Customer Reviews:
 Is Need for Speed turning into FIFA, NHL, NBA, NFL and the rest??? November 11, 2006
17 out of 21 found this review helpful
This game is to Most Wanted as NFSU2 was to NFSU, only that it is a lot shorter.
The game idea is a fantastic principle, you slowly take over the city by leading your crew in races against other crews to take over their turf. Main problem with this though is that it only takes a couple of races and then the Turf's yours, second problem is that your partner in the race is about as much use as a chocolate fire guard, I can't think of a time where I have found them useful. Plus side to the turf system is that at least the game doesn't feel so linear, which leads to it's other downside, you don't feel that you're really achieving that much, unlike Most Wanted.
EA seem to have looked quite hard at the race structures themselves and have put in some pleasant, which can quite quickly turn into unpleasant, differences. Circuits and Sprints, will always be Circuits and Sprints, even with your useless wingman, although he can provide you with the occasional chortle as he does something right. Thank god for the return of Drift (All hail the greatest race type) and with some actually significant and well worth changes (even though they take some time to get used too). Instead of drifting wherever you could to make the points, EA have given what I like to call speed sections and drift sections in the tracks, which lead to you building your speed up, and then throwing your car around like a madman in an attempt to rack up the multipliers (gone are the days of a maximum of x5) and the points. Get the perfect amount of speed then pull of the most glorious drift with loads of multipliers and just watch the points roll in like there is no tommorrow. The other style of drift is like downhill in NFSU2, but this time, watch out for the railings they wont hold you on the road or stop you, they'll break and "bye bye racer!" The boss races are all downhill sprints in Carbon Canyon and as in the downhill drift, watch out for the sides or you lose, which can also work in your advantage as you knock your opponent out.
Cop chases are back, but Most Wanted does it a lot better, and so are street races by meeting racers while free-roaming, but like in NFSU2, I didn't really bother too much after I had gotten all the benefits from it.
The graphics are "pretty" (yes I do mean that) but don't give you a real sense of fulfilment like Most Wanted's do, and didn't engage me as much as the afore mentioned game.
All in all, I feel this would have been better off being classed as an add-on pack because I found it so short and was left with the question of "Was that it?"
Let's just hope EA don't turn this series into FIFA, NFL, NBA, NHL, and the rest and view as "another game that people will buy just because its got ......... in the title"
If you want a Need for Speed that you can play, enjoy and get a sense of smug satifaction from completing, go for Most Wanted (shame they didn't do some Drifting tracks but hey the rest of the game makes up) you won't be disapointed.
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