the game. Also, Origin doesn't sync save games. I should mention that I paid 1/3 of the price for it and based on that, I did not waste money. I give it a 7 despite the problems, but just barely. TL;DR Bad NFS game, OK racing game, good Burnout. Horrible PC port.… Expand
  8. fessisbest
    Jan 16, 2013
    7
    I don't know where everyone is getting the poor performance excuse. I could run the game on all high settings 25-30 fps with my gtx 768mb. Overall though the lack of story and somewhat repetitive game-play could turn a lot of gamers off, but believe me, when it's fun, Its really fun.
  9. Ckazochnik
    Nov 15, 2015
    7
    Like this game. After really annoying Carbon and some **** «official» racing games (NFS without cops, wtf) it feels like a good arcade for 2-3 evenings.
  10. pawwilon
    Nov 18, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
  11. slartibartfas
    Oct 31, 2012
    5
    Not good. Very mediocre. -5 points for:

    - massive framerate drops even on actual hardware (i7, gtx660, 8 gb) - jaggies (where is the antialias setting, which every modern game has?) - missing story - missing motive force to do something - excessive emphasis on "social gaming" at the expense of the singleplayer campaign I'am really annoyed, that I've bought this game. For now, I    Not good. Very mediocre. -5 points for:

    - massive framerate drops even on actual hardware (i7, gtx660, 8 gb)
    - jaggies (where is the antialias setting, which every modern game has?)
    - missing story
    - missing motive force to do something
    - excessive emphasis on "social gaming" at the expense of the singleplayer campaign

    I'am really annoyed, that I've bought this game. For now, I will continue playing Borderlands 2.    … Expand
  12. sinadoom
    Nov 14, 2012
    7
    I'll begin by addressing the problems and common misconceptions about this game. The main problem with this is that it's not optimized for PC. You may want to go straight to your "Criterion Games" folder in My Documents and in the cfg file set LockAt30fps to true. This is not something you should have to do with any game, let alone one designed for casual gamers. 30 FPS does suit the gameI'll begin by addressing the problems and common misconceptions about this game. The main problem with this is that it's not optimized for PC. You may want to go straight to your "Criterion Games" folder in My Documents and in the cfg file set LockAt30fps to true. This is not something you should have to do with any game, let alone one designed for casual gamers. 30 FPS does suit the game well though. A recent patch has fixed many problems with regards to controllers and framerates though. In terms of the brick-like heavy handling and the seeming "auto-correct" when steering; just remember that this game is made for non-racers. If, like me, you're used to super-sharp and technical driving you need to break out of the precision mindset and just throw the car about more generally, since in more hardcore racing games the smallest input at the wrong time can lead to a disaster. Here you need to be aggressive, so it can take some getting used to if you're serious about your racing games. As for more general downsides, this game lacks any real depth in terms of single player content. It wouldn't be as empty if the leaderboards were more focused globally rather than on friends. Indeed if you have no friends who play the game all the speedwalls are pointless as always. But this game is designed with mutliplayer first, as stated by Criterion. Hence, the single player is just a free-roam messabout arena rather than the main chunk. The title has caused much confusion. The 2005 game is my 15th favourite game ever (at time of writing). However, Criterion have stated (see Wikipedia article on this game) that their intention was NOT to make a sequel to the original masterpiece. And so it follows that the concept behind the title is being "Most Wanted" amongst your friends. Like in NFS Hot Pursuit, the handling is very arcade and there is no manual transmission. However the city of Fairhaven resembles that of Most Wanted 2005 so you get a good mix of urban twisty roads and inner city centre. The design philosophy for the single player is to keep it very simple and basic. So no budget to manage, no garage, no consequences for getting busted, no special cars or upgrades to unlock from levelling up or whatever. Just very simply: Whatever car you find, you can drive. The graphics are obviously state-of-the-art; and you'd expect them to be given the system requirements. Compared to Hot Pursuit 2010, there's no innovation, and handling is inferior to that in The Run. The lack of manual transmission doesn't help matters. But unlike The Run this game doesn't have any camera issues, and it's not linear; it's free-roam. I like the concept and the game does feel very modern, with an excellent choice of cars which do handle slightly differently (although once again, not comparable to The Run's handling). This game is not sophisticated, and this is with great delibration. Infact, the emphasis is on the pick-up-and-play, do what you want whenever you want without having to grind through a half-arsed story - kind of thing. If you're expecting a sequel, then you have either been mislead by the title or deeply misinformed of the game's intentions. All in all it's a great game but the technical issues on the PC version on launch and the lack of emphasis on global leaderboards position if you don't have any friends is dissapointing; given that Autolog has been around for quite some time now. Nevertheless, it's definitely the game I would recommend to someone who has never tried a racing game. Everyone who thinks that this game is multiplayer only or is not worth getting if you're planning to mainly or only play single player is lying. When you consider how many cars there are in the game, and that there are 5 races for each, there are upgrades to unlock for each which have their distinct advantages and disadvantages and can be changed at any point even during a race, and the upgrades themselves have "Pro" versions (just as perks in Call of Duty have Pro versions); add in the 60-odd speed cameras and over a hundred billboards to smash and also trying to beat your best time on each race or get more points on each pursuit without having to worry about getting busted and paying a hefty fine - you get the idea. Basically, the amount of content in the single player is actually more than meets the eye if you want to do everything. Variety isn't great but is sufficient to keep it feeling satisfying. The city is tiny but it's used so well it feels bigger than it actually is. The cars sound great, have nice colour schemes, and SFX is generally high quality. When you consider that you get the best-looking racing game to date by a large margin with some of the finest cars around in a very casual drop-in/drop-out environment where there is still motive to unlock things but not the main part, it's very pleasing and relaxing. The difficulty of the races is pretty good if not a little too hard, especially for casuals. Overall, fantastic work Criterion.… Expand
  13. bluemonkey93
    Jan 20, 2013
    7
    I am really enjoying this game. It is disappointing it doesn't have garages, money and customization like the original did, but as a modern racing game I find it stands out with its array of content, cars, and beautiful locations.
  14. Rawberrie
    Nov 4, 2012
    6
    Well I got about 18 hours in so I feel like I can give a good review and not some of the ones that posted a review the same day the game came out so they could not have gotten THAT far. First off it looks pretty darn good on the PC. People saying it's a straight port obviously didn't catch that it has a high definition texture pack that I know the consoles don't use so they did put SOMEWell I got about 18 hours in so I feel like I can give a good review and not some of the ones that posted a review the same day the game came out so they could not have gotten THAT far. First off it looks pretty darn good on the PC. People saying it's a straight port obviously didn't catch that it has a high definition texture pack that I know the consoles don't use so they did put SOME thought into the PC but not nearly as much as I would like the graphics menu still doesn't have a lot of options a "Made for PC" game has. It sounds good most the cars sound somewhat like you expect and the music score is acceptable. Nothing special but it gets the job done without becoming annoying. The AI in the game can be challenging at times especially the police when you aren't in the greatest car to get away from them but other racers aren't terribly hard or aggressive. The story is like most stories in every racing game out there. It's stupid and easily forgotten and doesn't really matter. Who in the world buys a racing game for it's story I'll never know. I hate the way most the cars handle in the game. It's not arcade but it's not simulation it's somewhere in the middle which makes all the cars feel like they handle like crap. It has it's Burnout moments from time to time with the crashes and the racing which is a nice touch by Criterion Gaming but you can't help but feel EA was prolly really reluctant to allow them to add what they did. You can't customize your car that much but there are a few things that make your cars better for certain situations and can vastly differ how your cars handle but if you came here wanting to go all out on cars like some you can in Forza/GT5 and the like you will be left out. If you like arcade racing games then you may want to try this game out to see if you like it. It has it's moments when it's fun but the actual act of driving for me is ruined by the way all the cars feel and handle on the road with their in the middle of simulation and arcade feel.… Expand
  15. fredderator
    Jan 16, 2013
    5
    I wanted to love this game, I really did.

