Need for Speed: Most Wanted

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Need for Speed: Most Wanted
Developer(s)	EA Black Box
Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts
Series	Need for Speed
Latest version	1.3 (December 6, 2005)
Release date(s)	Win, PS2, XB, GCN: November 15, 2005 November 24, 2005 Xbox 360: November 22, 2005 December 2, 2005 Mobile phone: December 21, 2005
Genre(s)	Racing
Mode(s)	Single player Multiplayer
Rating(s)	BBFC: Parental Guidance CERO: B (12+) ESRB: Teen (13+) OFLC: General PEGI: 12+ PEGI: 11+ (Finland) USK: 12+
Platform(s)	Windows, Xbox 360, PS2, XB, GCN, PSP, GBA, NDS, Mobile
Media	CD, DVD, UMD, GCN Game Disc, GBA Cartridge, NDS Game Card

Need for Speed: Most Wanted (NFS:MW) is a multiplatform racing video game, developed by EA Black Box and first released by Electronic Arts for the United States on 15 November 2005. It is part of the Need for Speed series of games. The game reintroduces police chases into a large body of the game's street racing-oriented gameplay, with certain (but not all) customization options from the Need for Speed: Underground series. The game is also succeded by Need for Speed: Carbon, which serves as a sequel to Most Wanted.

Most Wanted has been released for Windows-based personal computers, the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox, Xbox 360 (as a launch title), Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS and mobile phones. Another version of Most Wanted, titled Need for Speed: Most Wanted: 5-1-0 has been released for the PlayStation Portable.

Black Edition, a collector's edition of Most Wanted, was released in celebration of the Need for Speed series' tenth anniversary and in conjunction with the release of Most Wanted. The Black Edition features additional races, bonus cars and other additional content. The Black Edition also comes with a special feature DVD that contains interviews and videos about the game. The Black Edition was released for both the PC, PlayStation 2 and Xbox in the United States and Australia;^[1] only the PlayStation 2 version of Black Edition was released additionally for Europe.^[2][1] The Black Edition was also released in many major Asian countries for all platforms.^{[verification needed]}

[edit] Plot

Main article: Need for Speed series characters#Most Wanted

A scene of Career mode's introductory cut scenes, featuring Mia (foreground) (played by Josie Maran).

In the Career mode storyline, the player's career is initially presented in a series of days which shows the stages of event to the present day. It starts when the player challenges a young man named Clarence Callahan, also known as "Razor", in a race, but the scene is interrupted and the story goes back to 6 days before when the player crossed a bridge into Rockport, looking to build up a reputation by winning races against local street racers, ranked according to a "Blacklist." The player character encounters several racers and beats them all, thanks to his heavily-modified BMW M3 GTR (V8), and eventually runs into a local street racing gang which turns out to be quite unfriendly to new drivers on the scene. The leader of this gang is Razor, and he is the #15-ranked street racer on the "Blacklist"—an underground list of the top 15 street racers in Rockport. Razor is also a cheater, and he sabotages the BMW before racing the player, forcing a loss and, in accordance to Blacklist rules, the forfeit of his car. Shortly after, the police arrive as Razor and his gang flee the scene, leading to the player's arrest by Sergeant Cross, one of the most experienced police drivers on the Rockport police force, for street racing.

The player is released because he didn't have a car at the time of his arrest. He is picked up by a mysterious woman named Mia Townsend (Josie Maran), who tells him that Razor has used the player's car to make his way to #1 on the Blacklist, while two of his gang members, Bull and Ronnie, have also taken Blacklist spots two and three, respectively. With help from Mia, a sympathetic street racer named "Rog," and monetary winnings from his pre-Razor races, the player is able to purchase a new car and slowly work up the Blacklist, with the goal of confronting Razor and reclaiming his BMW. As the game progresses, the player beats each member of the Blacklist in one-on-one races and builds up both cash (which is needed to purchase and upgrade cars) and a sizable reputation. Upon defeating Razor and winning the car back, it is revealed that Mia is actually an undercover police officer who has, with the player character's unwitting help, been working to arrest every member of the Blacklist. Cross dispatches the police in full force in an effort to capture the player (now back behind the wheel of his BMW), but five minutes into the pursuit, they are foiled when Mia develops feelings for the player and shows him an escape route out of the city. The player leaves Rockport for good, and in the end is listed as a fugitive on the nation's most wanted list.

Need for Speed: Carbon's storyline is a continuation from the end of Most Wanted, and shows the player driving towards Palmont in the same BMW...

