Need for Speed: Most Wanted

 Xbox 360
User Score
5.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 304 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 123 out of 304
  2. Mixed: 66 out of 304
  3. Negative: 115 out of 304
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  1. liquidzamo
    Nov 1, 2012
    2
    Disappointing. I'll keep it short and sweet. I'll start with the good. This game is pretty to look at. Music is good. Excellent marketing. Now the bad. Control is sluggish. It's like Criterion couldn't decide if they wanted to make this a sim or arcade and left it limbo. No visual customization options. You can't even choose color, decals, rims, etc. NO CANDY PAINT :(
    Automatic    Disappointing. I'll keep it short and sweet. I'll start with the good. This game is pretty to look at. Music is good. Excellent marketing. Now the bad. Control is sluggish. It's like Criterion couldn't decide if they wanted to make this a sim or arcade and left it limbo. No visual customization options. You can't even choose color, decals, rims, etc. NO CANDY PAINT :(
    Automatic transmission. Period. You do not have the option for manual transmission. No story. Not even a effort to make a story. Earn points to race other cars. That's it. Must FIND cars to acquire them OR earn points by racing then beat another car only then will you earn another car. Only 2 camera views. No fine tuning .for example: adjusting turning/handling, braking, acceleration, height, spoiler height. etc. While in free roam or race GENTLY bump another car or wall or anything and car is wrecked. Cannot deactivate crash camera. Tons of time wasted watching yourself crash. Only through mini-map are tracks clearly designed. Some maps have the assist arrows to go >>. Most don't and you end up barreling through a intersection and find yourself going the wrong way. rent this game. Don't waste your hard earned cash on this like I did. My two cents. I have no idea why so many game sites are giving this game high marks. My only guess is EA supports their website through ads ... and lots of them. If the reviewer doesn't play ball they, take away all that support. This game does not deserve to have the "Most Wanted" title. Stick with the 2005 classic , not this garbage.    … Expand
  2. Pepefromage
    Oct 30, 2012
    6
    The only need for speed that i loved is most wanted(the original). This one has no dna of the late game but is more for me a mod of burnout paradise. The visual is awesome but the gameplay is noticably different from the original. There is no spot tha you can use to destroy police car like construction site or fuel tank or the giant donut of a restaurant. You can ram into a car atThe only need for speed that i loved is most wanted(the original). This one has no dna of the late game but is more for me a mod of burnout paradise. The visual is awesome but the gameplay is noticably different from the original. There is no spot tha you can use to destroy police car like construction site or fuel tank or the giant donut of a restaurant. You can ram into a car at full speed while being chase and it does not even imobilise you . You just can continue the pursuit like nothing passed. Its so easy to beat that a four years old kidd would not have any trouble passing thru the whole game. If you have a young kidd it would be a good start for him. (after telling him not to behave like that in the future.) If u like burnout paradise and nice car and the graphics is more important for you than the gameplay,than this game is for you. If you like driving challenge or just plain fun of destroying police car than you can play the original need for speed most wanted like i did today.… Expand
  3. ThisGameBlows
    Nov 16, 2012
    1
    This is burnout with a NFS title. The game absolutely sucks. Nothing much more I can say about it. The feel of the driving sucks, the way it goes into a impact replay every time you hit something sucks.... it just sucks. Nothing about this game is good except the graphics. This was a huge disappointment. Critereon need to stick to making arcade games. NFS was a good game. This is just BS!
  4. florgy
    Nov 29, 2012
    5
    I really wanted to enjoy this game - I thought that, since its' predecessor (and supposed inspiration) was so much fun, that this can in no way be a disappointment. Let me start off by saying that this is not NFS, this is not Most wWanted's sequel - this is just burnout with no story and licensed cars.

    There is no semblance of a plot to be had here; the basis of the whole game is to    I really wanted to enjoy this game - I thought that, since its' predecessor (and supposed inspiration) was so much fun, that this can in no way be a disappointment. Let me start off by saying that this is not NFS, this is not Most wWanted's sequel - this is just burnout with no story and licensed cars.

    There is no semblance of a plot to be had here; the basis of the whole game is to find random cars scattered about the whole map, evade cops and compete in races - doing the latter two nets you points, which contribute to your most wanted score; once you get to a certain point, you race a most wanted car then, "shut it down", or in other words, crash it to obtain the car, after which, you just rinse and repeat until you're number 1. That's it. You do get an intro scene for each race (that you can skip), so that is kind of a plus - but I can't understand why criterion didn't add some type of plot - it doesn't need to be complicated, just something to add motivation to the game.

    One thing that you can't skip however are the crash scenes. The horrible crash scenes. Every single time you crash your car, either from scraping a concrete fence or by going through a police blockade, you will be treated to a 5 second un-skippable replay of your crash. This is only compounded by the sluggish handling in the game - it takes around 3 seconds from the time you use your analog stick, to the time it actually takes for the car to turn! It feels like i'm driving a brick with melted butter for wheels.

    The use of car modifications does make the handling more manageable and the crash scenes less frequent, but these design choices are still rather infuriating - and only furthering my frustration with the game is it's horrible "rubber-banding" Slender-man style AI; no matter how far you are ahead of your opponent, he will catch up and outrun you, and if you crash (especially in the beginning of the game), then you're almost guaranteed to lose. With that said, there are some good things about this game.