    Coming off the dismal "Need for Speed: The Run" last year, I was glad to hear Criteron was getting back to the style of "Hot Pursuit", the pinnacle of the modern NFS games. About three hours after firing this up, pumped as ever, I had to stop out of sheer frustration. First, the good. It seems as if there is a massive list of cars in this game.    I wanted to love this game, I really did.

    Coming off the dismal "Need for Speed: The Run" last year, I was glad to hear Criteron was getting back to the style of "Hot Pursuit", the pinnacle of the modern NFS games. About three hours after firing this up, pumped as ever, I had to stop out of sheer frustration. First, the good. It seems as if there is a massive list of cars in this game. Ranging for the Bugatti Veyron to the Ford Shelby GT, each car is faithfully represented on the screen.

    The graphics in the game are quite good but for me, they didn't look all too different from 2010's "Hot Pursuit". There are a few exceptions which I'll get into but overall, the game is still great to look at. The Bad.

    First, the controls feel incredibly sluggish. If you put Hot Pursuit at one end of the spectrum and The Run on the other, Most Wanted falls right in the middle. Perhaps I'm biased because I absolutely love the fast paced, arcade style controls of HP but MW falls disappointingly short. I didn't feel like I was in control of the car a lot of the times, especially if I was rubbing up against a wall. The amount of precision it takes to move away from the wall without slamming into the opposite one, feels inappropriate in this type of game. In Gran Turismo, this may work but I feel for a street racing game it's frustrating as all hell. I understand that upgrades can remedy this but you'll be repeating events so many times to get those upgrades the controls will start to wear on you.

    Rubber-banding and teleporting of opponents is commonplace in the NFS franchise unfortunately. Even my favorite, HP, is guilty of this. However in this game, it feels slightly unfair and here's why: At the beginning when you first obtain a car, you need to race for your upgrades including your boost. As far as I can tell, this happens with every single car (which is annoying to race for your boost on your car every single time). These races are already stacked against the player who already has enough to deal with when racing a new car, since each handles differently. Lack of boost, new car and rubber banding/teleporting in a preliminary race is way too much to throw at someone in the first race. The graphics, while beautiful, can be incredibly distracting. I remember during one race, I had the sun facing in my eyes for the entire time. I couldn't see a damn thing. Now this might work if the computer racers were somewhat affected, but they aren't. The amount of dust cars kick up also seems to be too much. In here lies a key problem with this game: It can't decide whether to be an arcade racing game or a simulator a la Gran Turismo. On one hand, the environmental effects scream "simulation" while slamming into a wall at 200/mph and driving away after multiple barrel rolls says "arcade". Mixing the two makes for a frustrating experience. Constant frame-rate issues also seem to plague the PC port but along with controls, it's not something new coming from a console focused title. However, it doesn't make it right. With virtually the same set up between the two, HP seems to have no frame-rate issues nor touchy control problems. The setting is incredibly bland, not to mention that this city feels incredibly similar to Burnout: Paradise's. Each race feels the same with slightly different turns. I think the series could have used some sort of plot device where it allowed for racing in different surroundings, like snowy rocky mountains or big canyons.

    The Indifferent

    There is really no story to NFS: MW. Then again, I don't necessarily play racing games for their story so this wasn't an issue for me but I could see how people feel less inclined to continue up the ranks. Different personalities for the "Most Wanted" drivers could have been neat but again, not really a necessity. The music is really nothing to write home about. You got your rock, your dubstep, blah blah blah. Typically they get drowned out by the constant crashing and smashing of cars that you'll barely notice there's any music. The sound overall is fantastic though, as each car has a distinct sound (as it should). Conclusion

    It may seem like I hate this game, but I really don't. I'm just incredibly disappointed with the end product after being hyped about this being the spiritual successor to Hot Pursuit. In the end, if you enjoy the NFS series as a whole, it's probably worth a rental. Anyone else may have a hard time staying interested after a few days.    … Expand
  16. KalanYamato
    Mar 12, 2013
    5
    This game's not that bad as a game by itself, but this is purely Burnout Paradise. There's barely any trace of Need for Speed, or anything original to begin with.