The cut scenes in the game are presented in a significantly different style from the Underground series, with CGI effects (encompassing car exteriors and environments) mixed with live action. This presentation of cut scenes is used again in Carbon.

[edit] Gameplay

A standard four car Circuit race in Need for Speed: Most Wanted.

Most Wanted, like other Need for Speed games, is essentially a driving and racing game, where the player selects one car to reach a destination or race. Police chases have once again been integrated into certain racing sessions, in which the police employ vehicles and tactics to either slow down or halt the player's car. As players take control of faster cars and increasingly rely on nitrous oxide speed boosts (the oxide meter now reloads automatically, for the first time since its introduction in Underground), driving sequences become fast-pace and intense, similar to the Burnout series.

Three distinct regions are offered in the city of Rockport, along with cycling weather. There is no racing in the night, all the action is done between sunrise and sunset. A Grand Theft Auto-like free roam mode is still provided like Need for Speed: Underground 2, but is still limited to Career mode, as well as pursuit-based events in other modes. Most Wanted continues to avoid the use of major vehicle damages on all racing models, as it has been with the Underground series, with only scratched paint and heavily cracked (but not shattered) windscreens comprising the whole of the racers' damage modeling. Police cars, however, are subjectable to extreme physical body damages, and immobilization if they flip over or have been heavily damaged by "pursuit breakers" (see pursuit system) or the player's car.

[edit] Modes

The Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren is one of fastest cars in the game; here a heavily customized version is shown.

The game provides players with a selection of game modes, which include a combination of races and police chases. In Career mode, achieving goals by winning races and performing a number of actions, dubbed "Milestones", during police pursuits, as well as a minimum Bounty (see #Pursuit system for details on Milestones and Bounties) are needed to advance in the storyline and race against any of the mode's 15 Blacklist racers. In the Xbox 360 version, the player is awarded with points each time a Blacklist opponent is defeated. Career mode introduces a new feature - the ability to win a Blacklist opponent's car ("pink slip"), bonus functions (e.g. the ability to "Get Out of Jail Free") or car parts and decors ("backroom parts"), after defeating the opponent in question. These come in the form of six markers - the rival's pink slip (which is concealed as a bonus marker), two bonus function markers, and three custom backroom parts markers of which there is a part, visual, and performance marker that the player can select - of which the player can choose only two. New cars and parts are also unlocked as the player progresses through Career mode by beating Blacklist racers.

In addition to the Quick Race and Career modes, there is also a "Challenge" mode comprised of 68 progressively difficult challenges (69 in the Black Edition) where players are required to successfully complete Tollbooth races and pursuit challenges, such as disabling a number of police cars. The pre-tuned cars used in each Challenge is fixed, ranging from mostly Career cars with poor handling to traffic vehicles such as a cement truck or police cars. Additional bonus cars may be unlocked as the player progresses through Challenge mode.

In terms of actual variations of races, Most Wanted inherits several racing modes prevalent in its Underground predecessors. The game's four existing modes: Circuit races, point-to-point Sprint races, Lap Knockout races and Drag races, remain largely unchanged since the first iteration of Underground, while Drifting, Street X, Underground Racing League tournaments and Outrun racing are foregone. Meanwhile, Most Wanted see the introduction of two new racing variations, which places emphasis on speed. The first mode is known as "Tollbooth," where a player races alone to designated checkpoints (toll booths) along a point-to-point route before time runs out (similar to Time Attack modes in arcade-style racing games); the more time a player has as they reach a toll booth, the more time they have to arrive at the next one. The second mode, dubbed "Speedtrap," sees racers competing with each other to get the highest accumulated speed record at multiple traffic cameras. At a speed trap/traffic camera, players accelerate their car to aim for the highest possible speed. Accumulated speed is reduced over a period of time after an opponent crosses the finish line first.

[edit] Pursuit system

The player's car (identified from a dial at the left as having achieved a fourth "Heat" level) is in pursuit by several undercover state police cars and a police helicopter in Free Roam mode. This screenshot also depicts the use of simulated (not actual) HDRR on the sunny sky and surface lighting.^[3]

Police chases make their return to the NFS Franchise after an unpopular absence.

Most Wanted features police pursuits in the game for the first time since Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 (2002). In Career mode, police pursuits may occur during a race or during free roaming through the city, depending on the frequency of the police units in the area and the offenses players have committed. The player can initiate a pursuit immediately from the game's Safe House or menu by choosing an unfinished Milestone or a Bounty. Pursuits can also be initiated by selecting an appropriate Challenge (in Challenge mode). Traffic offenses committed by the player are known in game as "Infractions".

