Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005)

 Xbox 360
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 230 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 190 out of 230
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 230
  3. Negative: 20 out of 230
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  1. M1sfiT
    Sep 3, 2023
    5
    Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaameeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssss!!!!!
  2. ElKooi
    Aug 31, 2023
    8
    El mejor NFS
    Un ambiente mas lindo por los bosque y el dia, hay policias como en los Hot Pursuits, desafios por persecuciones, poder entrar las carreras mas rapido por el menu de la Black List, el tuneo es opcional
    En resumen: Es una fusion entre Underground 2 y Hot Pursuit.

    Graficos para su epoca: 9/10
    Jugabilidad: 7/10
    Carreras: 7/10
  3. SaberOfXebec
    Jul 25, 2023
    7
    Good:
    -Game play
    -Music
    -Police chase with police killing
    -Car Customization
    -The map

    Bad:
    -Story
    -When u pull too far ahead of ur opponent the ai make it catch up to you
    -Slow time button
    -Little bit repetitive experience
    -U can not roam freely just cruising because the police will come
  4. SANTIACO
    Jun 21, 2023
    10
    Un juego entretenido con una historia historia sencilla pero funcional, una banda sonora excelente, modos de juego entretenidos. Su interfaz gráfica es mejor en Xbox 360 que en las demás plataformas, aunque en la personalización de coches se queda corto, igualmente en el mapa, no se saca provecho de la máxima velocidad de los vehículos por qué el mapa no lo permite. Aún así este juego esUn juego entretenido con una historia historia sencilla pero funcional, una banda sonora excelente, modos de juego entretenidos. Su interfaz gráfica es mejor en Xbox 360 que en las demás plataformas, aunque en la personalización de coches se queda corto, igualmente en el mapa, no se saca provecho de la máxima velocidad de los vehículos por qué el mapa no lo permite. Aún así este juego es excelente por todo lo que ofrece.… Expand
  5. critic_coconut1
    May 25, 2023
    9
    Hands down the best platform this game was released on. Very good story and career progression.
  6. DiyarAdo
    May 25, 2023
    10
    Classic. Has a couple of minor flaws but still very fun, phenomenal soundtrack, good car selection and the police chaces are the best in any game except for the GTA series.
  7. mrfelipe15
    Mar 29, 2023
    10
    One of the best arcade racing game. Everything is great. The police, the races, the cars, the tuning. I'm waiting for one remaster or remake of this masterpiece.
  8. VodkaNation
    Oct 11, 2022
    10
    One of those rare racing titles that make you feel like you're driving 180 m.p.h., yet still in control of your ride. You soar through the streets, trade paint with rivals and blast over the finish line.
  9. Rorian7
    Sep 25, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Maybe my favorite racing game ever. Its with Need hot pursuit 2 and Forza Horizon. I simply love this game. Played it on Gamecube originally, then Ps2, Xbox 360 and Og Xbox… Expand
  10. randrewmccarthy
    Mar 21, 2022
    9
    I originally owned this game on PS2. I begged my parents to buy this for Christmas since I had seen where you could customize your cars to look however you wanted. The racing and pursuits were enormously fun. I enjoyed the memories so much that I bought it again for my Xbox 360 years later.
  11. ugarov_jr
    Mar 10, 2022
    8
    Awesome game at 2005 year. Great graphic and gameplay. But some episodes is very difficult. Pursuits is very boring, difficult and long.
  12. JJ2FAS4U
    Dec 28, 2021
    10
    Atmosphere: 10
    Enjoyment: 10
    Gameplay: 10
    Graphics: 10
    Music: 10
    Story: 10
    Total: 10.00
  13. VitecSonyBoy
    Sep 28, 2021
    9
    It is the game of my childhood! I remember when I tried to get 400km/h on my car. Comfortable physics (considering, that the game is 16 y. o.), nice graphics, and very memoriable soundtracks. Still love Disturbed - Decadence and Static-X - Skinnyman. 9/10
    P.S. I cant rate it as 10/10, cause there still exist a bug - when you try to ride through a gas station you have a chance to crash the    It is the game of my childhood! I remember when I tried to get 400km/h on my car. Comfortable physics (considering, that the game is 16 y. o.), nice graphics, and very memoriable soundtracks. Still love Disturbed - Decadence and Static-X - Skinnyman. 9/10
    P.S. I cant rate it as 10/10, cause there still exist a bug - when you try to ride through a gas station you have a chance to crash the game. Also I dont like the balance in NFS:MW - you can upgrade your first car from the start of the game, and pass the game only by this one car.
    I'm not even talking about the possibility of time dilation. But I still love it, though.    … Expand
  14. CloudStrife05
    Aug 19, 2021
    10
    It is 2021 and this is, without a doubt, my personal favorite NFS game to date. The soundtrack was great. Ran smooth, customization was great and being able to climb the ranks and be the Most Wanted was simple yet so enjoyable. I had the PS2 Black Version and as soon as this version came to 360, I grabbed a copy as well.
  15. erik240sx
    May 21, 2020
    9
    One of the best games in the Need for Speed catalog. Very good graphics for the time (and they still hold up today), great car selection and customization, fun driving physics, good story mode, and the police chases are second to none.
  16. SenorKoquonfaes
    Dec 13, 2019
    10
    This is arguably the greatest Need for Speed game ever made. Everything they could've improved upon in Need for Speed Underground 2, they did with Most Wanted. Better graphics, improved driving mechanics, a larger car list, more customization options and well-designed police chase sequences.