    Decent game, but false advertising. Do not buy.
  17. Duro
    Apr 23, 2013
    6
    The first thing you need to do is change graphics because anything under 60fps ruins gameplay. Once configured to your specs the game is actually very enjoyable. Nothing like the original but still lots of fun driving around at high speeds. Cars are way to easy to get and after a handful of races with each there is really no reason to use it. There is no story or progression besidesThe first thing you need to do is change graphics because anything under 60fps ruins gameplay. Once configured to your specs the game is actually very enjoyable. Nothing like the original but still lots of fun driving around at high speeds. Cars are way to easy to get and after a handful of races with each there is really no reason to use it. There is no story or progression besides taking down the top 10 most wanted. The city feels empty and pursuits are very easy. Cops basically throw themselves at you, roadblocks are static and will not pursue you. Building heat is very easy and escaping pursuits is very boring as cops catch up to you from a dead stop almost instantly. Crashes are way overdone in both SP and MP. Multiplayer is somewhat fun if you mute everyone but again it is high speed bumper cars. I love racing games and have played all the NFS games. Yet this one just seems empty, its just about driving cars and nothing else. The DLC is just more cars. I was really unhappy at first but after a couple weeks it grew on me. All the cars are fun to drive there just really isn't any feeling of accomplishment in the game.

    Overall it is a good game. However the lack of patches and communication kills it.
    Criterion basically shut down their forums and won't respond to any problems.
    EA tries to help on their forums but it is frustrating because they can't do anything about it.
    The game crashes on one race 'Every time' and caused a corrupt save.
    Now the game won't even start up even after a repair of the install which found no errors.
    Many people are getting save problems that is causing them to delete and start all over.
    I would rent it if you really want to play it on console, but on PC its just a mess.
    How can you make a game and then ignore your customers? Not fix problems but yet push out DLC.    … Expand
  18. SilverSurferNHS
    Oct 30, 2012
    6
    What i have come to find after a day of playing it is that the controls are inconsistent due to the nature of switching between steering regularly and drifting. The controls feel mostly solid until your turning hard and then its like the game thinks your trying to drift. Then when you need to turn the other way for the next turn, its slow as hell to respond.

    The handbreak is frustrating    What i have come to find after a day of playing it is that the controls are inconsistent due to the nature of switching between steering regularly and drifting. The controls feel mostly solid until your turning hard and then its like the game thinks your trying to drift. Then when you need to turn the other way for the next turn, its slow as hell to respond.

    The handbreak is frustrating as well because sometimes it gets you into a great long drift, and other times it feels like it doesn't do a damn thing...

    My next quibble is the unrelenting, magical cops. One second, after finally getting to the cooldown, im trying to keep my distance from the cops behind me, when 3 cops appear in front of me on the map - so what do i do!?!?!? i make the next turn to evade both front and rear pursuers and BAM
    a magical SUV barricade.

    Third - EVERY SINGLE THING you touch makes you wreck. Taps from drivers next to you "push" you into the wall as if they made you steer into the wall?????

    I really wanted to like this game but i feel like it's currently unbalanced.
    I haven't been 100% happy with a NFS game since they started juggling developers. MW1 was great, though it lacked the customization of the previous games.
    I'm not opposed to a challenge. A game that's well balanced AND challenging is fun.
    This feels like "Oh your gonna go this way... HA take 2 ARMORED CARS UP YOU ***"
    It feels like a big **** you when you try to make progress in it.

    The graphics are awesome, but the framerate is choppy no matter what, again, "currently" even with an i7 4GHz 12GB ram GTX 680 4GB Vertex 4 SSD and ALL GFX SET TO LOW OR OFF (except for HD textures). really...? (oh and the on screen prompts/ blinding lens effects regularly disturb your view, which can feel like a cheap trick to make you crash...)

    The variety of vehicles is nicely balanced so that you rarely see more than 2 of the same vehicle in a race (with exceptions from time to time)

    I think after some tweaking, balancing and optimizations it could be a lot of fun, because i did have fun when none of those issues arose. For now i'm going back to Borderlands 2, Euro Truck Simulator 2, Dishonored and Darksiders II.    … Expand
  19. xjun1or3
    Oct 31, 2012
    7
    I like this game but have seriously performance issues, my PC run Battlefield 3, NFS the run, medal of honor very well and that most wanted (with the same engine) even with all in low settings have annoying frame drops that ruins the gameplay...
  20. Ewil
    Oct 31, 2012
    5
    Combine NFS: Undercover with Burnout: Paradise and that's exactly what "new" Most Wanted is. Criterion should stop making NFS games, because they can't do it properly. This game still has the very same mistakes I've hated since first MW, like utterly boring city with those same turns, loopings, highways and hairpins we've all seen in previous NFS games, cheating AI, inconveniently placedCombine NFS: Undercover with Burnout: Paradise and that's exactly what "new" Most Wanted is. Criterion should stop making NFS games, because they can't do it properly. This game still has the very same mistakes I've hated since first MW, like utterly boring city with those same turns, loopings, highways and hairpins we've all seen in previous NFS games, cheating AI, inconveniently placed traffic and super fast cops. That's not all, I'm afraid. As with all Criterion games, steering wheel is useless and you can't even set it properly, only buttons. Handling is simply weird. It feels okay when you want to turn into a bigger corner, but if you want to steer just a bit to avoid oncoming traffic, it feels unpredictable. Entire game feels a bit stripped, there is no transmission options, only two camera views, which are both pretty bad, if you get busted nothing really happens, there is no money to buy cars with, no rewards for hitting billboards or security gates, no nothing. At least there is no story this time :)

    No, this is not a bad game. It's still quite fun, which is the most important thing, but it could have been so much better.    … Expand
  21. lifexux
    Oct 31, 2012
    7
    As a racing game, it's not too bad. As a nfs game however, it fails to live up to it's expectations. This is not anything like the 2005 most wanted and you'd be disappointed if you were expecting anything more. However, gameplay is quite solid and the car selaction is pretty good, ranging fro classics to exotics. An obvious console port with massive framerate issues, this game is betterAs a racing game, it's not too bad. As a nfs game however, it fails to live up to it's expectations. This is not anything like the 2005 most wanted and you'd be disappointed if you were expecting anything more. However, gameplay is quite solid and the car selaction is pretty good, ranging fro classics to exotics. An obvious console port with massive framerate issues, this game is better off borrowed from a friend instead of a full purchase.… Expand
  22. voiders
    Apr 26, 2013
    7
    Amazing graphics, imersive sounds and phisics but the game is very short and the moviments are weird.
    I have a steering wheel but i dont know why, the car lose control so easy.