    Namely the aforementioned car mods, and the graphics. The frame-rate is incredibly smooth, the lighting is great and there is absolutely no pop in. I think that's partly due to how empty Fair-haven feels: there are no pedestrians and barely any civilian cars - in fact, I would say that one out every 10 or so cars is highway patrol! There is also a greatly diminished sense of speed, you could be driving 120mph (193km) and feel like it's 40ish - some type of motion blur could help that, but really, that's only a minor gripe.

    The soundtrack is pretty good; it has a good mix of rock, grunge, break-beat, dub-step and Drum and Bass. It is a little on the short side though, and it would be cooler if I could pick my own stations, a la GTA and Sleeping Dogs. I would link to a couple songs, but amazon doesn't allow it, so Google it...

    Tl;dr

    I found this game rather disappointing, the handling, crash scenes, lack of story and empty environment are all serious issues (which can of course be solved with an inevitable sequel), but the graphics, car mods and police chases are all definite pluses.

    Graphics: - 9.7 Other than a few less then stellar textures (stop the car and look at the canyons), the graphics are gorgeous.

    Sound: 9 - Great soundtrack, but a little on the short side.

    Presentation: - 5 No story whatsoever, but it does have a slick look.

    Game-play: 5 - The car handling needs to be improved, and the crash scenes are inexcusable.

    Replay Value: 6 - Multiplayer, and collectibles extend the game somewhat, but it's still on the short side.

    Side note - I actually wrote a better and more cohesive review, but my computer crashed and I lost it! Then I proceeded to get writer's block, so ya; fun stuff...    … Expand
  5. Mitchellsymes
    Jan 1, 2013
    0
    it's a dumb down burnout paradise the music get's old fast it should not be called Need for Speed: Most Wanted it's burnout paradise 2 the Need for Speed: Most Wanted 2005 is way better they did not do well by it
  6. armandothegreat
    Jan 28, 2013
    0
    Total garbage. If you enjoy racing games such as Forza, Gran Turismo, Dirt, or anything remotely realistic don't even bother with this. You would be wasting your money. The controls and gameplay are simply horrid. The graphics are great, but when the gameplay is this terrible there's no way to put up with it.
  7. Alurcard
    Dec 30, 2012
    4
    As a massive NFS fan this was a huge let down. While it looks nice, its just so boring. The game has no soul and by the midway point I found I was playing it just to sell on and say I'd done it. Avoid this and go buy Forza Horizon, that has everything in it that this game should have had. Namely, its fun to play. Also, the decision to name this Most Wanted is a disgrace. The original hadAs a massive NFS fan this was a huge let down. While it looks nice, its just so boring. The game has no soul and by the midway point I found I was playing it just to sell on and say I'd done it. Avoid this and go buy Forza Horizon, that has everything in it that this game should have had. Namely, its fun to play. Also, the decision to name this Most Wanted is a disgrace. The original had everything you'd want from an arcade racer, this has nothing in comparison. I can't can't help but laugh at this being labelled 'Need for Speed: Most Wanted - A Criterion Game', if I was Criterion I'd be ashamed to put my name to such a weak effort, not including it in the title. Very poor.… Expand
  8. JMPS
    Nov 11, 2012
    5
    Its ... Good if your looking for a burnout game but if your looking for a need for speed game its crap. I was hoping for a good new need for speed game after the last crap game The Run.Nothing like old Most Wanted.
    PROS : Like Burnout , Good graphics , Great selection of cars , Cool map , Good music , You get good cars straight away , Finding cars is fun. CONS : Cant modify your    Its ... Good if your looking for a burnout game but if your looking for a need for speed game its crap. I was hoping for a good new need for speed game after the last crap game The Run.Nothing like old Most Wanted.
    PROS : Like Burnout , Good graphics , Great selection of cars , Cool map , Good music , You get good cars straight away , Finding cars is fun. CONS : Cant modify your car!!!Cant even choose the colour???, Crap story , Small map , No money involved , Nothing happens when you get caught by the cops , Crash cam gets really annoying after awhile. All and all the game is OK.    … Expand
  9. vizzle
    Nov 15, 2012
    2
    I remember the 2005 version being my favorite need for speed. How times have changed. Controls feel sluggish. Lighting animations are very realistic but make the game harder to play. In the real world I can squint when the sun is in my eyes. It doesn't work in a video game. Cut scenes are boring and drawn out. I also felt like a magnet to other cars. If I saw them I would hit them. TheyI remember the 2005 version being my favorite need for speed. How times have changed. Controls feel sluggish. Lighting animations are very realistic but make the game harder to play. In the real world I can squint when the sun is in my eyes. It doesn't work in a video game. Cut scenes are boring and drawn out. I also felt like a magnet to other cars. If I saw them I would hit them. They seem to always be in that sweet spot. This game is going back to the store. Will wait for the next one. Hopefully its better.… Expand
  10. HelsBane
    Dec 6, 2012
    7
    As an avid player of the original Most Wanted, I had very high hopes for this game and while it didn't meet them all I think overall it turned out very well. The original was more challenging especially when it came to cop chases, which was one of my favorite aspects that I was disappointed to see "simplified". I was able to beat the game (All Most Wanted Drivers) without ever once beingAs an avid player of the original Most Wanted, I had very high hopes for this game and while it didn't meet them all I think overall it turned out very well. The original was more challenging especially when it came to cop chases, which was one of my favorite aspects that I was disappointed to see "simplified". I was able to beat the game (All Most Wanted Drivers) without ever once being caught by the cops a feat I would have considered near impossible on the original. With that said the rest of the game was pulled off with excellence, especially on merits such as graphics and enjoyment of driving. Unfortunately, as a lack of the depth of the police chases I see no replay value to the game and once I finished finding all of the cars (not jackspots still missing a couple of those) and reaching Most Wanted Rank 1 the game found its way to the shelf and I pulled the original back out which is much more fun to just play around in. I sad a lot of negative in the review but still rated it a 7, you may be wondering why. It is because despite it's shortcomings it is by far the best NFS/Burnout game to release since the original Most Wanted in 2005. It is also the best non-simulation racing game to release in about the same time frame. It is also the most fun I have had playing any racing game in years for about 10 hours, until you run out of variety and realize that it reaches a point where the difficulty flattens out and becomes too easy around Most Wanted rank 5.… Expand
  11. dkracing
    Jul 22, 2013
    0
    I have owned and played every NFS game since NFS 2 SE for PC, and I'm probably the biggest racing-junkie out there. I don't come out and write reviews too often, but this game really made me want to come out and express my displeasure.

