Need for Speed: Most Wanted

Most Wanted Racer

This game has just about everything you could hope for in a racer. The driving is good, the cars look great, you can customize and unlock tons of things to add to your car, and the graphics are great. The game tries to have a story, but its nothing more then a single player race mode really. The police chases are what really set the game apart from the Burnout series. The excitement of getting chased by the police while going 160 miles an hour is just too much to be described. The only real problem with the chases is that they can get very long, I've had one go on for over an hour between saves. You can not save during chases, so you may have to continue playing for a while or lose your progress.

You can unlock many new cars and customizable pieces such as decals and spoilers. When you first start out, you get a low quality car and the driving is rough. As you work you're way up though the races, you can end up with some great, completely unique cars. You need to really be careful though, because the cops will get more and fiercer the longer you stay on the streets. There is also a challenge mode that gives you a car and makes you do a certain challenge, which is a fun addition to the game.

The multiplayer is great but has a few drawbacks. One of the best features of the single player game, police chases, is absent. The circuits and sprints are longer races and good for 3 or 4 people, but the drags are short and sweet and best for 2 people. Traffic can be annoying or awesomely hilarious, but thankfully the amount in each race is adjustable. The destructibility of everything is great in multiplayer, as you can make street lamps and fences fly onto the windshield of the racer behind you. Is someone riding your tail? Then blow up a gas station! It is also great fun to drive right through a glass building and use it as a shortcut.

The graphics on this game are stunning and jaw dropping, and help make this game so great. The cut scenes are absolutely beautiful, and the game itself is not far behind. The destruction of things always looks real, and when you jump off a building or hill, it goes into a slow-motion cut scene type of mode, and looks great. The periodic rain is gorgeous too, and will hit your screen and distort your vision, just like real rain. It also will collect on the streets and make beautiful reflections of trees and things in the puddles. The game is just absolutely amazing on every level.

Graphics: 10/10

Game play: 9.5/10

Driving: Varies greatly based on the car, but always feels right

Pros: Gorgeous graphics, Great cop chases, Fun multiplayer, tons of unlockables

Cons: It's been done before in other Burnout games and Need for Speed games

Overall: 9.5/10

XBox Need For Speed: Most Wanted