Need for Speed: Most Wanted... 13 Years Later

founders of the past have documented their glory days when you could single-handedly code a product within months throw its cartridge into the world and watch as the public eat it up the slim space primitive pixels an immediate interaction of systems like the Atari 2600 but an emphasis on development progress over planning it says a lot about technology then that this rapid development is rarely found today at least not with companies that used to rely on it the desire for high-fidelity graphics pitch accurate sound and other expensive ventures have come with a literal and figurative price making the annual release in particular a real challenge to the point where some franchises no longer reveal themselves on a yearly basis Need for Speed is one of them including 2001 s Motor City online as it was originally pitched as part of the series Need for Speed had released a game every year for 16 years at one point even releasing multiple titles just months apart until at long last ea decided it was time to break the habit and had the next installment spent two years in development without multiple spin-offs and developers battling for attention today annual releases are often frowned upon mostly mocked in the sub-genre sports titles and with franchises like Assassin's Creed having hit the reset button not unlike what EA did with me for speed but this wasn't always the case in fact it was in the midst of annual releases that Electronic Arts produced one of the most popular and beloved games in its history you [Music] knee for speed had gone through a small rebirth with the underground series hot pursuit - could have been seen as the definitive entry featuring the cop chases high speed and supercars Need for Speed was known for at first glance under gun would seem anachronistic retaining only one of those elements but thanks to the explosion of import tuner culture globally EA intelligently capitalized off this trend leading the game to be the best-selling installment at the time it even lent itself to innovations and improvements vehicles were heavily customizable and could be taken with you online while the racing itself improved with Hollywood talent coming and enhance the audio and visual effects being a title developed in one year however there were sacrifices contesting eight opponents was no longer possible every race was mapped out in one city making the scenery and layouts repetitive and cops were nowhere to be seen although both underground and its sequel have files buried underneath which hint at police leading to what would ultimately be developed in 2005 from the outside miiverse Pete's development cycle ran like clockwork putting out new installments every fall that steadily layered each other both the mechanics and presentation but while that may be the final results the process wasn't quite so linear what follows isn't a narrative constructed by information collected from official sources but files leaks concepts and speculation because EA's development cycles are rarely stainless in routinely secretive and something even the company CEO at the time John Ricca Telo admitted in a William Blair & Company's conference much of said following was discussed with grandtheft arrow who deserves credit in assisting with this information and if you'd like to know more specific details about games like me for speed check out his channel Most Wanted wasn't conceived of in late 2004 like I assumed but a year or two earlier how's that possible because developer black box's imagination was more ambitious than EA's predictable but profitable structure the team was very passionate about underground but during that game's development two concepts were in the works Need for Speed Most Wanted had Need for Speed repo man concept artist alkane has uploaded drawings of both confirming they officially existed around 2003 and 2004 the inter ground to demo has several most-wanted files and through alkanes artwork a hint at what it might have been originally hot pursuit 3 the theory is that black box originally planned to alternate me for speed games every year between cob focused and tuner focused but as said underground became the highest-selling game in the entire franchise and ignoring a sequel to focus on a sub-brand which sold less was off the table though I don't mean to make it sound so corporate Underground 1 had plenty of compromises that encouraged black box to iron them out in a sequel mainly that they had actually built a full city in the original game but without the ability to free roam a feature that become Underground two's main selling point but while that game was being developed a portion of the team had already gotten to work on the next cop game for Hot Pursuit 3 evolved into most wanted by January of 2004 EA had registered an official website and internally by the summer black box had a target gameplay trailer despite this being made in the midst of under gun twos development most wanted open-world was remarkably close to the final layout and the game's tone had issued the larger-than-life style found in King's concept art in favor of the gritty color palette and calm chatter experienced today so while underground 2 is being put through the crunch a few members of staff began putting pieces together in the summer of 2004 but how exactly to replace glitzy with gritty with something black box spent their days figuring out repeating underground font at first a heavy graffiti before toning it down for the final release some other tweaks occur with the vehicle selection cop cars customization and story without direct information from developers it's difficult to say exactly when the game's plot and presentation fully developed what is known is that Mia the game's promotional role was originally number three on the blacklist people have even quote EA releases describing Mia as a rival racer and the game's announcement hints at this with demoing a drag race against her it's been theorized that the woman featured on early wallpapers was crosses unnamed partner but I confirmed with the actress simone bailey it's not her it's also known that raj a character met in the prologue who spends the rest of the game assisting and giving advice was blacklist member number 16 honestly it might even be possible