    When I first heard about Criterion making a "sequel" to the original Need For Speed Most Wanted, I was extremely excited. Criterion made Burnout Paradise    I have owned and played every NFS game since NFS 2 SE for PC, and I'm probably the biggest racing-junkie out there. I don't come out and write reviews too often, but this game really made me want to come out and express my displeasure.

    When I first heard about Criterion making a "sequel" to the original Need For Speed Most Wanted, I was extremely excited. Criterion made Burnout Paradise (Once of the funnest racing games this generation), Need For Speed Hot Pursuit (Another great game), and here they are making the long awaited sequel that fans have been begging for YEARS (Youtube, Facebook. Every video fans asked for a new NFS MW)

    Boy, they really let all of them down.

    Of course, no one knew any better before it came out. Positive reviews were coming out a few days before launch, and I would even check Google news every few hours for any new info on it. I pre-ordered the Limited Edition for $60.

    It came in 2 days after launch, and I immediately played it. And was immediately disappointed.

    There are examples of the devs being CHEAP everywhere you look. There are only 2 car views (compared to the original: 4 views) The licensed soundtrack is HORRIBLE (I turned it off after about 5 min) The "career mode" is NOTHING. It is far too easy, and didn't make me want to come back to play the game. You just drove around doing random races for not real purpose. Oh and no split-screen! If that isn't cutting corners, I don't know what is. The freaking GAMECUBE ORIGINAL HAD SPLIT/SCREEN! Seven years ago! And they can't do that today!

    Probably biggest letdown though: Overall, it was not fun to play. Cars handled like TANKS. While in Burnout Paradise it took SKILL and good reflexes to get by traffic at blazing speeds, here you will crash out in random situations. MANY TIMES. I consider myself an excellent racer, and when I keep crashing for BS reasons too many times, there is a problem. (There is also too much traffic, as if they want you to continue to keep crashing out.)

    You drive around, "hijacking" whatever car you see. You get no feeling of "accomplishment" and again is extremely boring. No visual customization (but you can change the paint by going through repair shops. Its random too. Common, this is so pathetic that they completely IGNORED the BEST PART about the original game!)

    Cop chases was the best mode in the original MW. It was very dramatic, and was it was fun smashing into cop cars (WITHOUT "CRASHING OUT" YOUR OWN CAR EVERY TIME YOU TOUCH SOMETHING) and knocking donuts shops over, blowing up gas stations. It was very cool. In this game however, it is a total JOKE. There is no dramatic music, no things to knock over. If they replaced those with something else, I would be happy. But no. The cops are SUPER DUMB, and will try to take yo out no matter what (the original, they also tried to spin you out, but again you wouldn't get "crashed out".)This makes for REAL BORING cop chases. I didn't even try in them, because nothing happened to you if you were caught! (The original had cool videos, and you would have to pay with money or impound you're car.)

    Looking at the online stuff, it's obvious Criterion spent most of their time here. And I admit, I give them some credit for making a somewhat decent system. Too bad they ENCOURAGED players to take each other out(Yes, they give you points for this)! I wouldn't go 30 seconds without someone smashing into me. This is not real racing. And no way is fun. Anyone who says otherwise is either brainwashed from all the mediocre games lately, or works for EA.

    In the end, this is more of a "reboot" and new interpretation of the term "Most Wanted". If they tried to make something original that was fun--they failed. If they intended to make a direct sequel--COMPLETE FAIL. This game gave me no enjoyment, and is currently sitting on Craigslist for $30. (Funny fact: the game was $35 everywhere 2 weeks after it came out. Thanks guys!)

