Need for Speed: Most Wanted - A Criterion Game PC

Need for Speed: Most Wanted - A Criterion Game Image
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78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critics What's this?

User Score
4.4

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 713 Ratings

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  • Summary: To be Most Wanted, you’ll need to outrun the cops, outdrive your friends, and outsmart your rivals.
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. Worth Playing
    Nov 25, 2012
    92
    Most Wanted's biggest strength is that it feels like a cohesive whole, rather than some amalgamation of a reboot tacked on to another game's engine. The gameplay emphasizes as little downtime as possible, which is a good thing as it's an absolute blast whether or not cops are involved. It's not a reboot as much as it is a reimagining of the original game, taking the bits that worked and wrapping them in a completely new package. Surprisingly enough, it does so in a way that works, and the new Most Wanted ranks up there with the original.
  2. IGN
    Oct 30, 2012
    90
    It's the racing game for people who don't tend to like racing games. You're not punished for missing that apex or abandoning that nagging racing line.
  3. PC Gamer
    Nov 2, 2012
    85
    A smoother, more seamless ride than Hot Pursuit, it's second time lucky for this fast, furious open-world motor show.
  4. Giant Bomb
    Oct 30, 2012
    80
    If you're looking for a solid, lengthy solo campaign from a driving game, this isn't what you're looking for. Most Wanted is a multiplayer-first game, and taken in that context, few games do it better than this.
  5. AtomicGamer
    Oct 30, 2012
    80
    If real-world handling and precision aren't remotely your concern, then Most Wanted should be your game of choice. And if you want realism and would rather stay on the PC, consider a more serious racing games like Project CARS, iRacing, or even last year's SHIFT 2 Unleashed.
  6. GameStar
    Oct 31, 2012
    77
    Quotation forthcoming.
  7. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Nov 30, 2012
    60
    Just pick one of the beautiful cars, hop in and drive. But do not want anything else. NFS: Most Wanted is average fun for all car lovers. [Dec 2012]
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See all 14 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 42 out of 213
  2. Mixed: 45 out of 213
  3. Negative: 126 out of 213
  1. PrinceShpil
    Oct 30, 2012
    10
    A great game. Criterion holds a trademark. A fascinating and dynamic gameplay, good physics and beautiful graphics. The multiplayer is veryA great game. Criterion holds a trademark. A fascinating and dynamic gameplay, good physics and beautiful graphics. The multiplayer is very difficult to break away. Keep it up!… Expand
  2. RdVortex
    Mar 1, 2014
    9
    If you liked Burnout Paradise then chances are that you'll like this game too. Need for Speed: Most Wanted is basically Burnout paradise withIf you liked Burnout Paradise then chances are that you'll like this game too. Need for Speed: Most Wanted is basically Burnout paradise with Need for Speed name, real cars and slightly different game modes. The biggest downside of the game is that it's quite buggy, especially the multiplayer.… Expand
  4. doncsoo
    Jan 8, 2015
    7
    This game is very frustrating at the start because we crash,crash and crash. But we could get used to it then we realize it that we're playingThis game is very frustrating at the start because we crash,crash and crash. But we could get used to it then we realize it that we're playing a great arcade game that is unique in the need for speed series.

    7/10    … Expand
  5. rentonB
    Oct 30, 2012
    3
    This is the worst Need for Speed game i have ever played, i was like "uh" first 30 minutes and i dont wanna come back to this game, its soThis is the worst Need for Speed game i have ever played, i was like "uh" first 30 minutes and i dont wanna come back to this game, its so boring. Even Undercover was much better.… Expand
  6. racergsxr1
    Oct 30, 2012
    2
    This game is more "Burnout" than it is "Need For Speed". Criterion has made great games over the years but they need to stick with theirThis game is more "Burnout" than it is "Need For Speed". Criterion has made great games over the years but they need to stick with their "Crash N Bash" formula with Burnout and not dump it on the NFS series. This game is such a disappointment. Criterion took out all the things that made Most Wanted great and added in a bunch of things that didn't. No more manual transmission, next to no customization, no storyline other than "There's ten people who are the best racers in the city. Beat them and I'll give you a cookie". I don't think I even saw a change camera option. What the hell happened? And the so called "Find it, Drive it"? What the hell is that? What happened to doing races for money and using the cash to buy cars and parts? That's a proven formula and everyone knows that, why take it away and replace it with something as stupid as driving around looking for exotic cars that are (for whatever reason) sitting around a city? I'm glad they brought back free roam instead of "drive on a long curvy road with high-speed corners". But at such a cost! This game isn't even Need for Speed anymore. It's like Burnout Paradise City with Frostbite 2 and a different name. It's not even as great as Paradise City, it's like a hybrid that takes all the worst case scenarios EA and Criterion could made each game into (but didn't thankfully) and combines them all into one fustercluck of unrecognizable programming. If you're looking for a fun, freeroaming, street-racing game, try NFS Underground 2 or if you also want great graphics, try NFS Undercover.… Expand
  7. Leo4211
    Dec 31, 2013
    1
    When everyone was happy about NFS remaking the legendary NFSMW, this game turns out to be Burnout: Least Wanted.