you were the undercover cop at this point of development we may never know what audiences didn't know by e3 though is that Most Wanted was not a continuation of underground the games reveal of a grungy garage with the m3 GTRs aggressive engine war was enough to make this entry stand out from the rest nighttime was gone as was the fictional West Coast setting replaced with a dirty dilapidated city the reveal at e3 was built to showcase the game's tone and its claim to fame the return of police having been absent for two years while combining the tuners and customization of underground the game didn't open with Lamborghinis and Porsches even if they did exist but instead three modified vehicles from the mid tier range of performance heavily modified to escape the five-o and it was a promising show underground 2 while still a massive success only capitalized off of underground sales rather than improve them EA and black box made the right call and switching gears for this experience taking the open-world format they realized in underground 2 and using it with a greater purpose than driving to events while Most Wanted might not have been planned to build off of past entries or build up anticipation for an evolved version of a defining feature the circumstances opportunities and execution ultimately put black box on this path but that execution is only more impressive considering the consistently tight deadlines core staff being moved to different projects and developing for the most amount of platforms feasible and as we'll see some things were sacrificed along the way I imagine the belief of nevis Pete's development being a linear progression over the years is caused by how it feels to play these games having reinstalled 5 entries as well as arcade racers released around the same time as most wanted how the series evolved becomes very clear I mentioned the sound improvements from Hot Pursuit to underground and that mentality can be applied to most one it's driving collisions are more forgiving down forces notably increased and visual effects straddle the line between immersive and disruptive the game was easy to pick up and play but in a manner that separated itself from criterions burnout vehicles weren't lightweights that chained quarter-mile drifts at the snap of a finger they're light enough to steer quickly around bends but heavy enough to make a sudden stop really hit home I might have cut my teeth on Most Wanted with the steering wheels I did with every racer back then but the Need for Speed series Maps itself beautifully to a gamepad driving and most wanted doesn't feel imprecise or inelegant it feels exactly as it should particularly in the range between 120 and 140 miles an hour through a tight circuit nailing what you want in a driving game the feeling of being in total control but just barely the driving model itself stands the test of time the act of steering accelerating and braking could be replicated today with success where most won in shows its age and gameplay is in how that driving is used and for reference we'll take a brief look at one of me four speeds rivals midnight club 3 is an entirely different experience and maybe an open-world driving game but the methods of which you gain and maintain speed is quite different with quick opponents dense traffic sharp turns and out-of-control handling chaotic is the word to describe it but while this frantic gameplay can lead to occasional frustration it's also what keeps things engaging because rarely is there a moment in a race when you're on top of things but that rarity is the norm and most wanted actually it's been a prom at nifA speed since underground driving games have a slight complication when it comes to difficulty because the challenge in racing games doesn't solely rest in the ferocity of your computer opponents but also the vehicles driven today difficulty levels have evolved into dozens of possible configurations along with informing players of a vehicles challenge even in future Need for Speed games and what encompassed almost the entire racing genre in 2005 thanks to Gran Turismo influence was beginning with an easy vehicle against easy opponents most wanted badly suffers from this with opening hours that are an outright slog trapped in unmodified vehicles with opponents that couldn't outrun a tractor and ironically neater speeds pick up and play controls prolong the issue making everything from a golf to a GT easy to maneuvers great for newcomers but the AI isn't quick enough to compensate and when opponents are quick enough rarely is it sensible with rubber-banding notable enough to have an Audi a3 overtake a fully enhanced Lamborghini Murcielago the least exciting of all the events however are Tollbooth races one of the new game modes though new is quite the stretch because there's simply time trials that when approached with an optimal vehicle can be completed with 30 seconds to spare and the consistent use of minimal traffic in these events makes them feel even longer though that problem doesn't exist for drag racing the one mode introduced an underground that returns and is the most frustrating of all for the uninitiated drag racing in this era of need for speed pitted you against four racers on a multi-lane course rather than using the standard driving engine the game auto steers in your analog stick simply changes lanes allowing you to focus on shifting years only the auto steering and Most Wanted is incapable of remaining it in your current lane during corners launching you into traffic if you don't predict the system the events consist of trial and error as a result sometimes forcing you to steer two lanes away from a vehicle brevity is their only saving grace it was depressing to have that feeling permeate throughout the experience as a child they played through this game steadily completing races earning bounty and taking down racers over weeks until inevitably reaching the end but powering through it in a few days to prepare for this video drilled the game's tedium and repetition to the point of damaging its engagement the straw that broke the camel's back for me was when the menu had to circuit races on the same track only reversed with an extra lap for one of them why would anyone select the event that's the same but takes slightly longer to complete