    Some times i think you have to have some patience with bugs and controls.
  23. ChrisDSouza
    Oct 31, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Criterion has taken the Need for Speed: Most Wanted Franchise to the next level. As far as the Graphics are concerned, it's a 9/10 cause the graphics are amazing.
    Most Wanted 2012 will give you real life street racing experience as the the race route is not just limited to your race path. All roads are open with a lot of traffic. You might find this annoying at first but I believe it's just Criterion's effort to make things real.
    The other difference from the previous Most Wanted is that there are no Pursuit Busters in this version. SO once, the cops are on your tail, it will take you a good 15-20 minutes to evade the pursuit.

    And Winning is really a challenge. So you will not like the game at first, but it will start growing on you once you win your first race.
    The best thing is there are lots of cars. And the graphics make them look very real.

    P.S. If you want to like this game, please do not compare it with the previous version of Most Wanted.    … Expand
  24. DudeManGuy
    Oct 31, 2012
    7
    I am a huge Burnout Paradise City fan. This game seems to straddle the line between that game and the more recent Need for Speed titles... to it's detriment. It's not as silly and fun as Paradise City, nor as hardcore as the Need for Speed games. The map feels small and the vehicles are dished out too readily, making the reward seems less valuable. It can be fun, but it is not theI am a huge Burnout Paradise City fan. This game seems to straddle the line between that game and the more recent Need for Speed titles... to it's detriment. It's not as silly and fun as Paradise City, nor as hardcore as the Need for Speed games. The map feels small and the vehicles are dished out too readily, making the reward seems less valuable. It can be fun, but it is not the masterpiece that Paradise City was and is. Also, I was hoping for some more/better PC options. As it is, I'm using a 660ti and the high res texture pack seems to make it drop frames. Not great.… Expand
  25. Morgs
    Oct 30, 2012
    6
    I'm a big car racing fan and wanted to love this game after completing Dirt: Showdown too, too quickly. This game tries to straddle the line between Criterion's previous two release, but neither matches the single-minded determination of Hot Pursuit (2010), nor the variety Burnout Paradise. Specifically: (-) There are not enough race types (-) Finding cars instead of being gifted themI'm a big car racing fan and wanted to love this game after completing Dirt: Showdown too, too quickly. This game tries to straddle the line between Criterion's previous two release, but neither matches the single-minded determination of Hot Pursuit (2010), nor the variety Burnout Paradise. Specifically: (-) There are not enough race types (-) Finding cars instead of being gifted them was a dumb idea from the onset - where are the rewards!? (-) The car upgrade system is pointless as there are only five races per car, so by the time you've maxed it out you can't even go in a new race (-) All the cars feel more or less the same anyhow. (+) There are some positives as the graphics are pretty and Autolog is fantastic, but we are left with a big open world to explore with little reason to do so. This is a beautiful engine and a fantastic stat tracking app, but where has the game gone Criterion? *ugh* I just lost the game.… Expand
  26. Graeme171
    Oct 30, 2012
    5
    First of all, I would like to point out that this game is top-notch, and I am not giving this game a low score because of gameplay. I am just dissapointed that the game is not running smoothly on my more-than-capable computer. Constant lag spikes make this game almost unplayable. I'm hoping for an update that boosts the performance, but until then I'll be without a great game.
  27. shArk87
    Feb 5, 2013
    6
    Criterion, Go yourself, you're screwing all NFS games!!!
    When does the mercenary *EA* learns what we really want... Criterion, your only good game release was Burnout, and it stayed there.. Stop before u screw Need for speed
  28. Kimomarudotcom
    Oct 31, 2012
    6
    Fun game, but it owes practically everything to the ultimately superior Burnout: Paradise (another Criterion game). In a total effort to avoid cannibalising Burnout: Paradise's look and feel, NFS: Most Wanted used the odd controls that are classic NFS (not snappy and precise like BP, but "sluggish" and weighty). Events are started at traffic lights just like BP, but for whatever reasonFun game, but it owes practically everything to the ultimately superior Burnout: Paradise (another Criterion game). In a total effort to avoid cannibalising Burnout: Paradise's look and feel, NFS: Most Wanted used the odd controls that are classic NFS (not snappy and precise like BP, but "sluggish" and weighty). Events are started at traffic lights just like BP, but for whatever reason don't feel as plentiful. I very much like the licensed cars and there's fun to be had in hunting them down, however. Online interaction with other players often devolves into "meeting up" with other players and having your car smashed repeatedly by other drivers as everyone waits for the event to start. As a series, I think Need for Speed needs to be retired. It had its time and place during the PlayStation era but unfortunately does not hold up next to the modern sensibilities of Burnout: Paradise. Criterion's wasting time with this franchise when it can be moving forward. For an example of its gameplay, see http://youtu.be/9QYby4Giox4 (you'll notice at 4:08 that a giant message pops up that totally obscures my view of the roadblock, causing me to crash.) Criterion, time to go back to Burnout and make players happy again. :(… Expand
  29. nathalex27
    Nov 4, 2012
    5
    My system specs, amd 1090t hexacore @ 4ghz
    16 gb 1660mhz DDR3
    GTX 660 ti @ 1385mhz and 2 gb memory GTX 560 ti for physx 2x 300mbps up/down ssd's raid 0 -Framerate of the game: Between 20 and 60 fps Driving under normal conditions is ok, it gives 40/60 fps but....BIG but...when you get chased by cops or do some heavy cornering you will experience heavy frame-drops with at    My system specs, amd 1090t hexacore @ 4ghz
    16 gb 1660mhz DDR3
    GTX 660 ti @ 1385mhz and 2 gb memory
    GTX 560 ti for physx
    2x 300mbps up/down ssd's raid 0

    -Framerate of the game: Between 20 and 60 fps

    Driving under normal conditions is ok, it gives 40/60 fps but....BIG but...when you get chased by cops or do some heavy cornering you will experience heavy frame-drops with at sometimes slow motion
    action. This really is a petty because otherwise I find the cop chases very enjoyable.

    I played the Original most wanted several times incl. LAN play with friends.
    This is something totaly different.
    Aside from the cop chases.