    I will never pre-order a NFS game again. EA had every reason in the world to make this a fun, enjoyable game. And failed. They are ANNIHILATING the fans that have been here for them since the beginning. While the original game was fun, and overall a well-polished AAA game, here we have a over-rated CR@P that is a COMPLETE disgrace the Need for Speed series and racing games nowadays. Criterion must be INSANE to think they made a great game. The "professional" critics have not played the earlier NFS games: back when they were well-polished fun, long-lasting experiences to realize that this is total CR@P. They are praising mediocre games that do not have any heart or soul (I guarantee the older NFS games had a bigger budget and had more man-hours into them. That's why they are still great today!)    … Expand
  12. matroycem
    Jun 3, 2013
    5
    This is a very hard game to review. I have nothing Bad to say about the game but nothing good either. Having played the older version of this game and then having played the new version I can't say that the games felt overly different. Criterion have improved the handling models of the cars and the cars themselves look pretty good and accurate (The damage models are also pretty realistic).This is a very hard game to review. I have nothing Bad to say about the game but nothing good either. Having played the older version of this game and then having played the new version I can't say that the games felt overly different. Criterion have improved the handling models of the cars and the cars themselves look pretty good and accurate (The damage models are also pretty realistic). The issue I have is that the game is in no way gripping. All the cars have almost exactly the same events attached to them which get very repetitive. during the Most Wanted take downs the cars would drive into walls or down dead ends making it at times simple to take them out. AI card can drive over spike strips with no damage to tyres. I did not notice an onscreen clock which meant you could not predict day/night cycles and the camera angles are awful. they only allow you two options and neither are good. The behind car angle felt sloppy and you did not have an in car angle only a front bumper angle. It just sucked out the life of the game a bit. I will not say this game is unplayable and not worth a look into if you like racers in a similar vein (Split/Second, Blur, NFS Hot Pursuit etc) but as an arcade racer it just did not have enough to get my attention or enough to keep the enjoyment up.… Expand
  13. Death0fLove
    Nov 8, 2012
    6
    What can be said about Need For Speed: Most Wanted 2012? Well, it does not deserve the name it was given. Considering that this is a reboot and not a remake makes it a disappointment for me. I played the 2005 Most Wanted for hours on my PlayStation 2 and when I first heard about this reboot I knew it would most likely be a let-down. While the game itself is not too bad it still justWhat can be said about Need For Speed: Most Wanted 2012? Well, it does not deserve the name it was given. Considering that this is a reboot and not a remake makes it a disappointment for me. I played the 2005 Most Wanted for hours on my PlayStation 2 and when I first heard about this reboot I knew it would most likely be a let-down. While the game itself is not too bad it still just doesn't deserve to be called Most Wanted. If anything, its as if Criterion made a new Burnout game and they just decided to name it Most Wanted.… Expand
  14. GibMonkey
    Nov 13, 2012
    4
    This game is a better pill to swallow if you lean towards liking the Burn-out games, less if coming from a Need for Speed gameplay point of view.

    For me Need for Speed Most Wanted (the original) was for me the pinnacle of the NFS Series. It had everything but multiplayer because of the age it was released. Let's put it this way. They released a PS2 version at the same time.    This game is a better pill to swallow if you lean towards liking the Burn-out games, less if coming from a Need for Speed gameplay point of view.

    For me Need for Speed Most Wanted (the original) was for me the pinnacle of the NFS Series. It had everything but multiplayer because of the age it was released. Let's put it this way. They released a PS2 version at the same time. Regardless this game was fantastic.

    But again that is just my opinion and you know what opinions are in common with. Let me break it down though.

    Strengths of Need for Speed (original)

    - Single player (cheesy) but still cool story about working up your ranks.
    - Car modifications. Not as much as you would like (is there ever?) but still a great selection of decals and/or body kits.
    - Did I say single player? Boss races that had feeling. Chance to gain a pink slip and take your opponents car. Opponents that mattered in single player. Really cool feeling of "working up the ranks"
    - Fear. Get busted enough and lose your car. PERMANENTLY. Good stuff right there.
    - A real economy. Money got you new rides or greatly needed upgrades. You could get different body kits and greatly change the look of your car (which in turn lowered your wanted level).

    Need for Speed 2012

    - Not really a sequel to Need for Speed Most Wanted.
    - No story. No story at all.
    - Great multiplayer.
    - Not so hot view options.

    This game could have been so much more. It is very pretty to look at. The multiplayer is fantastic but when it comes down to it, it's not a NFS Most Wanted sequel, it's a watered-down Burn-out sequel.