considering the recurring issues listed there's not even a cash benefit pacing a video game as an endeavor that's rarely given proper credit as a developer is unable to know if the player will complete it over a month or a day whereas a director can be relatively certain an audience member will be seated for two hours but most one it goes beyond and repeats to the point of punishment at times there's a routine to follow with the blacklist members complete the quickest events raced by three speed traps and engage in a long pursuit until you've completed your time evasion or damage challenges that earns you the bounty to compete rinse repeat it's routine because milestones rarely deviate requiring you to only do more of the same as the game progresses early in the blacklist you'll have to escape the police in less than four minutes ten spots later you'll do the same thing in less than two minutes except on both occasions I completed the challenge in less than 60 seconds making an uneventful task I did an hour one repeat an hour ten was I crazy did I entirely miss remember this game for what it was was I just playing the game incorrectly and thankfully when entering my first proper chase the magic returned this is what most wanted to remembered for evolving the high speed battles in a matter that hot pursuit tube had never achieve cops set up roadblocks and helicopters dropped explosive canisters but really they were more of a thorn in your side than a concern the police accompanied races but a most wanted the police take center stage the licensed soundtrack of hip-hop rock and metal is swapped for a brooding cinematic score distorted calm chatter fills any void of sound and the city will enter a cycle of destruction until you're stopped the police don't obstruct drama they are the drama when you're busted in hot pursuit - you're impeded when you're busted and most-wanted you're done from vehicles that take enough punishment to withstand your attacks to dodging SUVs with bumpers looking to claim your head and helicopters dropping spike strips onto the roads the level of tension is always on the rise especially as if you're arrested all of your work earning milestones and bounty is erased it's crushing to be in a prolonged pursuit only to realize a rolling road block has been initiated and you can't escape but the frustration felt when you've lost is what makes a getaway satisfying where the Racing's desolate the chase is overwhelmed in the former there's no challenge when you're in front of the pack traffic's rare space is plentiful and having three people in your dust doesn't get one excited having nearly a dozen police vehicles on your tail as thundering drums accompany the violent slam of a rhino SUV had me constantly looking over my shoulder it's clear where black boxes efforts went and it's hard to fault their year a full time development could have either gone to enhancing the racing to hopefully compete with its rivals or revolutionising an old idea in a matter that hadn't been experienced at that point it's quite difficult to take the police and other driving games at the time seriously after most wanted even some released in the last few years and it's where this game deserves its credit but not without critique frankly the issues with pursuits in this game are a repeat of the races just to a lesser extent that being their context by heat level three the chase is on and the police quit messing around that's when they utilize tactics you can't simply smash through but getting to that point is quite leisurely on several occasions I had to intentionally lock my vehicle below 100 miles an hour or else one or two of the cruisers following would lose sight the police almost certainly work better in numbers as their quantity means the AI behind them isn't of high quality they get stuck at turns crash into each other and vanished completely there's even occasions when I'd escape by accident and found myself actively searching for cops so that the two minutes I spent coasting along to build up my heat meter wouldn't go to waste adding to the frustration is how long it takes for the police to send backup and if you accidentally enter cool-down even with just 10 seconds left until additional units are sent the timer resets completing races does increase your heat level but ideally you want separate vehicles for racing in pursuit because when heat is high it's virtually guaranteed a cop will spawn and start a pursuit that you'll have to deal with before moving on to the next race the repetitive milestones magnify the greater problem that police don't quite have the depth to endure 20-hour campaign in the same manner I'd take the quickest races while climbing the ladder and initiate pursuits on the highway where it's more difficult to be boxed in easier to predict Rhino units and memorize which breakers have hiding spots next to them pursuits are at their best when it's a risk rather than routine and I think this could have been avoided had the blacklist simply used bounty is what determines progress rather than repetitive races and challenges the player has to do as opposed to wanting to do don't worry I'll get to that the extensive duration of campaign mode hurts not just gameplay but the presentation to Most Wanted holds up pretty well graphically particularly in the lighting department with beautiful reflections for the gritty art style and muted color palette while distinct at the time has since become played out with games more recently backtracking from the brown and grey ubiquity at the cementation that's not most one its fault it's just unfortunate and there's an argument to be made against the game's variety and scenery while the layout and material of Rosewood downtown and Camden may diverge the games pre-installed filter dampens their diversity but the most repetition is felt musically now I can't hate this game's tracklist too much as most one has served as the introduction to one of my favourite artists playing a Celldweller and with the exception of its handful of mediocre metal I generally enjoyed what's played the hip hop and menus and customization serves as a catchy break from the banging rock and sense though as with most Need for Speed games its censorship of lyrics is just bizarre using the instrumental of one good reason