    There is no car setup menu. ( in-game sort of but no tuning/styling or car tech adjustments )

    -There is no garage. ( find cars in-game and drive. When found you can select to drive instantly but wil start where the car was originally found, that might just be on the other side of the map.....)

    -When you're tires are spiked by cops you can just drive. no problem. I drove for a good 10 minutes at heat level 4 of 5 ( cop difficulty ) found a magic gas station and my tires where good again.

    - About that gas station......NFSMW right? Wrong This is a remake of Burnout Paradise with cops
    -Burnout Paradise billboard crashing..
    -Burnout Paradise style driving
    -Burnout Paradise style graphics
    -Burnout Paradise style environment
    -Burnout Paradise style NOS ( just different NOS gauge )
    -Burnout Paradise style car crashing ( slo mo, heavy damage crash but you're OK! And can just continue to drive! Please or no damage or realistic damage )

    I'm not trying to be **** here, I just added system specs for comparison but
    this game should run great on my setup. It is the un-optimized game engine that makes it such drag to play even at low / medium settings.
    Ambient occlusion off.
    Reflections low
    details medium.
    20/60 fps That is what bothered me the most about this game. Second comes the lack of imagination to create something new and exciting instead of a remake of one of you're own Criterion games being Burnout P.

    And third ( A pc gamer **** thing ) the lack of graphics option. ( tessellation, AA, FXAA, Gpu Physx instead of the heavy cpu physics that utiizes 70% of my cpu in hectic situations)

    Criterion, you FAILED misserably to re-create NFSMW.

    The feel of the original game that forced you to want to become that NR.1 is just not there.

    Only the cop chases....they are enjoyable was it not that the fps drops to 20.    … Expand
  30. mikeandike
    Nov 10, 2012
    6
    The whole "easy ride" system is a great testament to the dangers of texting while driving. Well done, EA.

    As a visual piece, this game is one of the best racers I have played. Aside from that, it doesn't have much going for it. Repetitive races, lack of game progression paired with slow and clunky controls make this latest Need for Speed game weaker than its Most Wanted predecessor. The    The whole "easy ride" system is a great testament to the dangers of texting while driving. Well done, EA.

    As a visual piece, this game is one of the best racers I have played. Aside from that, it doesn't have much going for it. Repetitive races, lack of game progression paired with slow and clunky controls make this latest Need for Speed game weaker than its Most Wanted predecessor. The visuals in this game are spectacular. You can really tell the time that went into crafting the Cinema 4D cinematics that you see when encountering each most wanted vehicle. Some of the in-game cinematics are quite nice too. At times the HUD can be extremely intrusive, especially during the target speed races when concentration is key. I could go on about how all the cars but 10 are handed to you right off the bat, or about how unresponsive the controls are, especially when you're moving at 300km/h however you can simply read the other user reviews to find out the weak aspects of this game.    … Expand
  31. jfrankie
    Nov 13, 2012
    5
    You would think that a game called need for speed wouldn't make a clunker of a game, but this game really sucks! it's an absolute dog on my gtx 560! Can't belive it!
  32. twilightrocks
    Dec 23, 2012
    6
    Not really worth spending £35 on. The optimization is very bad, even on my HD 7870 I get constant fps drops sometimes as low as 20. However, the game itself is good but could be better. The gps thingy is great, it is clear on the minimap on where you need to go and tells you the distance to the event you are getting to. The racing itself is good but again could be better. The carNot really worth spending £35 on. The optimization is very bad, even on my HD 7870 I get constant fps drops sometimes as low as 20. However, the game itself is good but could be better. The gps thingy is great, it is clear on the minimap on where you need to go and tells you the distance to the event you are getting to. The racing itself is good but again could be better. The car handling and responsiveness of the car is also good but once again could be better. A few things I haven't seen in the game which was in the original Most Wanted which I think EA could have added into the game are shops, car lots and a garage. Overall the game is decent but not excellent which is why I am rating this 6/10.… Expand
  33. AmbigousBarrel
    Jul 26, 2013
    5
    I think they did put effort into the graphics and it does run well on my system on maximum setting's, my problem is even though it does run well, I don't want to play it for longer than about ten minute's...It's a game with car's sure, but...it seems ambiguous frankly. The handling is...normal...the city is...well a city just like you would expect it to be...in other words I was lookingI think they did put effort into the graphics and it does run well on my system on maximum setting's, my problem is even though it does run well, I don't want to play it for longer than about ten minute's...It's a game with car's sure, but...it seems ambiguous frankly. The handling is...normal...the city is...well a city just like you would expect it to be...in other words I was looking for that thing you get with a game that you cannot explain but it keeps you coming back, but for me this game doesn't have that. I played it for a hour, noticed the lack of story, lack of the sort of custom stuff you can do to your car (Like back in Need for Speed Underground 2 before the series started going down hill) it's just so disheartening to see them make such a pretty game, that feels such a chore to play...And...Criterion I know your proud of Burnout franchise and you have every right to be, I'm a fan of that series myself too, but I never imagined you to only be capable of just one trick. I mean you had a chance to make a new original game, and then you just turned it into Burnout clone...Award winning or not...I don't like it.

    I tried it with Eyefinity too, which was a mistake frankly. Not that it hurt the frame rate, that was fine. It was that the menu's and such went behind the bezel's and everything was squashed onto the middle screen. And the lack of controller sensitivity and dead zone adjustment was rather irritating, to say the least.

    Over all, good effort in the graphics department still needs work elsewhere though and needs to have its own identity, Need for Speed's identity, not Burnout's identity.    … Expand
  34. azeitona
    Dec 10, 2014
    6
    Actually, it's not that bad when you think about it. The multiplayer is really fun, and so is the campaign. Yes, it is short and kind of bland, and I can understand no customization in the remake Hot Pursuit (there was none in the original game either), but this being Most Wanted, it left something to be desired at this topic. The user interface also is really horrible and gets in yourActually, it's not that bad when you think about it. The multiplayer is really fun, and so is the campaign. Yes, it is short and kind of bland, and I can understand no customization in the remake Hot Pursuit (there was none in the original game either), but this being Most Wanted, it left something to be desired at this topic. The user interface also is really horrible and gets in your face all the time. But, to counter part it, the environment is beautiful and the locations are really fun to race. Not a game for everyone. I regret buying it by its retail price, but I wouldn't mind if I got it in a sale.… Expand
  35. yo_mama_so_fat
    Oct 23, 2014
    6
    To be honest, I was disappointed by this game. Don't get me wrong, the visuals are stunning, the cars sound amazing and the soundtrack is decent. However this game has no storyline, no real sense of purpose. Doesn't even compare to it's 2005 counterpart.
  36. doncsoo
    Jan 8, 2015
    7
    This game is very frustrating at the start because we crash,crash and crash. But we could get used to it then we realize it that we're playing a great arcade game that is unique in the need for speed series.

