Unlike most games out there, these races unfurl in a subtle way. Freedom and structure delicately intersect in a loose career mode based around beating a list of 10 Most Wanted cars. The open world of Fairhaven is a fertile ground for the Criterion racing concepts of accessibility, freedom, and motor mayhem.
With spectacular Burnout-style crashes, the police from 2011’s Hot Pursuit, and the ease of getting new races via Autolog, Most Wanted is a well-sculpted, honed racing machine that delivers an exhilarating experience. It’s about developer Criterion’s ruthless pursuit of its racing vision. Police aside, this game isn’t about any one franchise in particular. Forget that another studio already made a game called Need for Speed: Most Wanted this console generation.