I under stand it's a song about suicide but leaping cage fight really when underground open with little John telling kids he's gonna skeet skeet skeet regardless the licensed soundtrack is in total about two hours long and in the context of a 20-hour game this means songs quickly become a nuisance and the same extends to the score by Paul Lynde Ford as mentioned the music itself as well done admittedly not something I'd listen to by itself but as something to enhance what's on screen it's great but with only an hour of composition even with adaptation to whether you're in pursuit or cooldown it quickly fades in a background noise what carries the audio throughout is the sound design me four speeds liberty with realism as a freedom black box took valiantly being able to make even a stock Lexus IS 307 sports cars and other racing games and this extends to the entire sound library from smashing through roadblocks to the screeching of tires and my favorite radios Most Wanted may leaps and bounds over hot pursuit too even in this shrouded category the ladder has two to three voice actors repeating shouts at nauseam [Music] 26 county committee pursuit vehicle is a red McLaren f1 stop repeating everything I say but not only are there far more responses the voice acting is legitimately great truly conveying the anger and aggression the police have against our antics I believe it's easily a large part of what gives chases their intensity the chatter gives you information such as which direction a spike strip is placed and officers can even be heard interacting with each other one who's falling behind will become dejected while the rest are telling him to not give up and let you get away it's shockingly immersive her game that in every other respect is over-the-top for as notorious as Most Wanted cutscenes and characters are there's really very little to analyze here ignoring each of the blacklist cutscenes as only a handful of members have any presence beyond them the game's 20-hour adventure has less than 15 minutes worth of cinematics now I'll be caught asking for more cutscenes an arcade racer what I'm getting at is that despite the lack of time devoted a story the game's acting is all over the place Raaj a fellow street racer you meeting the game's opening is much better than I remember with a deep tone that has an authenticity none of the other actors possess there's even two potential connections related to him firstly there's his introduction hinting that you're continuing from the last two games well-rounded let's see how could you do in the daylight which is a neat touch but the second is more interesting there's plenty of shots and Most Wanted of a modified Mustang with Rajas GTO paint scheme that's because an early promotional material for the game this was Rajas vehicle but he was cut from the game as a blacklist member and the Mustang went to razor only there's another theory giving credit to one phone exchange it's believed that razor took Rajas Mustang just as he takes her m3 GTR leading Raj to have the same motivations as your character thus why he helps you it gives the game's paper-thin narrative something remotely palpable there are other attempts at world building and creating tension but truly nothing of significance happens in the story aside from its twists that's almost an insult to the term Mia being an undercover cop is a twist if you've ignored her not getting pulled over by cross having access to multiple safe houses has a long record with the police is asking deals from you doesn't say anything about blacklist races being arrested after you've taken them out and even hands you direct access to the police database with crosses account that other characters in the game believe you're a cop made me think the developers wanted this to be in the open but judging from the cutscenes reveal of her police badge and pleading you not to hang up in her last phone call doesn't align with that intent Nia herself is serviceable if one note not unlike previous characters but the real entertainment comes from cross and razor though within consistencies of their own cross choose the scenery and cinematics he's in along with his unnamed partner with a performance that's over-the-top but somehow believable within the game's world meanwhile characters like razor or Ronnie are just adorable with their tough-guy voices that don't exist what's strange however is that same tone is used by cross and phone calls good night suggesting that rather than the actors playing whatever came to their head which is what it feels like they were being directed I actually asked on Twitter whether people thought these scenes were a happy accident or intentionally ridiculous and even the vote was split pretty evenly regardless their absurdity adds to the games enjoyment and disappointing black box didn't have time to add more details like having unique silhouettes for drivers giving more members voice acting or having their specializations notable during races but that was the downside of EA's approach to development now a black box isn't the developer that felt those constraints the most it's been a goal with years later to cover a game in as much of its entirety as possible but the reason to explore such things as spec ops or Max Payne threes multiplayer were to discuss mechanics design and gameplay that's unique but the multiplayer most one it isn't like that while most wanted' might have been conceived of prior to 2005 evolving the police experience took so much time and effort that when it came to multiplayer it almost ended up on the cutting room floor and for the ps2 version it was furthermore the multiplayer that did exist on Xbox 360 and PC was just straight-up racing without a cop in sight modes involving them had to be safe for carbon and undercover but that doesn't mean there's nothing else for me to discuss because most wanting can be found on eight platforms there's quite a lot to show what you've been watching is the PC version along with a texture mod called modern rock port which gives the game some more detail but also affects the lighting and caused my game to crash on several occasions controllers are generally accepted but the game actually has less polished in the last one on PC which went as far as having direct wheel support it's also