    7/10
  37. DGDrocks7
    Dec 28, 2017
    6
    Gosh, I really want to know why some reviewers gave this game a 9. Or an 8. Or even a 7. I got this for free from Origin’s On The House program and I’m glad I did. I wouldn’t pay more than $5 for this. As you know by now, it’s nothing like the original Most Wanted. It’s made by Criterion, the devs of Burnout, so many say that this is a sequel to “Burnout Paradise”. That, too, is nonsense.Gosh, I really want to know why some reviewers gave this game a 9. Or an 8. Or even a 7. I got this for free from Origin’s On The House program and I’m glad I did. I wouldn’t pay more than $5 for this. As you know by now, it’s nothing like the original Most Wanted. It’s made by Criterion, the devs of Burnout, so many say that this is a sequel to “Burnout Paradise”. That, too, is nonsense. It’s not Most Wanted and it certainly isn’t Paradise.

    So what is it? Well, you just drive and race and repeat. There’s no incentive to race because all the cars are unlocked from the start. Just find it on the map, get in, and it’s yours. No seriously. Not even 1 hour will pass and already you’re driving top-tier vehicles like a Lamborghini or a Koenigsegg. So there’s no reason to drive the lower-tier cars, and there’s no sense of accomplishment. That said, each vehicle has unique events, at least that’s what I thought at first. By the time you max out your 4th vehicle, you’ll be racing the same events. Cop chases are not interesting either. Which is weird as they were intense in Hot Pursuit 2010. There's also no real penalty for getting caught either. So what happened here? And Fairhaven City is so small I saw everything in a couple hours. Paradise City is also small, but it was also fun. Fairhaven? Not so much.

    What gave this game high scores? Online. But guess what? It’s DEAD. So why bother? If you’re making a game whose selling point is online, it has to be damn good that people will be playing it for years to come. But nobody’s online.

