Need for Speed Most Wanted - Hands On Preview

Christmas must be coming because another Need for Speed is on the horizon. This time around EA have wisely decided to move away from the Underground brand, although there are still plenty of tuners, body-parts and vinyls to keep all the rude-boys happy.

Need for Speed Most Wanted can essentially be described as a cross between â??Undergroundâ? and one of the earlier brands in the series â??Hot Pursuitâ?, amalgamating the street racing action and hot cars with the heat of the chase as you constantly find the cops on your tail.

In a technique very similar to EAâ??s classic Road Rage series, Most Wanted pits you as a rookie who must earn notoriety by rising up the Blacklist of illegal street racers. Using a new visual technique the game features high-definition video footage of the various actors, including Van Helsingâ??s Josie â??Wear Your Seatbeltâ? Muran, which has had several filters applied to it to make it seem as though itâ??s almost rendered footage. Due to some real bad-ass actors (read slip-shoddy acting) and the fact that itâ??s all been shot against a green screen to put them â??inâ? the game, the result is more akin to the dreadful â??interactive moviesâ? that plagued the early 90â??s â?“ so itâ??s fair to say Most Wanted got off to a bad start with a chorus of moans and groans, perhaps weâ??re just getting old!

Thankfully it seems that the game might actually make amends with a satisfactory balance of out-and-out racing and police pursuits. In true Need for Speed fashion players begin the race with a souped up motor, however a fateful encounter early on with Razor â?“ No.1 on the Blacklist â?“ leads to you loosing that car and beginning the game from rock bottom with a basic set of wheels.

Challenging an opponent on the blacklist requires a certain number of races, milestones and bounty to be acquired. Races are pretty much self explanatory and cover all the different types youâ??d expect; Milestones on the other hand are something entirely new, specific challenges which pit you against the cop with a string of objectives such as avoiding capture for a certain time, sharing paint with a certain number and busting past speed cameras to mention but a few. Performing various illegal activities and generally being a bad boy whilst in the pursuit will earn you bounty; excessive speeding, reckless driving, damage to property, etcâ?¦ will rank up the points and help to raise your notoriety.

Thereâ??s a good balance between traditional street racing and pursuit action in the game so far, with cop chases adding a much needed sense of variety to the racing genre. Whenever a cop is on your tail a gauge appears on-screen sliding between â??Bustedâ? and â??Evadeâ?, increase the distance between you and the cop and the bar will slide to evade and vice-versa if you find yourself getting boxed in by the cops. Although the game begins quite easily for players, youâ??ll soon find the cops using even more devilish means to bring your racing days to a halt; cops will box you in, set up road blocks and throw out stingers to stop you in your path.

Most Wantedâ??s most innovative feature thus far in terms of the actual driving experience has to be the Speedbreaker. Essentially bullet-time for racers, a combination of slow-mo and the handbrake, this technique is essential to master when you find four cops swarming around you. Expert players will be able to utilise this to perform such tricks as sliding under a truck or performing a 180-degree spin on a dime â?“ ideal for leaving the cops stationary and making a quick getaway.

Getting caught by the cops brings harsh penalties and a rather neat cut-scene featuring news footage from a helicopter perspective whilst listing your accumulated offences. All of the penalties youâ??ve knocked up (including those youâ??ve got away with) will be totalled and release from the jail only comes by paying a weighty fee or using a Get Out of Jail marker.

If we had to be a little critical the overall handling of cars could still benefit from some tweaking as there doesnâ??t appear to be enough feedback from the terrain and the overall handling feels a tad too light; however we have no doubt that EA will work hard on this and the final build will incorporate a more satisfying racing experience.

By completing the acquired criteria youâ??ll be given a shot at challenging the person above you on the Blacklist. These take the form of a variety of challenges from across the board and typically involve winning at least two challenges on the trot. Success at this not only moves you up the Blacklist but also provides you with the chance of selecting a certain number of Markers from your opponent. These take the form of Bonus Markers containing cash bonuses, get out of jail cards and pink slips to your opponents set of wheels. Additional markers provide you with unique upgrades to your own motor in the form of visual, parts or performance upgrades.

Racing titles such as Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition and the Underground series have tapped into the current popularity of modding, so itâ??s good to see that Most Wanted doesnâ??t feature any sacrifices in this department. A huge selection of licensed upgrades are grouped into Parts, Performance and Visual; housing such items as Body Kits, Transmission enhancements and Vinyls to mention but a few. Performance of the cars is broken down into Top Speed, Acceleration and Handling with performance upgrades affecting these; itâ??s a simple system thatâ??s accessible to everyone and not just the petrol-heads out there, whilst the visual enhancements are truly extensive.