quite buggy the most bizarre glitch of all was when the police would repeatedly detect and lose sight of me no matter where I went to the point where hitting a spike strip took five minutes to lead to my arrest for PC users I'd recommend just playing the game with a widescreen patch and ignore the texture mod it improves things like concrete but darkens the lighting which makes the game look even greater than it already does playing the game on the ps2 GameCube or Xbox isn't a bad proposition either the framerate chugs in the most hectic of pursuits but generally speaking the game runs and controls smoothly and while I don't own a 360 copy it's the same game with higher quality textures lighting and extra details making it the most polished the only problem with this game is hunting down a reasonably priced copy isn't easy just like the original battlefronts on ps2 and xbox there lack of digital availability means despite the high sales buying a used copy can demand a high price and not even the PC version is accessible on origin meaning that it's actually easier and cheaper to purchase Criterion's Most Wanted than the game it's named after I'm not going to advocate piracy but I also don't advocate companies that give consumers no choice Most Wanted sold more than 15 million units it shouldn't be this difficult to find a copy for less than 40 bucks regardless what black box created is the same game across these platforms it's the rest where that starts to change Need for Speed Most Wanted 510 as the PSP replica developed by the same team who created underground rivals came fusion who managed to pump this game out just eight months after their launch title and the developers tight schedule is quite evident the PSP launch for three driving games wipeout pure Ridge Racer and underground rivals each had their strengths and underground spurs variety and flexibility right from the start you could select seven game modes in each event had three levels of completion it was great because the player could effectively go through at their own pace whether they played for three minutes or three hours none of that translated a 5/10 it adopts a blacklist from most wanted but without the flexibility of rivals you have to meet a reputation requirement earned from completing events in a list and where you'd previously unlock a vehicle every ten races now you have to surpass a certain number of blacklist members the only way this experience could avoid being a downgrade is if the racing itself is more exciting but it's even more of a step backward nearly every mode unique to rivals has been ripped out with nothing to replace it in the career mode leaving just circuits sprint time trial and knockout races but what hurts gameplay the most are the tracks the majority consist of wide open highways with no more than two vehicles at once meaning that most races are just spent holding down the gas while the pitiful AI is left behind except the cops who by the power bending time and space will be on your tail throughout shoving their bumpers up your ass like my grandmother you can't even fight back as police vehicles in this game not only have infinite torque but chassis is made out of granite and the cops do pose a threat since they can bust you in the middle of a race forcing you to restart from the beginning there's even an outrun mode you can select at the end of races while you'll lose everything if you're caught but are an extra respected you escape not only what the tedium of police make players avoid this option the respect gained is so pathetically low there's not even a gameplay benefit for doing so it's like someone giving pennies as a tip it just makes you want to punch that customer in the face or in this case the game itself the only decent part about five-ten is the takedown mode where you play as an officer in arrest drivers by slamming into the meant high speeds it honestly plays like a prototype for what would later appear in Criterion's hot pursuit but because that game exists there is no real reason you'd ever want to boot up this inferior version there's only 15 challenges anyways so you'll quickly run out of content the only good that playing Most Wanted 510 gave me was realizing that underground rivals holds up surprisingly well being a handheld launch title where it's follow-up is worse in every single regard but we're only just getting to the bottom of the shipwreck because it was also released on the Nintendo DS [Music] I think the visuals and audio speak for themselves but what's less evident from watching are the controls I can only describe it as a Styrofoam vehicle with a box of magnets in the trunk it's honestly a good thing the cops from 510 aren't replicated here because had they been was steering this horrendous races would be near impossible to complete but events are quite the opposite here the AI is painfully slow and the police are almost non-existent I heard one siren in my brief time playing now there are a few things that don't appear on the main game or it's PSP counterpart mainly the barricade mode that's essentially a time trial event except you need to pass through roadblocks of the easiest caliber rather than beat someone's time and there's blacklist racers that don't appear anywhere else not that it really matters since you compete them in standard circuit sprints or knock outs it's a pretty miserable experience and frankly that isn't very surprising to make a 3d Street racing game on the DS is a bit like making a gourmet meal with Hamburger Helper even if you accomplish it to the best of your ability mediocrity is all that results from your efforts only EA managed to disprove exactly that with Underground 2 on the Nintendo DS immediately featuring multiple race types vehicles to pursue intuitive controls and my favorite drag racing that's better than its console counterparts rather than darting between lanes and auto steering into traffic you gently steer between lanes manually it's a mechanic that admittedly would look goofy and a full fidelity title but mechanically it feels more natural responsive and engaging since mistakes and drag racing now rests entirely on your shoulders it really should have been called underground rivals since the game utilizes many of the tracks on the PSP release and it's open and its structure