    As said already, it was free on Origin and if you got it and it’s sitting in your library, give this game a couple hours, it’s still kinda fun. But the promotion has ended, so don’t bother. If you want to play it so badly, find it for like no more than $5.    … Expand
  38. Ensi
    Dec 7, 2012
    6
    First of all, this is a fun game. It's a good mix of realism and arcade (leaning towards the arcade side) with nice cars and all in all fun gameplay. I don't do the races, but I do like to just drive around and drift corners in my favorite cars. For PC this game doesn't have the best optimization, I get mostly 60 FPS (capped) and it usually drops to 20-30 in some areas (670, 3570k, 16gb).First of all, this is a fun game. It's a good mix of realism and arcade (leaning towards the arcade side) with nice cars and all in all fun gameplay. I don't do the races, but I do like to just drive around and drift corners in my favorite cars. For PC this game doesn't have the best optimization, I get mostly 60 FPS (capped) and it usually drops to 20-30 in some areas (670, 3570k, 16gb). Oh and there is no in-car view, disappointing for those with steering wheels. I played this with a gamepad (and so should you if you don't have a wheel).… Expand
  39. W3XC
    Jun 27, 2013
    6
    First of all, this is not Need for Speed, its Burnout. Has all the charasteristics, same game mechanics as Burnout Paradise. In other words, its a bad NFS game. Is it a bad game overall? No, its a great racing game, but it does not live up to the NFS criterias. As im playing this on a PC, the game is also poorly optimized and runs at about 25-30 frames per second no matter what settings onFirst of all, this is not Need for Speed, its Burnout. Has all the charasteristics, same game mechanics as Burnout Paradise. In other words, its a bad NFS game. Is it a bad game overall? No, its a great racing game, but it does not live up to the NFS criterias. As im playing this on a PC, the game is also poorly optimized and runs at about 25-30 frames per second no matter what settings on a GTX 670 and i7 3770k.… Expand
  40. SohailACE
    Nov 21, 2012
    5
    Very poorly optimized for PC, FPS very low, Loads of cars, no excitement of unlocking cars coz they are already unlocked and are parked roadside, too much VFX while racing which makes driving worse, NFS series is dead.
  41. GeoVad
    Nov 18, 2012
    5
    The opponent in this game is not the racers aka black list,IS THE WALLS!most time you spend crashing than racing...also there is not a tuning option like turbo upgrades,ECU upgrades etc.There is just a ''customize car'' option with general upgrades,At last its not good to have a option to start with every car you found on the road,its better to start with a normal one and after you canThe opponent in this game is not the racers aka black list,IS THE WALLS!most time you spend crashing than racing...also there is not a tuning option like turbo upgrades,ECU upgrades etc.There is just a ''customize car'' option with general upgrades,At last its not good to have a option to start with every car you found on the road,its better to start with a normal one and after you can change it.The only good in this game is the graphics which is very good and also the variety of the cars.Thats all.… Expand
  42. AcIDBased
    Nov 19, 2012
    5
    ooooo I get to customize my licence plate wow cool. it's a online game. give me sum stickers and paint dam it. iam 32 yo i still want sticks and paint man lol
  43. jangers
    Jun 25, 2013
    5
    The game is totally senseless in single player. Without the story and random racing. For one car we have assigned six races (when we don't have any DLC's) wtf.. Irritating is also crash/elimination system. Car tuning is minimalist and we do not see visual changes. In multiplayer a game can be enjoyed, particularly when we play with friends. I was expecting a better game
  44. dOrIaN101nthnsm
    Aug 26, 2013
    6
    After all is said and done (and my second 7970 arrived) i can tell you what this game truly feels like:
    it's a pure eye candy to wow you'r friends with, THIS is the crysis 3 of racing games meaning,
    more fun to watch then to play. it's not a 'broken' game but it's due to some heavy, heavy polish in terms of handling, the 'lag' between what you want it to do to what the car is currently    After all is said and done (and my second 7970 arrived) i can tell you what this game truly feels like:
    it's a pure eye candy to wow you'r friends with, THIS is the crysis 3 of racing games meaning,
    more fun to watch then to play.
    it's not a 'broken' game but it's due to some heavy, heavy polish in terms of handling, the 'lag' between
    what you want it to do to what the car is currently doing is frankly, horrible.
    it's like it's meant to be a drift to win game but the drift mechanics are not working.
    Try grid 2 if you want that^ btw.
    never gave multiplayer the time of days considering the childish gameplay modes available
    i would suggest trying to find something more fun to do in an open world racer then just playing tag
    or racing.
    you will find more realism in mario kart, Just get grid 2.    … Expand
  45. Manjul
    Nov 26, 2013
    6
    NFS RIVALS
    first of all ,graphics are not heavy as compare to performance
    previous nfs most wanted runs great at maximum settings
    but this one run at medium thats why rating gets low
    but as far as gameplay is concern
    it has very nice gameplay(better than cars are also good
    i give 6/10 due to gameplay otherwise graphics,animations are quite bad
  46. dimike
    Jan 10, 2021
    6
    Graphics - ok
    Handling - bad
    Music - ok
    story - awful
    gameplay - bad
    motivation - 0
  47. cedarus
    Jan 27, 2015
    5
    The game looks great but at the cost of a poorly implemented game with tons of DLC that ruin the experience. The Origin overlay cannot be found within the game even when it is enabled within the application.
  48. CoreGamer1408
    Oct 12, 2020
    5
    I used to love the NFS games back in the day. Free giveaway drop on Origin ages I ago. Finally gave it ago 2020. Looks fine, runs fines, cars move at a fast pace. Arcade racers what more can I say? It's been done the umpteenth time and probably better elsewhere. So weird racing around a city devoid of any people. This is not the game to bring me back into the fold of arcade racing, oh well.
  49. gold
    Jul 20, 2019
    6
    Игра в духе предыдущей части только с минусами. упоротое управление, бесящая система аварии: чуть соприкоснулся с ограждением - всё, смотри на долгую заставку, а вкупе с управлением-это огромный минус. Графика, музыка остаётся на уровне предыдущей части, только чуть-чуть улучшенная, по этому плюс. По сравнению с оригиналом... Это элементарно хуже. Здесь нет гаража - минус, здесь нужноИгра в духе предыдущей части только с минусами. упоротое управление, бесящая система аварии: чуть соприкоснулся с ограждением - всё, смотри на долгую заставку, а вкупе с управлением-это огромный минус. Графика, музыка остаётся на уровне предыдущей части, только чуть-чуть улучшенная, по этому плюс. По сравнению с оригиналом... Это элементарно хуже. Здесь нет гаража - минус, здесь нужно находить машины - на ваш вкус, здесь нет сюжета - минус. Если вы решили пройти все части Need for Speed, то моя рекомендация (тем более другие) вам не нужны, а если вы не поставили этой цели, то я не рекомендую вам играть в это.
    Итог: 6.211/10    … Expand
  50. JwLee
    Nov 4, 2018
    5
    To see this review, you have to buy DLC. LOL
    Overall the game is good. Especially, racing is the best part. However, because of limited parts and lack of missions, there's nothing to do. What we can do is just racing cities. To enjoy another parts, races, then we should pay for DLC.
  51. Wer1jones
    Mar 9, 2019
    5
    It’s a good game but the fact that there is no more manual transmission and the cops are absolutely broken and the traffic is dumb if I was the makers I would do something about it like wtf where they thinking with the traffic
  52. Skyler360
    May 23, 2019
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I love the burnout style gameplay, the graphics are very good, the music is decent, the selection of cars is fine. But what **** is that there is no history, no garage and no personalization of cars. That's like a pizza without cheese; It's a pity that this game was so disappointing because it could have been as good or better than the 2010 Hot Pursuit; a shame.… Expand
  53. Nameless2131
    Feb 6, 2020
    5
    6/10 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  54. Pardoow
    Sep 8, 2019
    6
    Not really a fan of car/racing games, but mostly enjoyable, unluckily, also very repetitive and uninteresting
  55. Shimmeywill
    Mar 9, 2020
    5
    Good visuals don't make up for an overall mediocre experience. City looks nice though.
  56. Apple-14
    Apr 28, 2020
    7
    its good, best one in the series...

    its a need for speed game, WHAT DO I SAY, you drive and crash, and race and have fun...
  57. Tibetskiy
    Dec 3, 2022
    6
    It would be a false advertising to name this game after original NFS most wanted. There is no story, no customisation. The police chases are fun, but no where near the level of chaos of 2005 blackbox game. Graphics are beautiful. Great variety of cars. Crash cam is cancer, that make faster cars undrivable. Overall game isn't that bad, it plays more like a burnout, than need for speed. IfIt would be a false advertising to name this game after original NFS most wanted. There is no story, no customisation. The police chases are fun, but no where near the level of chaos of 2005 blackbox game. Graphics are beautiful. Great variety of cars. Crash cam is cancer, that make faster cars undrivable. Overall game isn't that bad, it plays more like a burnout, than need for speed. If you aren't expecting direct sequel to 2005 most wanted, than you'll get yourself quite decent racing game. Not without flaws of course, but still a fun experience .… Expand
  58. navibu
    Mar 31, 2021
    6
    EA loves taking other game and named it "need for speed" since shift, it's like burnout with real cars and upgrades.
    Decent game, bad name
  59. shoma-
    Apr 2, 2021
    5
    Игра является заложником названия, но даже так игра плоха. Однообразный геймплей, отсутствие тюнинга (в HP его тоже не было), но лол, МАШИНУ ДАЖЕ НЕЛЬЗЯ ПОКРАСИТЬ, точнее можно - только проехав заправку и то на рандом, музыка наверное неплоха, графика на любителя, единственное, что сильно понравилось - возможность садиться в машину, просто найдя её.Игра является заложником названия, но даже так игра плоха. Однообразный геймплей, отсутствие тюнинга (в HP его тоже не было), но лол, МАШИНУ ДАЖЕ НЕЛЬЗЯ ПОКРАСИТЬ, точнее можно - только проехав заправку и то на рандом, музыка наверное неплоха, графика на любителя, единственное, что сильно понравилось - возможность садиться в машину, просто найдя её.
  60. Alpha10
    Oct 20, 2022
    7
    Good racing game with superb graphics but lack of story makes it boring but can be played if you are car lover.
  61. DonldTrump_45Th
    Jan 26, 2023
    5
    Hello, this is a default review because i'm forced to use 75 characters. I'll edit this review in the future talking about the game, don't worry ;)