    The fact that I could drive around in a Lamborghini Gallardo, a Dodge Viper or an Aston Martin    This is arguably the greatest Need for Speed game ever made. Everything they could've improved upon in Need for Speed Underground 2, they did with Most Wanted. Better graphics, improved driving mechanics, a larger car list, more customization options and well-designed police chase sequences.

    The fact that I could drive around in a Lamborghini Gallardo, a Dodge Viper or an Aston Martin BD9 was absolutely exhilarating. The police chase sequences are intense! Having to watch out for spike strips or search for a weak spot in a road block before smashing through it at top speed is insanely fun. The bullet time sequence when you see your car smash through a road block or jump it off a ramp is just the icing on the cake.

    Introducing The Blacklist as the career mode, with the incentive of pink slips made me all the more motivated to climb the list and potentially get that driver's car.

    That BMW M3 GTR that you get to drive briefly in the beginning of the game and after you finish the game has become an icon. I see that design pop up in other video games like Forza Motorsport all these years later. It's a microcosm of the lasting impact Need for Speed Most Wanted has had on the gaming world.    … Expand
  17. FeerFrikazus
    May 23, 2017
    9
    Un juego de conducción excelente, tiene un tamaño de mapa muy bueno, una cantidad de autos normal, gráficos excelentes, conducción buenísima, buena duración de juego y gran variedad de tuneado.
    Si te gustan los juego de conducción no te lo podes perder, y si no estas en este genero este juego es el indicado para entrar, lo recomiendo al 100%.
  18. Broyax
    Jan 22, 2017
    4
    Comme de coutume, un Need for Speed bien jackouille sur les bords et au milieu avec ses ramasse-miettes, ses jantes chromées, ses planches à repasser sur le coffre et ses barbouilles kikoolol, bref une personnalisation poussée qui ravira le jacky qui est en toi, Kévin, d'autant qu'il est fortement conseillé de bouiner les charettes pour diminuer leur indice de recherche.

    Car le point    Comme de coutume, un Need for Speed bien jackouille sur les bords et au milieu avec ses ramasse-miettes, ses jantes chromées, ses planches à repasser sur le coffre et ses barbouilles kikoolol, bref une personnalisation poussée qui ravira le jacky qui est en toi, Kévin, d'autant qu'il est fortement conseillé de bouiner les charettes pour diminuer leur indice de recherche.

    Car le point fort de ce NFS (mais également son point faible contre toute attente) concerne bel et bien les poursuites enragées (yo nique la Police) dans une ville, sa banlieue (wesh gros) et sa cambrousse variées et globalement assez bien conçues. Le jeu du chat ou plutôt des chats et de la souris (elle s'appelle Jackie) n'a sans doute jamais aussi bien porté son nom : semer la flicaille s'avère aussi grisant qu'énervant dans les niveaux élevés où l'IA est si acharnée que cela confine sans nul doute au défaut de calibrage.

    Ce défaut concerne aussi les concurrents eux-mêmes qui sont invulnérables aux collisions de votre fait en plus de tracer comme des porcs. La conduite éminemment arcade reste relativement cohérente à part la gestion navrante de la motricité : toutes les bagnoles certes gavées de bourrins ont l'embrayage dans le sac et des pneus lisses au démarrage et de surcroît le frein à main est quasi-inopérant puisqu'il fait glisser autant les roues avant que les roues arrière ! la maniabilité s'en trouve sévèrement affectée.

    Comme tout jeu d'arcade, la vitesse est saisissante... et pleine de flou et de saccades. On constate avec effarement que le jeu peine à maintenir les 25 im/s voire moins !... et qu'il abuse du flou cinétique, ainsi que d'un filtre verdâtre permanent. Cela ajoute grandement à la difficulté déjà élevée dans ces conditions. Le jeu n'en reste pas moins assez joli dans l'ensemble.