is very similar but due to a schedule even tighter than the PSP developer Most Wanted on the DS fails to improve any aspect it's a bit puzzling to have a system's launch title be superior to the next installment but you know what's more puzzling the GBA version being superior while identical to the DS version in many ways particularly with its presentation and progression the games handling model feels lighter and tighter on this platform but I don't mean to give the wrong impression Most Wanted on the GBA isn't a good game track layouts repeat themselves after the first blacklist member AI is atrocious and you can barely see where you're going I get that racing gears advanced soul nine copies but it's a prime example of designing for your platform I played that game for the first time since seeing it in a GameSpot award show from 13 years ago and it holds up or most one it was dated from the moment it went on Shh hold up you gotta be [ __ ] kidding but do you know it's worse than GBA being superior mobile being superior sadly I can't comment on this versions gameplay as it refused to run on every system I threw at it and I'm not going to delay this video again in order to purchase a Nokia 340 but just seeing footage this one megabyte Jabba game looks and runs better than a DS game with 50 times the data it even emulates Most Wanted more clearly with its menus and visuals now I don't hold much against the developers of most want its handheld ports having such little time to make a game gives people little reason to spend their days concerned of its quality especially when it'll be completely overshadowed by its full release but the impressive work done from mobile does prove the systems aren't to blame but instead a lack of time care or both [Music] replaying Most Wanted at first I'll admit this video is looking to be a case study I've never meet your childhood heroes but Most Wanted isn't like the games I've covered previously it's not a universe built over a decade a love-letter to film or unflinching critique of what we love it's the ninth installment of an annual series in a niche genre that managed to break free of both constraints despite the nostalgic love most wanted constantly gets I don't think Need for Speed as a whole has given enough credit for being the biggest racing brand out there to think that EA managed to sell over a hundred million units of a racing game and that black box managed to reinvigorate it over ten years into its lifespan is a testament to how far a franchise can truly go but ten years since then the sentiment has changed to this day I see people asking when are we getting a Most Wanted - despite having a direct sequel with carbon a gameplay continuation and undercover and a reboot by criterion and playing the original Most Wanted it becomes pretty obvious as to why it's not because of graceful aging unlike Max Payne - for instance I don't believe Most Wanted is a great game to this day though it absolutely was at the time there were just moments I began a question of covering this game as a wise decision and thankfully that's when the pursuits heated up but for as much as I empathize what black boxes development cycle and that repetitive layouts objectives and events were not their intent it is the result people love most one of the game but what I think they might love even more is what's been lacking recently that being an identity while black box weren't the best when it came to progression story competition AI or variety what they always brought to the table was a signature character the racing and underground - and Most Wanted are virtually identical and yet playing the - isn't the same experience at all it's in the art style soundtrack in environments that makes a Need for Speed game come alive so when each of those and more is new for not just the franchise but the industry that is what makes a series special and that's not what it's been doing in fact the only innovation Need for Speed brought sense was to simulations with shift in the sub-genre of arcade racing Need for Speed has either used a blueprint or failed to construct one Criterion's most wanted is mechanically polished easy to pick and play an effortless to explore but it's an eclectic explosion of visual sounds and styles that lacks the precision of the original remember the reveal trailer our first sight of the m3 GTR people are paying homage to this day with that spark is what it's reboot lacks most one it is about becoming the most notorious racer in rockport most one it is about becoming the most notorious racer in Fairhaven it's also about finding cars taking down police competing with your friends and watching an animators nightmare it's why despite there being better games in the series I've had a soft spot for the run yes it's a two hour game with a pathetic story force QuickTime events trial and error gameplay but it has the identity and focus black boxes always strive for without echoing the visual sounds or style of their past work I didn't love underground Most Wanted or Hot Pursuit because of neon lights cheese ball cutscenes or the presence of the police I loved them because they were new and exciting but today an entry is one or the other and I await the day when those words are not mutually exclusive [Music] apologize for this video being delayed a week but playing researching and editing was far more challenging than I expected hopefully it was to your liking and as for when the next years later will be made I don't know but I think we all know what it's going to be [Music] why you get Pepsi sponsorship because they already made the logo is it true you look like a leprechaun on steroids plastered and dinosaur tattoos I'm the opposite I'm a tall babyface bone man at boxers staring at Adobe Premiere his fortnight killing America is this America this is America well you guys answered this one on your own why did Microsoft make printing documents on Windows 10 self [ __ ] annoying why is printing still [ __ ] necessary is it okay if I sometimes confuse chop suey for bok choy no what's your favorite TV series currently ghost stories time to go Great Santini on his ass you want to be an Air Force Ranger do you want to live a life of danger you don't want to get raped by strangers does this make you happy as it makes me you