    My final rate is: 5
  62. Nnrej
    Jul 11, 2022
    6
    many bugs and slow framerates made this game not as enjoyable as it could have been
  63. xcale
    Mar 6, 2023
    6
    Somewhat playable or let's say worth to spend some time but definitely nowhere near as a lock you in front of the screen like before.
  64. blimpsgo180
    Mar 27, 2023
    5
    Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012) features the most deplorable thing in this industry: micro-transactions. I have long warned people that micro-transactions can run up a bill that is anything but “micro,” and if you’re buying a game, buy it outright and full, not “freemium” or in other words “free now and pay later.” A NeoGAF message board user informed me that Need for Speed: Most WantedNeed for Speed: Most Wanted (2012) features the most deplorable thing in this industry: micro-transactions. I have long warned people that micro-transactions can run up a bill that is anything but “micro,” and if you’re buying a game, buy it outright and full, not “freemium” or in other words “free now and pay later.” A NeoGAF message board user informed me that Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012) was free years ago on Electronic Arts’ digital storefront, Origin, and I claimed my copy. Playing it now, years later, I have learned that Electronic Arts wants me to pay thirty dollars for all the content of this game, or spend five dollars here and there on the content I really want.

    I did play the game Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012) start to finish, with the exception of downloadable content. It’s actually a pretty good driving game. It was developed by U.K. developer Criterion Games, who made their mark in the game biz with the Burnout series, where you crash cars for the thrill of it. Many would say Burnout Paradise was their peak game in terms of quality – Burnout Paradise Remastered is part of EA’s subscription program. Though I spent only a couple of hours with Burnout Paradise, I understood the idea. It’s a massive map filled with challenges for fictional cars. Some challenges ask that you crash your car as severely as possible. Some challenges ask that you win a race.

    What sets Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012) apart is we now have licensed cars. You can get a Maserati, a Ford, a Dodge, a Chevy, a Porsche, a Lamborghini, and more. And true to Criterion’s signature style, you can crash cars and watch the replay. For those interested in history, this is significant. As far back as I’m aware, the game Gran Turismo had many makes of real licensed cars, but there was a catch. No car company wanted to see damage to their vehicles. You could drive straight into a wall, and the car would simply stop. It was a very powerful move from a very powerful auto industry. Most Wanted (2012) upended this tradition.

    Yes, you do get the replay, but no car crash is an objective in the game, with the exception of the “Most Wanted” cars. To earn a Most Wanted car, you have to beat that car in a race, and after the race, run the car off the road by bumping into it. After that, you’re free to drive it. There are ten Most Wanted cars, including your own. That said, there are cars everywhere in the game, with the logo of the car’s maker floating above the car. It’s usually parked in a visible area off of the main road.

    When you own a car, you can enter it into races, of which there are eight. I really have to give Criterion credit: the races are hard. Races are ranked Easy, Medium, and Hard, and even the easy races are still hard. This is polar opposite to a series like Forza Motorsport, where every race is stupidly easy. If you place first or second in a race, you get one to two upgrades for the car. You have to suspend disbelief. The police might set spike strips to slow you down, and a common upgrade is tires that automatically re-inflate after going flat.

    The police are a big part of this game. Often, one of your challenges is to evade the police. If you ever drive so fast and maneuver so deftly that you aren’t in the police’s line of sight, you enter a cool-down period, until they just give up looking for you. I’m not one to run from police, and always felt a little uncomfortable in these moments. It’s worth saying Criterion put a lot of work into cinematic scenes before the start of a race, like playing with the color of a city and its skyline, or watching your opponents levitate before racing. It can be silly, but it’s touches like this that give the game a little personality.

    Again, if you beat the other nine cars on the Most Wanted list, you win the game. The credits roll, and it’s a lot of credits. The soundtrack, which has ample space in the credit roll, was largely forgettable. Of course, the game never really ends. You can keep finding new cars, racing them, and upgrading them until there are no more upgrades. The real problem, is the game gets formulaic. That is the exact process: get a car, upgrade it in every possible way, and get a new car. There’s a multiplayer aspect where you can challenge your friends, but my friends don’t have this game. Also, there’s that thirty dollars’ worth of downloadable content (DLC), but after seventeen hours of a simple formula, I know all I need to know about this one.    … Expand
  65. erfunfazli
    Aug 8, 2023
    7
    It was a good experience and it was fun. I think this is not great but it's an acceptable open world racing game.
  66. DenizYAZICI
    Aug 17, 2023
    5
    1)oynanış/mekanikler 7
    2)yapay zeka 2
    3)grafikler 7
    4)müzikler 8
    5)atmosfer 1
    6)hikaye 3
    toplam puan 4,6

Awards & Rankings

63
#63 Best PC Game of 2012
28
#28 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
22
#22 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Nov 30, 2012
    60
    Just pick one of the beautiful cars, hop in and drive. But do not want anything else. NFS: Most Wanted is average fun for all car lovers. [Dec 2012]
  2. CD-Action
    Nov 29, 2012
    70
    Most Wanted works best when you treat it like mobile games – switch it on for 15 minutes, do a random race with a random car and then turn it off. It's a good arcade racing title closely resembling Burnout: Paradise but it's not exceptional. [CD-Action 13/2012, p.52]
  3. Worth Playing
    Nov 25, 2012
    92
    Most Wanted's biggest strength is that it feels like a cohesive whole, rather than some amalgamation of a reboot tacked on to another game's engine. The gameplay emphasizes as little downtime as possible, which is a good thing as it's an absolute blast whether or not cops are involved. It's not a reboot as much as it is a reimagining of the original game, taking the bits that worked and wrapping them in a completely new package. Surprisingly enough, it does so in a way that works, and the new Most Wanted ranks up there with the original.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »