NFS:MW is available cross-platform on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PSVita, PC, and it is available on Android and iOS with dumbed-down graphics. The game recently launched just a couple weeks ago, so I've had some time to play around with it and get a good feel of it.
General
Name: Need For Speed: Most Wanted
Developer: Electronic Arts
Price: $6.99 Android/ $6.99 iOS
File Size: ~550MB
Unlike many other big-name game ports, this one doesn't suck. This is a true exception. EA truly did a good job with this one. Many big-name game developers don't support their apps and they kinda do a half-assed job.
Gameplay
As you may have guessed, Need For Speed: Most Wanted is a racing game. For pretty much the entire game, you tear down the interstate racing against opponents or the clock. There are several different race types: standard street races against your opponents, checkpoint races, beat-the-clock races, and 1 or 2 I know I'm forgetting. In addition to a plethora of race types, there's also a bunch of different environments, ranging from an urban cityscape to a dusty highway. Although the different worlds are nice, they all seem kinda repetitive. The same turns and shortcuts seem to repeat after a while.
There are 2 dominant types of racing games: the arcade racers and the realistic simulators. The arcade racing games have powerups, incredibly easy-to-use controls, and a drifting system that's so easy a baby could use. A good example of the arcade racers are the Asphalt series and the Mario Kart series. A realistic simulator lets you feel the raw power of the car. Controls are difficult to master, drifting is nearly impossible, and there isnt a powerup in sight. An example of the realistic aimulator would be the RealRacing series and the Gran Turismo series. NFS:MW provides a good compromise to both racing worlds: controls are easy to learn yet hard to master, drifting is quite possible, and there's enough nitro powerups to keep it interesting, but not annoying (I'm looking at you Asphalt 6).
Oh, did I mention that cops are trying to ram you off the road after every turn? The police AI is quite impressive. In the first couple races, the cops kinda just tail you with an occasional road block. In the later races, they will do anything they can to stop you from winning.
Because this is a racing game, one of the most important aspects of the game is car selection. The game has roughly 35 cars (I never counted exactly), ranging from a Hummer H1 Alpha to a vintage Porsche, to my future Koenigsegg Agera R and Bugatti Veyron. On a slight downside, there is a noticeable lack of Ferrari. I'm assuming EA ran into some licensing issues, but I was looking forward to a Ferrari F12 Berlinetta. There aren't quite as many cars as there are in Asphalt 7, but I would expect more cars to be added with each update.
Overall, the gameplay is pretty good, but some improvements could be made, especially in car selection.
Graphics
Disclaimer: I am running this game on a tablet with a quad-core processor. Your graphics experience may differ due to Android fragmentation
Graphics are absolutely amazing in this game. The cars are beautifully detailed as are the environments. I have experienced some slight frame rate lag hen my car is airborne though.
The car graphics are rediculosly clear and detailed. Real-time reflections and shadows are butter smooth. Parts of your car can fall/fly off in collisions, which is a nice touch. Your paint can also scratch if you grind against side rails or other cars in a shower of sparks. Nitrous effects are pretty cool, but seems to have a slight fake-y feel to it.
Environment graphics are pretty awesome and detailed, but can slightly lag. The environments are very detailed and clean in general. Can't really think of anything else to say
Overall
This is a pretty good game, especially on high-end devices. My favorite part of this game that makes it stand out is the illusion of speed. Most games *cough*Asphalt*cough* say you're going 240mph, but it feels slow because te world does t move by very fast. In NFS:MW, provided your device is powerful enough, has the ability to render the environments fast enough to give a true sense of speed.
Overall Score: 8.5/10, losing points from car selection or lack thereof
Recommendation: Yes, I recommend this game, but only if your device can handle it. I tested this on my EVO View (1.5GHz single-core) which had significant lag. I also tested it on my Nook Color (900MHz single-core) which had unplayable lag. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions or comments, I appreciate any and all feedback. Also leave a comment if you wish to request a game for review. I may not review paid games, but I will certainly review free games.
By FlippenSchweet