    La partie sonore est un sans-faute par contre, les voix françaises sont excellentes et les sons de moteurs (qui datent de 2005 tout de même !) mettent à l'amende n'importe quel GTron ou Project Chiasse passés ou à venir. Même le rap américain (heureusement désactivable) est de qualité (pour les amateurs).

    Quand on ne course pas les Forces de l'Ordre, on se tape des courses classiques ou à élimination, des contre-la-montre, tous beaucoup trop longs et vite répétitifs. Le drag pour sa part est crispant au possible et trop aléatoire pour être honnête.

    Beaucoup de problèmes donc avec ce NFS qui loupe certainement le coche alors que la base est bien pensée au départ mais son exécution et son développement manquent cruellement de rigueur dans nombre de secteurs-clés du jeu. Un peu comme tout jeu EA qui ne se respecte pas en somme.    … Expand
  19. gamingisgreat
    Aug 18, 2016
    8
    Need For Speed Most Wanted is a great game,and a modern classic.

    The game's story is actually good,yes it is a bit cheesy,but it's developed well,and the game has a good sense of humour. The gameplay is solid,with an emphasis on police chases etc.The cars are very responsive,and handle well.The car customisation system is incredible,allowing you to make everyday cars into fully-bred    Need For Speed Most Wanted is a great game,and a modern classic.

    The game's story is actually good,yes it is a bit cheesy,but it's developed well,and the game has a good sense of humour.

    The gameplay is solid,with an emphasis on police chases etc.The cars are very responsive,and handle well.The car customisation system is incredible,allowing you to make everyday cars into fully-bred racing machines.

    The graphics haven't aged well at all.The game looked good for it's time however.The framerate does suffer from an occassional drop,but normally it stays at 60.

    Sound design is OK,but soundtrack is AMAZING.

    Overall,Need For Speed Most Wanted is a great game,and will be an iconic title forever.    … Expand
  20. Lilmanike
    May 9, 2016
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Need For Speed Most Wanted is in my opinion the best Need For Speed game with excellent graphics that have aged a decade well, lots of crazy f***ing s*** with the police, and an excellent story where character development is deep. Even though NFS 2015 is my favorite game in the franchise, I don't think it could beat the classics.

    The game starts out with antagonist "Razor" who cheats and steals your car. In order to get your car back, you need to go through 14 other bosses in which you can take there car fair and square. Characters are in-depth and usually call you through SMS and FMV cutscenes. The game never feels repeatative and you always have something to do.
    Pros:
    Excellent Aged Graphics
    In-Depth Storyline
    Fun Driving
    Intense Police Chases
    Over the top action
    Just Plain Fun    … Expand
  21. ShogunTBone
    May 2, 2015
    9
    Quite possibly the most heralded Need for Speed in the franchise (certainly in recent memory), Most Wanted is worth all the hype that it's given. The game shines on all platforms, but being as the 360 version looks the best with it's gritty, yet pretty surroundings and graphics, I recommend getting it there if possible.

    The gameplay itself is reminiscent of the arcade style racer that    Quite possibly the most heralded Need for Speed in the franchise (certainly in recent memory), Most Wanted is worth all the hype that it's given. The game shines on all platforms, but being as the 360 version looks the best with it's gritty, yet pretty surroundings and graphics, I recommend getting it there if possible.

    The gameplay itself is reminiscent of the arcade style racer that the NFS series has been associated with for a little over a decade now, and it takes all advantages of such. The handling of the vehicles is varied, yet accessible enough to create a unique experience for each one driven. The races are indeed fun and won't be quick to bore the user, however, the insane chases and clashes with police make up the bulk of the ability to enjoy this game. Even the most simple pursuit can quickly turn into a Federal matter, with twenty plus cops swarming all over the racer while they dodge heavy SUVs, highway-covering roadblocks, and a persistent copper chopper calling out your ground location if within viewpoint.

    Story modes within racing games are often overlooked or dismissed, and the story in NFS:MW isn't anything to rave about, but indeed it isn't half-bad; cheesy, yes, but not terrible. The acting is subpar, but not cringe-worthy. The voice overs with the various SMS and voicemail systems are as expected with the career mode, but the dialogue with the police is actually quite intriguing: the officers correctly call their shots and use codes to show their next planned move in stopping the car carnage that the player is inevitably causing, and surprisingly, it arrives right on time as they say so.

    This game gets a solid 9, for all the good about it shining brightly as one of the best racers of such a generation. One only major detriment is the nauseatingly-apparent AI rubberbanding, which can at times hinder the playing experience but mostly is used to keep races close and not automatically shoving the opposition in front (which some games abuse such a rubberband tactic), but it's nowhere near enough to warrant anything other than a purchase and playthrough. I highly recommend this title.    … Expand
  22. M9ki
    Jul 8, 2013
    9
    This is one of the best racing games out there,every thing about this is very Amazing you must try it.It deserves more then a 8.2...... Open world racing game think how skyrim.
  23. JwGaming
    Apr 22, 2012
    9
    Most Wanted is one of the first Xbox 360 games ever and it was awesome, Personally i think Underground 2 is the best NFS game but Most Wanted is the second best, nice story, fun gameplay, limited but great tuning and lot of new awesome cars for the era. Def. the best NFS on the console.
  24. anmvsht
    Apr 4, 2012
    10
    loved the cartoony nature of the racing physics. first played it on ps2. nothing changed from there onto the 360 but i honestly didnt feel any need for anything more for my money. repetition? sure. but its been years since it has come out and im still down to roll out my chevy cobalt and play cat and mouse with the c6 cops
  25. MegWhiteley
    Mar 22, 2012
    10
    Amazing title, this game is amazing, the cars, graphics, all is amazing in Need For Speed Most Wanted, the gameplay is funny and addictive. This title is fantastic.
  26. v3norick
    Oct 21, 2011
    10
    Just so fantastic. Corny dialogue, sub par acting, and cars are a somewhat good selection. However, the AI for this game when the cops are chasing you is great! and you completely forget about the lack luster car options because you pick from fantastic cars just not an epic amount selection I love cop chasing games and this is one of the best game like that, that I've played. This is not aJust so fantastic. Corny dialogue, sub par acting, and cars are a somewhat good selection. However, the AI for this game when the cops are chasing you is great! and you completely forget about the lack luster car options because you pick from fantastic cars just not an epic amount selection I love cop chasing games and this is one of the best game like that, that I've played. This is not a PGR3 or Burnout...this is a chase and getaway game. If you want strictly racing this is not the game for you, there are better ones....if you want chasing and escape then its an A+.… Expand
  27. Jobadkins
    Feb 6, 2011
    9
    What a game,honestly all the versions of this game are all awesome but of course the 360 version looks amazing.This version is smoother then the other ones.The other two on the xbox and ps2 twitch throughout the game and this doesn't.For 2005 it's the best street racing game ever made and it trumps midnight club 2 and 3.I would say to whoever is reading this to skip "carbon" cause it'sWhat a game,honestly all the versions of this game are all awesome but of course the 360 version looks amazing.This version is smoother then the other ones.The other two on the xbox and ps2 twitch throughout the game and this doesn't.For 2005 it's the best street racing game ever made and it trumps midnight club 2 and 3.I would say to whoever is reading this to skip "carbon" cause it's very disappointing.Wow this is bringing back memories let me pop it in to play now,great game 9.… Expand
  28. DME
    Dec 16, 2010
    8
    The cop chases are amazing fun, making this game worth a buy. But actual racing is very repetetive. Customization is great, graphics rock, music selection is okay if you like rap. The speed & control on your car is pretty cool. Buy this for the cops! Better than the new Hot Pursuit.
  29. TheCheese33
    Nov 30, 2010
    8
    This is one of the best examples of what a racing game should be. Fast, intense, and engaging. I would play this any day over the later entries in the series until the newest Hot Pursuit came out.
  30. SuchKahlon
    Oct 12, 2009
    7
    Really cool game for Xbox 360. This is a must have for any racing fan. It takes a little long for police to notice you but then when they do... they just strike at you. The rode blocks are sometimes easy to avoid but you can get stuck in them before you know it. Cool cars but not so many luxury cars. The one thing that's bad is that the cost at the Car Shop is way too expensive andReally cool game for Xbox 360. This is a must have for any racing fan. It takes a little long for police to notice you but then when they do... they just strike at you. The rode blocks are sometimes easy to avoid but you can get stuck in them before you know it. Cool cars but not so many luxury cars. The one thing that's bad is that the cost at the Car Shop is way too expensive and that you can only get cars by this 'pink slip' that you'll get only 25% of the time… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2005
6
#6 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2005
4
#4 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 54 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 47 out of 54
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 54
  3. Negative: 0 out of 54
  1. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    73
    Aside from the high-shine gloss, though, a few extra pursuers in the cop chases are about all that differentiates this version from the current-gen game. My main beefs--the repetitive race events and not-very-challenging cop chases (especially earlier in the game)--are still here.
    Read full review
  2. Play Magazine
    90
    Driving through the alleyways and suburban sprawls...rain pouring down, thunder clapping, music up; this is (virtual) living. [Dec 2005, p.54]
  3. Next Level Gaming
    86
    The Xbox 360 version is where the biggest jump should have been, but fell a bit short. In fact, even in 720p/1080i High Definition, there only thing you gain over the Xbox and PS2 games is the clarity of the in-game textures. And clarity isn't strong enough a word! Borderline photo-realistic is probably a better word to use.
    Read full review
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