The police pursuit system is significantly more complex than its previous Hot Pursuit incarnations. The manner in which the police handle a player is now determined by the number of "Heats", or wanted level, of the player's current car (although this has been similarly utilized in Hot Pursuit 2). Heat levels, which increase with the length of a police pursuit and the amount of damage caused by the player during the pursuit, add a twist to the pursuit in that if the player's driving becomes attention-grabbing, state or even federal authorities might go after the player. The higher the car's Heat level, the more aggressive the police units are against the player, employing additional tactics and tools, such as roadblocks, spike strips, police helicopters and heavier and faster police cars. In fact, about ten police cars may be observed pursuing a single car under higher Heat levels. There are six Heat levels in total, made out of three police divisions (Civic, State and Federal), each with marked and unmarked police cars, as well as police SUVs that would join from the third Heat level and onward. The highest heat level in open play is the fifth heat level, the sixth heat level being only available during the final pursuit. The Black Edition of the game includes a seventh Heat level, featuring Federal SUVs, available only in a Challenge mode mission.

If a car achieves at least heat level 5, Sergeant Cross may also join in the pursuit in a Chevrolet Corvette C6(.R) with customized paintwork.^[1] However, these Heat levels cannot be achieved until the player is ranked at least fifth on the Blacklist. Players not fulfilling this criterion have neither the cars nor the experience to deal with Sgt. Cross.

In Career mode, pursuits are integrated into the game in such a way that it is necessary to challenge Blacklist racers. Completing "Milestones," which involves committing at least a specified amount of traffic offences or pursuit lengths during a chase, and collecting an amount of "Bounty", a form of credit accumulated as players continue to evade the police or damage police units, are requirements. A car's Heat level may be reduced by changing the physical appearance of a car by changing body parts or paint color, or using another purchased car to race in the streets. Rap Sheets, with records such as the player's infractions, cost to state, deployed tactics and pursuit lengths, are also available for viewing by "hacking" into police records, and also includes the player's standing in each individual record against those of other Blacklist racers.

Players are provided with several additional features which are useful during pursuits. The Speedbreaker, provided within the driving interface, slows down time (similar to bullet time), momentarily adds weight to the player's car allowing it to become more difficult for other vehicles (especially police vehicles) to push around, and induces a drift. This allows the player a limited amount of time to quickly maneuver the car out of difficult situations, or assess an escape route through a road block or spike strip blockade.^[2] Another feature in Most Wanted are Pursuit Breakers, road-side objects which are designed to collapse when a player uses their car to knock down its support, either damaging or disabling following police cars (which can be visually seen in many cases) or forcing units to deal with the subsequent effect of the collapse (in one example, if a player smashes through a gas station, radio chatter from a unit requests haz-mat units to help deal with the explosion at the gas station).^[3] In addition, players are also required to ensure that they are not spotted again by the police shortly after evading all police units; a "Cooldown" period is required to be met before police units give up and cancel a perimeter search of the player's car. Cooldown spots, hiding spots where players may park in, are also scattered around the city, helping to shorten the Cooldown period and end pursuits quickly. However, certain hiding spots may still be exposed and may be discovered by searching police units.

While the game features police cars, including those in the form of 2004/2005 Pontiac GTOs and Chevrolet Corvette C6s, Most Wanted does not allow players to play as a pursuing police in chases. However, players may drive several police cars in Challenge mode, but are solely used in checkpoint races and police pursuits, where the police are still pursuing the player.

[edit] Car customization

As in the preceding Underground installments, the performance and physical appearance of the player's car could be extensively modified, but options for exterior modifications have been simplified to only the essentials, with specific parts (i.e. individual bumpers, side skirts, lights and exhaust pipes) foregone, and are primarily used as methods of decreasing the car's wanted level, compared to increasing a car's "reputation rating" in the Underground games. Additionally, players are allowed to assume a sleeper appearance for cars without penalty in Most Wanted.

[edit] Online play and tech support status

Online play is included with what is described as a "similar feature set to Underground 2" though this time, world-wide play is included with no conflict between the North American and European versions. Prior to the release of Most Wanted, a decision was made not to include online play for the PlayStation 2 version (including the Black Edition, despite fan requests). It is speculated that EA Games had dropped the PlayStation 2's online services in favor of Xbox Live for the Xbox and Xbox 360.^{[citation needed]} However, the PlayStation Portable version of the game would support this feature.^[4] Both the PlayStation 2 versions of Underground and Underground 2 had previously included online play.

