12/05/05 >> Need for Speed: Most Wanted 5-1-0 (Sony PSP)

Genre: Racing

 

 

 

 

 

EA takes the long-running series to the PSP with generally good results. Seeing how the PSP has seen a good share of racing titles though, how does this game stack up? Let’s take a look.

 

The game does have some sort of story. You're a street racer trying to make his way up the Black list. Win races, gain respect and take down anyone who's willing to race you. It's a simple story and while it isn't compelling in the least it is worth noting since EA did try.

 

 

The graphics in the game almost knocked me out. It was more than I was expecting. The opening cut scene (only one is the game) looks poor at first but wait until it really starts going. I was impressed... The in game graphics look great, even if they aren't overly detailed. It actually looks like a slightly better version of Twisted Metal Head-On. Everything looks good. The tracks all look great, a little grainy but nothing horrible. Cars look a little blocky at times but also look rather good. Little effects in the game are a nice touch also. I like how in your review mirror you can see headlight reflections of any cars behind you. The game really doesn't feature other little details though. The game also allows you to change the look of your car so that adds a bit more. For a portable racing game this looks fantastic.

 

 

The sound in the game is a slightly mixed bag. The sound effects are pretty good. Tires squeal and cop sirens sound. Engines rev and all that jazz but the cool little effect that I liked is when you go into a tunnel, the cop sirens and engine sounds change due to being in a tunnel. Nice little effect, gives it a kind of echoing sound. The game doesn't have any voice acting but who expected any? The music is the biggest flaw of the game. Lots of rap from artists I never heard of. A few decent rock songs; some Static X and some Disturbed but other wise I found that the music was very lacking.

 

The control also surprised me. I found the analog to be a bit touchy but it feels that way for a lot of racing games. I found it easy to use the slow down effect and the Nitro. I also found controlling with the D-pad to be fantastic, not a problem. The earl cars control with ease but the later cars are a pain to drive, kind of like the fastest cars in Gran Turismo 3. The better cars in the game do require you to have worked your way up. Not a bad thing...

 

I really hated the game play in the Underground series and I loved the game play in the Hot Pursuit series. Well, Most Wanted kind of mixes the two together. You have a pick of 3 different cars, all with different stats. Pick one and let's go! Story mode is very simple. There are four things to get through. Once you beat those the boss level opens and upon beating the boss you unlock one last level. Repeat that for 15 or so bosses and you get the idea of how the game plays. The races are all different. Some are time attack (finish before the timer runs out), knock out (each round a person is knocked out, finish in 1st), a regular race and I think that's all. Boss races tend to be one on one and are 2 laps.

 

There are 7 or so tracks, all based on one city so you have certain levels melding into other levels. This bothers me in games like Ridge Racer where it's a whole lot of melding. For the most part, Most Want rarely melds and you don't always notice unless it has specific buildings. The tracks rang from short (just over a minute long) to fairly long (2 1/2 minutes long). That's pretty good since this is a handheld title. The tracks all have varied themes and plenty of short cuts and you will need those short cuts.

 

 

There is about 15 or so cars in the game. A little disappointing but oh well. The customization is decent enough. As you advance in the Black list you get more upgrades and new stuff to put on your car. A good amount of decals are unlockable and a few other little things. Color selection is kind of weak. Over all though it's pretty good but not on par with that in Midnight Club 3.

 

The best feature about this title, and Hot Pursuit, is the cops. They add an extra excitement to the race. This game features a wanted meter. It can go up to ten and it usually does. If you finish a race with a wanted level of 10 you are given the option to double or nothing what you just got. Just race and don't get pulled over. The cops tend to be ruthless no matter what mode you're playing. They will slam you into traffic, place road blocks and spikes, slam into your rear causing you to spin. A cop can cause you to lose the race in more ways than one (by causing you to wreck or pull you over which is an automatic loss).

 

 

The game also has two other modes besides the story and quick race. One has you running from the cops as long as you can. That one is kind of boring and didn't hold my interest for long. The other one is Tuner Takedown. It has 15 levels and has you as the cop (with 6 different cop cars to use). Each level has you getting X amount of cars in X amount of time. It starts off easy but the last ones are rather tough.

 

I would estimate that the game would take at least 10 hours to unlock everything. Not bad really and then throw in the fact that you can play head to head with a friend on his PSP or you can play online. I also like the fact that EA has placed a score board online for best times etc. You really do get a fair amount of stuff for the money you pay. The game is really good. Online play should boost the replay for those who beat the main mode, giving it a longer lifespan than some might expect.

 

 

 

 

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Game Score: 8.5

 

Reviewed By: Staff