S&S; Review: Need for Speed Most Wanted

Title: Need for Speed Most Wanted
Format: PS3, Xbox 360(reviewed), PC, PS Vita
Release Date: 10/30/12
Publisher: EA
Developer: Criterion Games
Price: $59.99, $49.99(PC), $39.00(PS Vita)
ESRB Rating: E

After spending 20+ hours in Forza Horizon, I wanted to get my hands on another racer.  Need for Speed Most Wanted was my first choice, and I was surprised at how much fun I had with the game, and it proves to be the best NFS game released so far.
Presentation:
Need for Speed Most Wanted has one of the most slickest styles found in a racer, especially its streamlined menu systems.  You don't have to pause the game, and enter a set number of options for connecting to the online portions, change your car, and even picking a new race destination.  I love the fact that they make these options easily accessible and quick to fire up.  Since I've just came from Forza, the game didn't really look all that impressive to me, even though they're completely different games.  The cars themselves are a mixed bag, some are impressively detailed, and some are not.  Its that simple, and its unfortunate, seeing how so many racers have only gotten better in terms of their visuals.  One thing that NFS Most Wanted does better than most other racers, is the destructibility.  The cars can be battered into little boxes of scrap metal, from bumpers, to hoods, dirt and and muck will accumulate over time to create some pretty grimy looking vehicles.  When you're greeted with your first crash, the slow-motion cam really magnifies the amount of detail that can go into the defamation of your car's cosmetics.  The open city of Fairhaven looks pretty good, lots of tunnels and bridges, with tons of monstrous jumps waiting for you take.  The sense of speed is really is really noticeable in this game, speeding down the highway at 160mph is a blur, and you're sure to achieve a crash cam when the blinding sunlight brims over the horizon.  The music is okay, a lot of modern electro music will fill your speakers with pounding beats.  The music could have been better, but you can always turn the music off, and just listen to the roars of your engines.  The mixed presentation of NFS Most Wanted consists of a visually great open city to explore, but overall, a lot of rough looking cars end up bringing the experience down.  
Core Gameplay and Multiplayer:
The most important part of any racer, has to be the actual racing itself.  How does the handling feel, what are the physics like?  These are just a portion of the questions people have, not only with Most Wanted, but any other racer out there.  NFS Most Wanted is definitely more of an arcade racer, rather than a simulation like Forza or Gran Turismo.  Since Criterion Games is behind the wheel, there are a lot of similarities between this an Burnout.  Sadly, the racing just isn't as smooth as Burnout Paradise.  Its probably because they aren't using the same engine that Paradise ran, seeing how that game is four years old, its unsettling that it feels smoother than Most Wanted.  The handling is is actually pretty tight, every car seemed to handle well during high octane races.  The aggressive police is one of my favorite parts of the game.  The chases can be intense, especially when the fuzz is driving a beast of a Mustang.  When you have a slower car though, it can be a little frustrating when you're trying to get rid of cops tailing you.  The game has a ton of mechanics littered across the city to help you enter cooldown mode, which leads you evading the cops for good.  Instead of the traditional way of starting with a wimp of a car, and progressing through the ranks while unlocking faster cars, you start off with Porsche.  This takes away that sweet satisfaction of earning cash and buying your own cars.  You don't buy cars in this game, instead you find parked cars scattered across the city.  When you come across a parked car, all you have to do is press a button, and the car is yours to keep.  Its a little strange, I don't believe this has been done, and if it has, I have never played a game that has that component.  Outside of the main races, tons of Billboards are waiting to be smashed by your 2-ton vehicle.  Its a neat little diversion, but a found myself continuing to completing the main races.  Getting online is simple, like I previously said, just a couple d-pad presses and you're online.  The races are a blast with friends, they're so chaotic in nature, with so many wrecks waiting to happen.   The game is also smooth online, and with no lobbies or menus, you get into races a lot more quickly.  
Final Thoughts:
Even though it seems like I have a lot of issues with the game, its still a great arcade racer. I love open sandbox racing games, and Need for Speed Most Wanted is just that.  Although it seems a little uninspired, the racing is solid and the handling is smooth.  The presentation is good, it just could have been better.  If you're a fan of the NFS games, you might be disappointed, but if you're looking for a good arcade racer, this is just the game for you. 
S&S Rating: 7.75/10 @whatsPlay