    So again if your new to the series or coming from needing a Burn-Out sequel then this might float your boat. Otherwise the only thing this game has in common with NFS Most Wanted the original is cops.    … Expand
  15. baddeadtaste
    Nov 12, 2012
    4
    This game has no soul at all. Taking down the most wanted rivals is completely boring. There is no character associated with a vehicle, no story at all. It's simply unlock a most wanted challenge and then beat it, get car, rinse, repeat. Customization is gone completely as all mods are the same for each vehicle and you unlock them in the same generic races over and over again. The onlineThis game has no soul at all. Taking down the most wanted rivals is completely boring. There is no character associated with a vehicle, no story at all. It's simply unlock a most wanted challenge and then beat it, get car, rinse, repeat. Customization is gone completely as all mods are the same for each vehicle and you unlock them in the same generic races over and over again. The online is kind of hit or miss for me...they reward crashing WAY too much. Nobody races with any finesse they just fly around slamming into you all the time. And WTF is up with the speed trials and challenge events!?! This is supposed to be a racing game!! In some events you actually have to try and PARK your car longer than anyone else in a specific spot!! That's right...the object is to PARK your car?!?! What the heck is Criterion thinking!?!?! After the awesomeness that was NFS: The Run, I had high hopes for this game but if you ask me Criterion screwed up just about every single aspect of this game and sucked all the fun right out of the online game. This is definitely one to avoid for sure.… Expand
  16. Fivespeed55
    Nov 23, 2012
    0
    You can call the handling 'arcade', but a better term would be 'garbage'. There's a term in automotive journalism regarding handling called a 'dead spot' in a steering wheel. The handing in Most Wanted is ALL dead spot, until you get to the point that you are spinning out of control or careening into a building. If you have heard that this game is like driving a car on ICE, that is exactlyYou can call the handling 'arcade', but a better term would be 'garbage'. There's a term in automotive journalism regarding handling called a 'dead spot' in a steering wheel. The handing in Most Wanted is ALL dead spot, until you get to the point that you are spinning out of control or careening into a building. If you have heard that this game is like driving a car on ICE, that is exactly correct. Crashing is frequent, and restarts are constant. After over a dozen attempts, I could not complete the first 'Ambush' race with a time restraint of 2:00. 2 minutes to evade the police?? It takes that amount of time for your 'heat' level to go away. The game design is clueless. There isn't much to do in the world, and all of the cars handle the same. Forza Horizon is the only choice for 360 owners. A used copy of GT5 is a better choice for PS3 players.… Expand
  17. SpartanEdge
    Nov 8, 2012
    5
    Oh Criterion,what have you done.. By rights,this should be a good game,but its been almost completely ruined by a rudimentary yet astonishingly bad design decision!.. Hence the score,but if this critical flaw gets corrected,i will review my score & review. For now,I'll start with this oversight before i get to the game & its positives..

    What on earth were Criterion thinking when they    Oh Criterion,what have you done.. By rights,this should be a good game,but its been almost completely ruined by a rudimentary yet astonishingly bad design decision!.. Hence the score,but if this critical flaw gets corrected,i will review my score & review. For now,I'll start with this oversight before i get to the game & its positives..

    What on earth were Criterion thinking when they failed to implement a normal,staple in-car view?! Yes,thats right,the game has no normal,usable in car cam! & by that i mean bonnet cam or even an equivalent height view.. The game offers a frankly pathetic 'choice' of 2 views only.These views are either a behind car view or an EXTREMELY low bumber in-car view?! The bumper cam is so low,that you would be forgiven for thinking that you have been shrunk & are driving in an extremely tiny but extremely fast go kart or Sinclair C5 or something.. This view is so low,that its unusable,feeling way too fast for skill to be a factor & very limited visibility due to your limited perspective.Who drives a car,hanging off the front of their bonnet with their heads literally an inch off the ground!? I don't like to use & don't use either of those views when i play racing games.The in-car bumper cam is so bad,that i use the behind car cam,which i hate using & never use.THATS how bad the in-car cam is.. I resent being forced to use a view i hate,because of the lack of any usable alternatives.Shocking!!... I literally can't quite believe it,its a travesty to not have a bonnet cam or equivalent height in car view in a racing game,& really struggle to think of any other game thats done this.They are alienating a great many potential gamers with this glaring omission in the game & i can't believe i haven't seen any critic reviews that have picked up on this..

    Ok,onto the positives.. The game looks great with some nice graphical effects.The free roaming city(Its great to see there's actually a reason to free roam,unlike their Hot Pursuit a couple of years back)looks great,& they have created a bustling environment,with plenty going on & places to race & go when being chased by the police.The engine sounds are absolutely superb,& definitely improve the feel of the game in itself.The police chases are good fun & theres a fairly decent choice of cars for this type of game & the handling thankfully isn't over arcadey like Hot Pursuit was,though if i'm honest,would have still preferred more realistic,technical handling(this is not a Burnout title after all).As it is though,it plays more like the later Burnout games than Need for Speed,in fact i would say this is more a Burnout game with the Need for Speed name slapped on it.Is it too much to ask for my Need for Speed games to be like,well,Need for Speed?..
    There's plenty of races designed for each individual car,as well as the titular most wanted racers you have to take down,one at a time during the course of the game.Autolog is well implemented too.Sometimes the game feels a bit hollow & soulless,pumping music into your ears while the game makes crashes at every opportunity(whether you want to or not),which Criterion seem obsessed with,along with over the top jumps that a car just wouldn't survive in real life & rubber band racing.. Other racers seem obsessed with smashing into you too,which is annoying when you just want to race.I wish there was an option to turn other cars aggression off,& therefore the rubber band 'racing' feel to it all. I feel like i'm having to play the game how they want me to play it,rather than how i want to play it,especially with the lack of view choices forcing me to use the behind car cam which only exacerbates the imprecise handling as you constantly swerve from side to side..Not good. Having a normal in-car cam could help with precision,if only it had such a view.........