EA has recently announced they won't be supporting the PC version of the game, either by patches or any other method (as of March 14, 2006). The latest patch for the PC version (1.3) was released on December 6, 2005.^[5]

[edit] Cars

Promotional screenshot of Rockport's fall foliage of Most Wanted for the Xbox 360. Depicted here is a Porsche 911 Turbo S.

Most Wanted's graphics engine has improved over Need for Speed: Underground 2, most notably the dramatic use of color shading to give the game a sepia, "washed out" tone and extensive use of Bloom Effects; creating a pseudo HDR effect and making the daytime setting seem very bright and surreal.

Cars included in Most Wanted can be categorized into 3 distinct types, including "Euro imports" and Asian (mostly Japanese) import tuners cars, (mostly European) exotic cars and American muscle cars. The Black Edition of Most Wanted also includes a standard BMW E46 (M3 GTR V8) and a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro, along with an array of specially tuned and customized versions of stock models from the standard edition of Most Wanted, such as the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG, the Porsche 911 GT2 and the Chevrolet Corvette C6.R .

The following lists models provided in game, including those only made available in the Black Edition:

• Aston Martin DB9
• Audi A3 3.2 quattro
• Audi A4 3.2 FSI quattro
• Audi TT 3.2 quattro
• BMW M3 GTR (E46)
• Cadillac CTS
• Chevrolet Camaro SS (1967 model)
• Chevrolet Corvette C6
• Chevrolet Corvette C6R
• Chevrolet Cobalt SS
• Dodge Viper SRT-10
• Fiat Punto (Mark 3)
• Ford GT
• Ford Mustang GT (S-197)
• Lamborghini Gallardo
• Lamborghini Murciélago
• Lexus IS 300
• Lotus Elise (Series 2)
• Mazda RX-7
• Mazda RX-8
• Mercedes-Benz CLK 500
• Mercedes-Benz SL 500
• Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG
• Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
• Mitsubishi Eclipse GT (2006/fourth generation model)
• Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII
• Pontiac GTO (2005 model)
• Porsche 911 Carrera S (Type 997)
• Porsche 911 GT2
• Porsche 911 Turbo S (Type 996)
• Porsche Carrera GT
• Porsche Cayman S
• Renault Clio V6 (Clio II facelift)
• Subaru Impreza WRX STi (GD)
• Toyota Supra (Mk IV)
• Vauxhall Monaro VXR
• Volkswagen Golf GTI (Mk V)

The customized BMW M3 GTR V8 featured prominently in the game and its cover art is also recreated in real-life by Tuner Tansformation, with a 2-door coupé BMW 330Ci upgraded with M3 GTR performance parts, as well as customized paintwork to the likeness of the in-game depiction. A television program dedicated to the customization of the car debuted on the SPEED Channel on November 14, 2005.^{[6] [7]}

[edit] Soundtrack

Although Most Wanted continues the Need for Speed: Underground series's appeal of modifying and "tuning" custom cars to suit a player's tastes, the customization and visual modifications have been greatly reduced compared to Need for Speed: Underground 2, removing many unnecessary and pointless additions like speakers, neons, and spinners and instead giving users a few basic but varied options to change their car's appearance when their 'heat levels' get too high .

As in other EA Black Box Need for Speed games, Most Wanted's soundtrack comprises of a licensed selection of hip hop, rock, metalcore and electronica/techno music. Additionally, Paul Linford provided interactive scores for police pursuit sessions. The soundtrack listing is as followed:

1. Styles of Beyond - "Nine Thou" (Superstars Remix) (3:48)
2. T.I. Presents The P$C - "Do Ya Thang" (4:05)
3. Rock - "I Am Rock" (3:23)
4. Suni Clay - "In A Hood Near You" (3:59)
5. The Perceptionists - "Let's Move" (2:55)
6. Juvenile - "Sets Go Up" (3:37)
7. Hush - "Fired Up" (3:18)
8. DJ Spooky and Dave Lombardo - "B-Side Wins Again feat. Chuck D" (4:31)
9. Celldweller feat. Styles of Beyond - "Shapeshifter" (3:17)
10. Lupe Fiasco - "Tilted" (3:25) (appears on the single Kick, Push)
11. Ils - "Feed The Addiction" (3:54)
12. Celldweller - "One Good Reason" (3:24) (appears on the album Celldweller)
13. Hyper - "We Control" (2:54)
14. Static-X - "Skinnyman" (3:23) (appears on the album Start a War)
15. Dieselboy + Kaos - "Barrier Break" (6:27)
16. Disturbed - "Decadence" (3:18)
17. The Prodigy - "You'll Be Under My Wheels" (3:53)
18. The Roots and BT - "Tao Of The Machine" (Scott Humphrey's Remix) (3:06)
19. Stratus - "You Must Follow" (Evol Intent VIP) (3:55)
20. Mastodon - "Blood And Thunder" (3:41) (appears on the album Leviathan)
21. Evol Intent, Mayhem & Thinktank - "Broken Sword" (5:59)
22. Bullet for My Valentine - "Hand Of Blood" (3:17)
23. Paul Linford and Chris Vrenna - "The Mann" (3:28)
24. Avenged Sevenfold - "Blinded In Chains" (5:55)
25. Jamiroquai - "Feels Just Like It Should" (Timo Maas Remix) (3:00)
26. Paul Linford and Chris Vrenna - "Most Wanted Mash Up" (3:34)

[edit] Reception and criticism

The game enjoyed very good sales and positive reception by gaming magazines and fans alike. However, the driving physics are considered by some to be the worst that EA has ever put out, resulting in slightly lower player ratings.^{[citation needed]}

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[edit] Need for Speed: Most Wanted: 5-1-0

Need for Speed: Most Wanted: 5-1-0 is a PlayStation Portable port of Most Wanted, released on the same day as its console and personal computer counterparts. Similar to Most Wanted, Most Wanted: 5-1-0 features a similar Blacklist 15 listing and Career Mode, with the addition of "Tuner Takedown", a "Be The Cop" mode not featured on Most Wanted. Most Wanted: 5-1-0 lacks many elements of its other console and PC counterparts, like cut scenes, a storyline and a free roam mode, and contains minor differences (including listing the real name of a Blacklist racer rather than his/her nickname). The title of the game is based off the numerals "5-1-0", which is the police code for street racing.

[edit] Trivia

• The "Diggy's Donuts" shops in Rosewood^{[citation needed]} is a homage to the "Piggy's Donuts" shops in the Country Woods track, featured in Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit, Need for Speed: High Stakes, and Need for Speed: Carbon.
• A reference to the Need for Speed: Underground series is made in the game when Rog states, "look what the Underground let loose. let's see how you do in the daylight." Both Need for Speed: Underground and Need for Speed: Underground 2 take place entirely at night, while Most Wanted takes place at daytime. It also implies story continuity, with Most Wanted taking place between the events of Underground 2 and Carbon. Another reference is seen towards the end when Rog sends the main character a message saying "people as far as Bayview are throwing money down on this", whereas Bayview is the setting of Underground 2. Also, in the challenge series, references to the Bayview Police Department are seen. However, police activity is non-existent in Underground 2.
• The real name of Blacklist racer #9 "Earl" is Eugene James in all versions of the game except for 5-1-0 on the PSP, where he is named Pierre Dupont.^{[citation needed]}
• Need for Speed: Carbon: Own the City, a PlayStation Portable port of Need for Speed: Carbon, takes place in a city with a layout similar to Rockport (renamed "Coast City"), instead of Palmont in the console versions.^{[citation needed]} The PSP port of the map omits the Camden Beach area.^{[citation needed]}
• When the player is arrested at a heat level that does not feature civic police cars, the arrest footage will only feature civic police cars.^{[citation needed]}
• Later shipping PC discs appear to carry the bonus tracks and cars originally present only in the Black Edition.^{[citation needed]}
• The PC version of Most Wanted features an unusual bug that prevents the game from initiating a normal autorun from the game's disc when Underground is installed; an Underground splash screen instead of one from Most Wanted appears, followed by an error message prompting the user to insert the correct disc. Uninstalling Underground resolves this problem.^{[verification needed]}
• The 18-Wheeler's paint scheme is very similar to the one of the BMW M3 GTR.^{[citation needed]}
• A building in Rosewood, near Diamond Park, features a sign that reads "nfsmw [(Need for Speed: Most Wanted)] we're rocking the port [(Rockport)]".^{[citation needed]}
• Unique performance parts in Most Wanted are dubbed "Junkman Parts". Similarly, a character in Need for Speed: Underground, the Junkman, provides players with unique performance parts.

[edit] Notes and references

[edit] External links

• Official Most Wanted website
• Official Black Edition website
• Need for Speed: Most Wanted at StrategyWiki (previously hosted by Wikibooks)