    The good things about the    When everyone was happy about NFS remaking the legendary NFSMW, this game turns out to be Burnout: Least Wanted.

    The good things about the game is the graphics are good and the map is great with cities and off-roads. The rest are not good or terrible.

    The main problem is the concept of the game. Everyone knows (truly not those who started playing from NFS14 yelling this game is awesome) the REAL Need For Speed Most Wanted (9th one) is about being the top illegal racer and revenge the No.1 most wanted. All you do in the game is to win races, do milestones (something nasty with the cops) and become the most dangerous speed racer in the game. Unfortunately, this game is quite boring. All you do is to EARN POINTS to be the "Most Wanted". You don't need to care about the cops because you get NO PENALTY of losing your car or paying money when you get busted. You can simply just pull off when you get into a pursuit, getting busted and travel back to the spawn. Also, the most wanted list is a bunch of CARS, not PEOPLE. You race with the CARS because you want to get better cars, NOT beating people in your way to the fearsome dangerous illegal racer. The cars in the most wanted list is not stylized, just plain white. The whole concept is not being the MOST WANTED, it's just like earning stupid points or wins like Burnout.

    The second issue is the cars. It's really hilarious that you get cars by finding them in the street. You can simply find a Mercedes-Benz SLS or a Lamborghini Gallardo parking on sideways without reasons and you can get into the cars somehow and drive. Also, when you drive your car into the repair shop, it changes your car paint to a random colour without choosing not to. So, when you're driving a perfectly-matched yellow Lamborghini into a repair shop, it helps you to change to boring blue without allowing you to choose. You cannot personalize your car to make it look cooler and make the cops remember you and your car. It's simply awful.

    The physics of the cars are just terrible. The races have THE SAME PRINCIPLE AS YOU EXPERIENCE IN BURNOUT. You can simply just get invincible when you aim for an AI's back, push the nitrous button and the car will automatically crash for you. You can also crash somebody's car when you slightly hit the side of an AI and it will somehow wreck it for you. You can crash your car easily on the other hand by hitting a road car driving in the same direction with a speed of 120km/h and you get your car flipped by a million times. Criterion is smart by amplifying the "boom" to an extent that you feel it's really a big crash, when you get the exact same sound when you're driving a Bugatti in high speed and you crash the exact same car. This is so Burnout, not a normal NFS game.

    Ah, forgot to mention the soundtracks/sound effects in the game. Simply just plain. If you get excited when you're racing (I doubt if anyone will feel the excitement of driving and racing in this game), it's definitely not about the sounds.

    It's easy to conclude the game in one sentence: It's another fast-food game produced by Criterion using the remarkable "Need For Speed Most Wanted" name to cover "Burnout: Cops and robot cars". It's also good to conclude the game by saying it's a rip-off.    … Expand
  8. iPawned
    Nov 11, 2013
    0
    game this is maybe the frustrating i game i ever played i mean why does this earn a need for speed title? first time i play it was no game this is maybe the frustrating i game i ever played i mean why does this earn a need for speed title? first time i play it was no instructions and its badly optimized for pc wonder this game has wonderful reviews by critics guess EA payed them… Expand

See all 213 User Reviews

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Awards & Rankings

#63 Best PC Game of 2012
#31 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
#39 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

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