    So,to summarize,the game had a lot of potential,& there is fun there to be had,but only if you like your out of car or very low bumber cam views. If your one of the many people that don't use those views like me,then you'll be cursing the game while your playing it,because you have not been catered for & blatently ignored,& your resenting being forced to use a view you don't want to use,when you should be enjoying the game..
    What a waste & such a shame.. Maybe they will patch a proper view in,in which case,as i say will re think my review,but i wont hold my breath..
    I resentfully give this game a 5,because without a usable view,this game is almost unplayable to me..    … Expand
  18. godWhisperer
    Nov 7, 2012
    2
    This is such a disappointment, and to call this game Most Wanted is blasphemy. The original is one of the best racing games ever, but this game just feels like a mess. Burnout Paradise was a great game, but I didn't play that game when I felt like playing Need For Speed, so perhaps they should have just called this game something else. Honestly, Forza Horizon feels more like the old MostThis is such a disappointment, and to call this game Most Wanted is blasphemy. The original is one of the best racing games ever, but this game just feels like a mess. Burnout Paradise was a great game, but I didn't play that game when I felt like playing Need For Speed, so perhaps they should have just called this game something else. Honestly, Forza Horizon feels more like the old Most Wanted to me than this game does. The cars in this new MW feel limp and sound weird, the customization options from the original MW are gone and now you get parts from winning races instead of buying them when you earned enough money. It all just feels streamlined the wrong way, as though EA tried to trim out things that weren't fun but ended up trimming some of the bast parts of racing games.… Expand
  19. DarrMunny
    Nov 8, 2012
    3
    Looks good, umm that's it really,why is it that regardless of the make of car the wheels and tyres have been replaced by ball bearings. In a nut shell the physics of driving are diabolical, all cars drive the same, on ice !! This has put me off this game, not sure what they were trying to achieve here, but it has failed !!
  20. Paladin_Of_Luna
    Nov 14, 2012
    0
    Criterion strikes again, butchering a long-dead hit series with even more of a fluke of a game. I'm going to be a bit personal in this review, first off. The developers at Criterion must not be capable of any form of higher thought process, because if they were, they would have stopped making Need for Speed, and let it die a noble death long before the crap that was NFS: The Run. InCriterion strikes again, butchering a long-dead hit series with even more of a fluke of a game. I'm going to be a bit personal in this review, first off. The developers at Criterion must not be capable of any form of higher thought process, because if they were, they would have stopped making Need for Speed, and let it die a noble death long before the crap that was NFS: The Run. In short, Need for Speed has become Burnout, because someone at EA was an idiot and cut the Burnout series, then entitled Criterion to get their grubby hands on Need for Speed. Crashing is a good thing, driving isn't, customization is non-existant, police chases are cliche and lame, at best. There is no thrill to this game, nor is there to any recent Need for Speed games. Undercover was the last of them, folks, the very last decent Need for Speed game. As others have stated, you CANNOT customize anything, save for your paint, which is reset whenever you drive in for a tune-up. The "blacklist" is nothing but a boring checklist now, if that. There is no story, no characters, no cars to upgrade to, per se. All there is in this game is more of Criterion's trademark crap, heated to serve. I refuse to even bother going into detail about this game, as there is no detail, what you see is what you get. I was one of few lucky enough to just have played a rental, but if you are considering buying this game, HEED THIS WARNING: This is NOT like the original NFS:MW, and you will be wasting your time any money if you think that it will be anything remotely enjoyable, as Most Wanted 1 was. Criterion, you continue to make a grown man cry with your redundant failure to make games. EA should have let you die out with the Burnout series, and saved Need for Speed the agony that it has received with you at the helm.… Expand
  21. DME
    Nov 3, 2012
    7
    It could of been spectacular. Unfortunately, this game lacks much polish. But, it's still a lot of fun. Cops are much more aggressive than the original Hot Pursuit. As a result, chases are very exciting. Spike strips, armored police cars, SWAT trucks, and road blocks are all present. Races are fast, intense, and challenging. There's plenty to do, the city is designed well, and graphicsIt could of been spectacular. Unfortunately, this game lacks much polish. But, it's still a lot of fun. Cops are much more aggressive than the original Hot Pursuit. As a result, chases are very exciting. Spike strips, armored police cars, SWAT trucks, and road blocks are all present. Races are fast, intense, and challenging. There's plenty to do, the city is designed well, and graphics look nice. Soundtrack is varied, with rap, rock, alternative, and electronic selections. The new EasyDrive menu allows for quick destination selections and vehicle modding. No, you cannot modify the look of your car, but you can modify it's performace (no fine tuning, though). As for the game's flaws... The mini-map is useful for evading pursuits, but it's just awful for navigation. I've ended up taking wrong turns plenty of times due to the fact that the routes I was supposed to take appeared on the mini-map too late. And if you take a wrong turn during a race, you're pretty much screwed and will have to restart. In cop chases, crashing doesn't end the chase (and it shouldn't), but respawning is so unpredictable. It can either screw you over or give you an unfair advantage. Sometimes you'll pick up right from the spot you crashed and sometimes you magically teleport far away from the group of cops that were chasing you. But here's my biggest complaint: Getting busted doesn't do anything. You can have an intense 30 minute pursuit and then finally get trapped, but it doesn't even matter. There's no consequences. You just respawn in another area and get to continue the game without any punishment. That's annoying. Players are better off letting the cops pull them over because the pursuit will end quicker and there's no punishment for it. Two other flaws are the game's limited views (third person and bumper only) and lack of manual transmission. Now, while these flaws seem heavy and game-breaking, they really aren't. I experience the same emotions with Most Wanted as I do with Call of Duty: I'm having a lot of fun playing, but at the same time I'm constantly criticizing it.… Expand
