| Most Need For Speed fans will know what I'm | | | | Painting your car and changing its visual |
| talking about when I refer to the most wanted | | | | appearance is vital to your success in the game. |
| game of 2005. The Need For Speed franchise has | | | | This will help you evade the cops by bringing your |
| been reborn with the release of Need For Speed | | | | heat level down after each visual upgrade, or |
| Most Wanted (NFSMW) on the 15th of November | | | | change you make to your ride. |
| this year in the U.S. Fans could not stop talking | | | | All your performance upgrades are still available in |
| about all the fantastic features of this game and | | | | the game and you unlock more powerful |
| the Internet was swarmed with headlines about | | | | upgrades as you progress through the game. The |
| this great title. But what is the buzz all about? | | | | only limitation with performance upgrades is that |
| What makes this title so exceptional? Take a | | | | you no longer can choose the brands of your |
| quick tour with me and you will find out. | | | | parts, they are pre-selected with each upgrade. |
| The main attraction of Need For Speed Most | | | | EA also dropped the fairly complicated tuning of |
| Wanted, is the return of the high speed, police | | | | Underground 2 and brought back the simple slider |
| chases that was introduced in the very first | | | | tuning that was introduced in earlier titles. You only |
| instalment of the series and perfected in Need | | | | move the relevant slider to the left or right to |
| For Speed: Hot Pursuit. But the police chases is far | | | | modify your car's handling, steering speed, height, |
| more complicated that fans had become | | | | acceleration, down-force, top speed, braking, |
| accustomed to in previous versions of the game. | | | | turbo and nitrous booster. This should be |
| The cops are much more aggressive, more skilled | | | | welcomed by gamers because they are no longer |
| and better equipped. Don't think you can tune | | | | frustrated by hours complicated tuning to get the |
| your ride to be the fastest and beat the police | | | | most out of their rides. The emphasis of this |
| with speed, they have some serious stuff under | | | | game is becoming the most notorious street |
| the hood and skilled drivers behind the wheel. | | | | racer and that is why EA shifted from the tuner |
| Damage models also make a return. You can | | | | theme to the cop-chase theme. |
| completely destroy a cop's car while your own | | | | There are over 30 cars to choose from, including |
| car can only be damaged visually by means of | | | | tuners, street-cars, muscle cars, sport models and |
| broken windows and damaged paint. Almost | | | | exotics. Each and every car can be tuned and |
| everything in the free roaming world can be | | | | upgraded for maximum performance. You will find |
| destroyed and used to your advantage during a | | | | that cash is a limited resource and you need to |
| cop chase. Drive through a gas station, or | | | | upgrade and buy strategically. You also get the |
| remove the pillars of a shop's roof and see what | | | | chance to win your rival's car by winning his pink |
| happens to the cops. The traffic models have also | | | | slip after each challenge. But before you can |
| been improved and they are still as annoying as in | | | | challenge a blacklist member you first need to |
| all the other Need For Speed titles, but the game | | | | achieve a number of race wins and milestones to |
| will not be so much fun without this annoyance | | | | build respect among the racers and prove you |
| factor. The surrounding world detail has also | | | | are worthy of racing against them. |
| received huge attention. HDRR (High Dynamic | | | | The music continues the Underground attitude, |
| Range Rendering) pushes the graphics to new | | | | but the high-speed cop-chases introduce a brand |
| heights and that is one of the main reasons why | | | | new innovation: interactive music. The interactive |
| the game plays off during the day and not at | | | | music gives the game a cinematic feel. The closer |
| night like in the Underground series. | | | | the cops get, the more dramatic the music |
| The speed-breaker is a nice innovation of EA to | | | | becomes. When you evade the cops the music |
| help players control their cars during the | | | | reaches a climax but returns to a dramatic tone |
| high-speed chases. The speed-breaker is much like | | | | as soon as a cop spots you again. The changes in |
| the bullet-time feature of games like Max Payne | | | | music are very accurate and EA has done a |
| and Total Overdose. One thing that may | | | | great job in creating the right atmosphere during |
| disappoint fans is the fact that the customisation | | | | these lightning-speed chases. |
| of the cars is much more limited than in the | | | | There are so many other great features in this |
| Underground series. You can only modify your | | | | game, but mentioning them all in one article is just |
| spoiler, hood, roof scoops and window tinting. You | | | | not practical. Need For Speed Most Wanted is a |
| can purchase complete body kits that will adjust | | | | blend of all the great features of previous titles |
| your muffler tips, headlights, etc. automatically to | | | | and more. Great graphics, a great storyline with |
| fit in with the specific kit you chose. You can still | | | | great actors like Josie Maran, great music and |
| paint your car, add vinyls, put decals on your ride | | | | great cars. All these factors make the game the |
| and paint your rims (but not your brake callipers). | | | | Most Wanted game of the year. |