Overview and Story:

Need for Speed has been a franchise set to scratch that itch that every gear head has when thinking of fast cars, customization, racing around the streets in a big city while evading the cops. The first Most Wanted from 2005 starts off with the main protagonist in his iconic BMW M3 GTR driving up to a group an illegal street racers with their leader Razor (who you find out is the 15^th member in the Blacklist). Later after a few races against other racers and the story pushed to inform that you built enough “street cred” and were able to race Razor for his spot on the blacklist. During the race you find out that car has been tampered with and the car could not finish the race. Since this was a Blacklist race both drivers had to put their car’s pink slips up for grabs. Since you lost now Razor has your car and has been using it to go up the Blacklist since you’ve been in jail. Now that you are out you want to revenge and beat him. Go through the game winning races and get to race him again while he’s at the number 1 spot. In comparison, the 2012 version has no story other than get to the first spot in the Most Wanted List. Win races evade the cops, but this time you don’t buy and upgrade cars. All the cars are scattered around the map and the gamer only must drive up to them and can switch, no customizing other than small upgrading capabilities by winning races in either first or second place. Since writing this the 2019 Most Wanted only has a trailer out but from that shows that EA is bringing their roots back to the customization and the 2005 story with hearing Razor’s voice stating he’s out for revenge.

Both games were played on a PC. Though the 2012 version was attainable online through Origin the game’s developers. Since the 2005 version is a bit older in a time where online was not usable so only CD’s were made for the game. For being a bigger game there were 4 separate discs needed to download the game while only the first one is used to play the game.

Controls:

The 2012 version’s controls are the traditional on keyboard, but for racing games a controller is more suited. An Xbox controller is easily set and programmed to work just like a console. During the beginning of the game using a keyboard (since the game throws you right into it without any story or instructions) the game takes you to another car after racing and requires you to press a key that is not programmed to any button on the keyboard. So, turn off the game and restart the beginning cut scene and pause the game during the first race and change the controls as well as set the game to use the Xbox controller. For the 2005 version the controls all work using the keyboard and has the option for the Xbox controller as well, although what this game lacks is the pre-set mapping being the traditional layout. Although setting the layout only takes a couple minutes, they do not allow the buttons to be set for the A button to be the accept or continue button as well that the B button to be the back button. The games allow for secondary controls that do not work as one would think. They do not function well, so some options are now unusable using the controller.

Graphics:

Driving fast and taking corners at high speeds make seeing signs and buildings blurry but for the 2005 version the signs are almost impossible to read. Not much texture has been added to the game to make it look more than it is. While in races they only allow the racers to drive on the roads that are specific to the race by blocking the other roads off with yellow transparent borders that has moving arrows in the direction to go. The borders are a bit to light to see them properly as well as the artificial sun blinding the gamer to a point that making a turn to be difficult. The 2012 version improves on words on signs, buildings and allowing the car’s beauty to represent itself.

More Gameplay and Customization:

As already stated on the customization of both games, the customization on the 2005 version is as one would think. The early 2000’s was a time for sex spec cars which means big wheels, wild graphics and colors on the cars as well as big and odd-looking body kits that involve fake or useless scoops on the hood roof or side of the cars.  The 2012 version only has the color of the car change by driving through gas stations which also repairs any visible damage. While changing the colors and wheels lowers what is called heat level. Heat level determines the level of the police that tries to bust you. The lower the level the easier they are and the easier to evade. The cops in both use roadblocks, spike strips, SUV ram squad and faster stronger squad cars that chase you down and try to pin you. While the beginning of the 2005 version does not allow the heat level to go high enough to be unbearable and after going through the campaign get harder and harder as the protagonist’s vehicle gets faster and the player gets better.  Since the 2012 version allows any car to be driven the cops are almost impossible to evade and avoid in the beginning, the cops from the start are faster and stronger than any car the user can get.

Conclusion:

From just polls and many other reviews the 2005 version has been rated to be one of the best of the need for speed games. On the other end of the spectrum, the 2012 version has one of the worst ratings and as a standpoint most people do not finish the game from the being too dry. The 2012 version has many DLC content that ends up costing multiple times more than the game itself that only adds vehicles and extra races. One can notice a DLC when driving up to a car and the game immediately taking the player to a pop up to pay for the DLC to get the car. No use in paying for anything in the game which does only but infuriate the player with all the issues and flaws. Once the game was released it disappointed all fans while this new light has emerged from the rumors and the trailer confirms that there is going to be a sequel to the famed original Need for Speed: Most Wanted. The new looks, new vehicles and better dynamics are bringing all players back to the franchise after years of disappointment.