  22. 2FnFast
    Nov 8, 2012
    2
    A clumsy take on the Most Wanted name, this game removes all the street race style of the original. Even as a solo title it would be weak, but trying to link it to the original is a sad attempt at name recognition.
  23. phil24
    Nov 3, 2012
    3
    No no no no..... Good? It is beautiful, and it has a great concept for multiplayer Bad? everything else. Is this the first multiplayer game that you cant even choose the color of your car? The cars feel so fake, the engine noise can't be right, and the steering feels so lagged out and arcade that the cars don't even feel real. I loved the first Most wanted, one of my favorite racing games,No no no no..... Good? It is beautiful, and it has a great concept for multiplayer Bad? everything else. Is this the first multiplayer game that you cant even choose the color of your car? The cars feel so fake, the engine noise can't be right, and the steering feels so lagged out and arcade that the cars don't even feel real. I loved the first Most wanted, one of my favorite racing games, but this game just had me wanting to play the original instead. Critereon... Sorry but please make another burnout....… Expand
  24. Jaha
    Nov 2, 2012
    0
    This must be one of the worst racing games I ever played. First of all, the pc version has massive fps drops and is pretty much unplayable. There is also a delay when you turn which makes it impossible to keep the car on the road. The car handling is also terrible and I bet Super Mario Karts have better car handling. It really feels like you driving a boat. Also every time when you startThis must be one of the worst racing games I ever played. First of all, the pc version has massive fps drops and is pretty much unplayable. There is also a delay when you turn which makes it impossible to keep the car on the road. The car handling is also terrible and I bet Super Mario Karts have better car handling. It really feels like you driving a boat. Also every time when you start the game you have to watch a stupid intro for about 3 minutes, you can… Expand
  25. thelivingendx
    Nov 19, 2012
    4
    I was looking very forward to this game. I bought it the day it came out, and have already sold it after becoming the number 1 'most wanted'. What a disappointment. Great graphics, and detail. Awesome transitions into the races, but the fun pretty much stopped there. The races were just repetitive after the first 4 or 5 cars. The 'most wanted' races lacked any depth or story, andI was looking very forward to this game. I bought it the day it came out, and have already sold it after becoming the number 1 'most wanted'. What a disappointment. Great graphics, and detail. Awesome transitions into the races, but the fun pretty much stopped there. The races were just repetitive after the first 4 or 5 cars. The 'most wanted' races lacked any depth or story, and anything that made it exciting to get the new car. A HUGE world, and only a handful of races. I missed the knockout races, the drift races, the speed camera races. A 9 for my anticipation... but a sad 4 for my experience.… Expand
  26. Kryptonite42O
    Nov 6, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I can honestly say that NFS Most Wanted 2005 was, in my opinion, the best game in the NFS series. It had so many things which set it apart from any other racing games. Firstly, I loved the customization. Buying a car that you've had your eye on, with money saved up from races you've won, and then going on to customize the color, body parts, unique paint jobs, rims, window tint and so on.. It was one of the most enjoyable things about the game, making your car unique from everyone else. Another thing that I loved, was the way the heat level worked. The more you used your unique car in police chases, and wanted level milestone events, the higher your heat level would get, only lowering once you re-customize (change the appearance) your car. Another thing that was very enjoyable was the police chases. These were the most Epic police chases of all time. Once again, the higher the heat level, the more intense the police chases would be starting with the normal cruisers, and moving to more intense chases with spike strips and choppers, along with suped up white corvettes hunting you down. You could use pursuit breakers which were marked on your map with an orange triangle to help you successfully evade the police. If you were caught, you were forced to pay your fines with the money you had won from past races, or use a marker so your car wouldn't be impounded. ....Needless to say... EVERYTHING that I loved about the first need for speed, has been left out of this game. No customization whatsoever. The only thing you can change in this game is the color, and that is selected randomly when you drive through shops that are placed throughout the map. This also repairs your car. The only upside to this is that it makes it easier to recover if you find yourself with flat tires after hitting a spike strip during a police pursuit. There are no more pursuit breakers, which makes evading police a bit more annoying.. even if you didn't like the breakers to begin with, the option was nice if you desperately needed to get away from the police to avoid having your favorite car impounded. The heat level isn't nearly as good in this game either... Not that it matters, because if you get busted, there are no consequences. No more paying fines, or worrying about having your car impounded... You can actually save yourself time by just getting busted and skipping the police chase all together, which just makes the game that much more lame.. Busted? oh well... no worries.. just be on your marry way. The currency is gone entirely from this game. No more saving up to buy that special car you had your eye on.. you just find cars randomly throughout the map and can hop in and drive... This isn't all that bad, except for the fact that when you find a car that you actually enjoy driving, you only get to use it for 5 or 6 races/events... then its on to the next car to gain your points required for the next black list member... Oh I forgot... there are no longer even black list "members".. Its just a blacklist number 10-1, with a specific car that you race against. No unique, original story line or characters to face.. just a random car. And so far, it's insanely easy to move up the ranks.. I had only completed 2 or 3 races when it was time to challenge the first black list "car"..