Channel: Raycevick

Views: 2,156,689

Keywords: Raycevick, CuHnadian, COG, connected, COGconnected, review, analysis, years, later, raycevick, cogconnected, need for speed most wanted, need for speed trailer, need for speed, need for speed most wanted 2005, need for speed review, need for speed underground, need for speed underground 2, hot pursuit 2, electronic arts e3, EA, need for speed carbon, need for speed undercover, need for speed payback, forza horizon, midnight club 3, BMW M3 GTR, Nightfire, mods, extra options, gameplay, evolution

Id: wZrjEuS24-A

Length: 37min 24sec (2244 seconds)

Published: Sun Jul 08 2018

Reddit Comments

[u/Catalyster]

I loved this game. Id love for them to remake it but its ea and they will fuck it up. Just have to rely on nostalgic memories i guess

[u/oktaS0]

Damn. So many memories... Played this for days without end. Definitely the best days of my childhood.

[u/iStock5]

Racevick makes great content... definitely worth the watch, I binged his channel after discovering it.

[u/Annihilating_Tomato]

This is my favorite racing game of all time. The police chases are the most insane of any game and is a shear adrenaline rush. I’ve had chases last 20 minutes+ and it was just pure action the whole time. The 2012 version was a let down compared to this.

[u/RaeHeartThrob]

i replayed this game a couple of months ago and finished it

its still a good game but it feels very dated

[u/Myrgtabrake]

I really miss these GT Style of Racing Games where you start with a shitty 20.000€ Car and have to work yourself up.

[u/oTYL3R]

This was EA at their peak

[u/11_19khad]

Best nfs for me, carbon is second (cuz of the drifting challenge :D) i remember when i always got so close being busted ill just press Alt+f4 immediately.. it was fun playing this

[u/[deleted]]

I've been making a reshade for this game recently so I've been playing it again. Not as good as I remember but I already had my fun with it years ago. This is what is looks like with a few mods https://youtu.be/Hj7WkvogKcs