Need for Speed: Most Wanted Critic Reviews

Criterion has done it again, setting a new standard for arcade-style racing games which won't be surpassed until the next generation of consoles has been on sale for a while. It actually leaves one feeling a bit sorry for Forza Horizon, which is a very good game, and infinitely superior to its predecessors. But Need For Speed: Most Wanted is, by whatever criteria you may see fit to apply, a great game.

Criterion has done the impossible – they've taken what is, arguably, the best race-and-chase game made for this generation and somehow made it so much better.

Criterion just did it again. This is one of the best driving games we've seen in the last few years. Full of content and with many hours of fun waiting for us, no matter if we're playing alone or online. It shows that probably the only way to improve an open-world title is waiting for a more powerful hardware, since Criterion can only beat itself. Definitely a must-have.

All in all Need for Speed: Most Wanted is the Need for Speed game that fans of the series have been clamoring for, for quite some time. It mixes a formula of both old school ideas and new ones, creating an experience that mixes well and will certainly appeal to a wide audience and gear heads. The game is fast, huge, and most importantly…fun, and part of its charm is not taking itself too seriously. Need for Speed is back, and we welcome you with open arms.

Sometimes while playing Most Wanted I was confused what to do next due to the sheer volume of opportunities. I was even frustrated at times when seemingly out of nowhere, a civilian car clogged up the last turn of a particularly high-tension race, causing me to eat metal instead of grabbing victory. But part of the beauty of this game is that there is no such thing as an unfair ending. Whether you're dominating your opponents or barrel rolling your way through a race, you're getting what you wanted – a game, that win or lose, goes all out getting there.

If you desire structure, if you wanted a game to be meted out to you, you might find its instant freedom somewhat overwhelming. But Most Wanted is all about deviation and deviance. It's the racing game for people who don't tend to like racing games.

You could argue that the crashes don't match the drama of the chase, the camera angles often failing to relay the complete destruction of your vehicle. The handling might feel a little too forced towards the arcade side of things and perhaps some players will feel that they've played this game already thanks to the many hours they put into Burnout Paradise. But there's no denying that Criterion is the master of its craft, and Most Wanted is its biggest and best effort yet.

After the Hot Persuit remake lifted the Need for Speed franchise to new heights, Criterion does it again with Most Wanted. The emphasis on free-roaming, social interaction and over-the-top action with impressive cars make the new Most Wanted a very refreshing racing game. Everyone who likes speed and competition, even in the slightest of forms, owes it to themselves to play this game.

Criterion has made no attempt to disguise the fact they're making a game designed to be played socially, so it's no surprise that Most Wanted only gets better once you party up.

Criterion Games has developed the best arcade driving game of this generation. It is fun, fast, crazy and offers thousands of different options. One of the most remarkable aspects is the online mode up to 8 players in the same Fairhaven.

Criterion Games brings the fire here in this Frankenstein's monster amalgamation of Burnout and Need for Speed. The buttery smooth controls, multitude of unlockable rides/upgrades, and ever-alluring draw of besting your friends' times, not to mention the forward-thinking CloudCompete, come together to offer one of the finest arcade racing experiences out there.

The presentation is mostly right on, and the gameplay feels on par with Criterion's best work.

Burnout Paradise, revised and improved in every aspect. Not a classic Need for Speed. Still, one of the most interesting arcade racers of this generation.

Simply put, it's Criterion's most accomplished racer.

Need for Speed: Most Wanted has every right to be on your most wanted wish list this Christmas.

While some of the interface experiments are hit or miss, the gameplay in Need for Speed: Most Wanted provides a solid mix of heart-in-your throat speed and playful discovery. Whether you're weaving through traffic or lining up for big air, Most Wanted's densely-packed automotive playground is fun to explore on your own, and really comes alive with friends.

A challenging game with some handling issues that bug me at times and framerate problems that bug me every time they crop up. However, the overall greatness of the game easily overshadows those comparably small complaints.

Need for Speed: Most Wanted wishes it was a Burnout game. It has the right developer, the right approach to open-world racing design, and the right gameplay to make it a worthy sequel to 2008's Paradise. Unfortunately, it's not a Burnout game. It lacks the punch and thrill of that series, replacing it with something that can't fairly be called "blandness" but is still too generic to set it apart from other games in the genre.

Most Wanted delivers raucous entertainment in spades, whether you're battling Fairhaven City's finest in the campaign or dueling network competition in serious races and silly trick competitions. After years of revisiting Burnout Paradise's recurring playground, we finally have a fresh racing addiction to keep us hooked until Criterion's next seemingly inevitable open-road opus.

Need for Speed Most Wanted is marred somewhat by a fussy, restrictive and self-defeating interface. But it's one of the best racing games of 2012 regardless. And if Criterion's track record of post-release support with Burnout Paradise is any indication, it will only improve over time.