    Other notable problems with this game are the lack of manual shifting (the option isn't even there) and the lack of views - behind the car, or in front of the front bumper. The graphics aren't bad, but they're certainly nothing to write home about. In the end, I was so excited for this game because its predecessor was the most enjoyable racing game of the entire NFS series. But when all is said and done, everything that made the first game fun and unique, has been removed from this game, leaving it a forgettable, mildly fun (at best) racing experience.
    At this point, I would have more fun replaying the old most wanted game.. They need to take a look at the old game, bring back everything that I mentioned above which made the game unique, and put together a REAL most wanted game, because in my honest opinion, this is not NFS Most Wanted.. it doesn't even deserve to share the same title as its predecessor.
    More like NFS Unwanted if you ask me..    … Expand
  27. SuperJoystick
    Nov 7, 2012
    2
    Really disappointed. Only 2 camera angles, hard to see checkpoints, stupid crash animations. NFS The Run was better than this! I have played every single NFS title, it's obvious EA are paying for high reviews because I have no idea how the game is scoring so well critically, whilst the customers are unhappy with this product.
  28. xSatNiteEduardo
    Nov 4, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. If this game was as good as any previous NFS title on the 360 or any of the previous Burnout games on the 360 it would get a lot better user scores. As it is it deserves its user scores but not its critic scores. I always say graphics only deserve a bad score if they distract you and the graphics here distracted me and it has been a long time since I have said that. Most Wanted cars are plain and without characters. The game is without character. Its like they took bits from Burnout Paradise and bits from the original Most Wanted and said - how can we use these bits to make the worst racing game on the 360. In no way recommended.… Expand
  29. Shiranui_corp
    Nov 2, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Y la blackList? que paso con la historia?? el garage las tiendas, la customizacion, las partes destruibles para huir de la policia los efectos de pintura y todo lo que se esperaba del Most Wanted original??? Es una basura, otro NFS the run en que pasas por una gasolinera y no podes tener el color de tu auto favorito sino al azar, sin vinilos, etc prefiero 1000 veces el forza horizon, ese si parece mas NFS most wanted con las carreras callejeras y todo lo demas como rivales customizacion, historia etc… Expand
  30. goldfox17
    Oct 31, 2012
    3
    Wow just wow why all this love? I got this game because one of my friends said it was pretty much Paradise 2. let me be clear its not even close. now I have played a lot of NFS games and also Burnout games, but this one seems to take the lazy way. if you don't like Multi player don't bother even renting this game no real single player what so ever, you don't get to earn different cars byWow just wow why all this love? I got this game because one of my friends said it was pretty much Paradise 2. let me be clear its not even close. now I have played a lot of NFS games and also Burnout games, but this one seems to take the lazy way. if you don't like Multi player don't bother even renting this game no real single player what so ever, you don't get to earn different cars by taking them down like in Paradise no you get them all but wait there is a catch they are all scattered around the map and the best part if you want to change to a different car you don't get to go to a garage or a junkyard oh no you have to drive all over the map just to find a car you like then take that one. don't even get me started on the police chases. like many of the others said nothing happens when you get busted and it seems more weak no spikes or anything and it seems way easier to get away from them. what about multi player you ask glad you did. this is where it gets OK. it is pretty much like Burnout P's multi was expect of course once again you get all the cars and the races are boring. while some challenges are fun most are a wast of time, and when you take down a friend it just does not feel as great as it should no epic showing of your friends car being destroyed or anything like that just a little thing that says you took down so and so. the controls are just like NFS nothing new about them. as I played the single player for some dumb reason I figured out quickly that they is no customizing what so ever. sure there are things like win this race get traction tires but that's it no hey lets change my color or anything like that unless you go through a drive in and even then you still don't get to chose your color it does it random. overall I am very sickened by this game and also sickened by the BS the critics are giving it. probably got paid to give it a higher raking by EA. only reason it got a 3 is because its sort of fun to play with friends online and the graphics are good.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

27
#27 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2012
30
#30 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2012
39
#39 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 49 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 46 out of 49
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 49
  3. Negative: 0 out of 49
  1. GameCritics
    Jan 11, 2013
    60
    Need for Speed: Most Wanted is caught between two worlds. The game can't quite decide if it wants to be an arcade or a simulation racing game, and it takes a lot to get used to this in-between zone it occupies. That said, once the adjustment period is over, there is a lot of enjoyment to be had when it's not being frustrating.
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  2. Pelit (Finland)
    Dec 12, 2012
    85
    A technically sound and entertaining sandbox for arcade racers. The name should be Need for Burnout, though. [Dec 2012]
  3. Level7.nu
    Dec 4, 2012
    70
    An open world street racer set in an interesting city. There's a lot of things to do, but they get pretty repetitive after a while. The autolog for online competition is brilliant though.
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