Something went wrong. Try again later
    Follow

    Need for Speed: Most Wanted

    Game » consists of 31 releases. Released Nov 11, 2005

    Cruise the streets of Rockport City, keep away from the cops, and defeat the wily Razor Callahan in this open-street racing game from EA Black Box.

    Short summary describing this game.

    Need for Speed: Most Wanted last edited by MelodicVirus on 05/19/23 05:23PM View full history

    Overview

    No Caption Provided

    Need for Speed: Most Wanted was the 2005 release for the long running Need for Speed franchise from EA Games. Unlike previous titles, Most Wanted takes place during the day, and returns the police as a very real problem on the streets of the fictional city of Rockport. Most Wanted was well known for its police chases, though arguably it got more press for its FMV cutscenes, featuring live actors, than it did through anything else.

    Most Wanted is frequently compared to more recent games in the series, such as Carbon, ProStreet and SHIFT. Gaming press have claimed Most Wanted to be one of the best Need for Speed games of this generation, and it is normally the game most revered by players of the series.

    Gameplay

    World Map of Rockport City
    World Map of Rockport City

    Gameplay in Most Wanted features a free-roaming city, like that of Underground 2. However, Most Wanted takes place during daylight rather than night. Across the city there are different types of races available to you, such as Drag and Circuit events. For the most part, Circuit races make up the main content of the racing, though there are other types of races that are encountered as well. One of the unique race events featured in Most Wanted is the 'Speed Trap' race. Along the route there are speed traps planted, and you must blitz through them at the highest possible speed. After speeding through all of the traps your total speed will be calculated, and the racer with the highest total speed is the winner. Below are all the race modes that exist in the game:

    • Circuit
      Circuit races have anywhere between 1 and 8 laps, and can range between difficult and easy opponents. There are 28 different Circuit tracks, and they will all eventually be encountered in Career mode. Circuit races are simply a matter of several different laps around the same course, and you must come first. It doesn't matter if you make it into first in the first corner or the final lap, as long as you're across the finish line on the final lap first.
    No Caption Provided
    • Sprint
      Sprint races act as the 'Point-to-Point' events of Most Wanted. There are 44 different tracks available for Sprint mode, and they play similarly to Circuit mode. It is simply a matter of reaching the finish line first. The only real difference between Circuit and Sprint events is that Sprint events can start and end anywhere, but they will never have a second lap to complete.
    • Drag
      Drag races, that originated in Need for Speed: Underground return again. Drag can be the most difficult discipline to succeed in if you are not comfortable with shifting gears manually. Unlike other modes, the car gears must be shifted manually, and revs play a large part in this. Depending on how high the car is revving you will get a prompt to shift. Shifts can either be poor, perfect, or late. Ideally you want Perfect Shifts across the entire race. Drag races can be the most scripted as well, as there will be vehicles scripted to drive out at certain times - trucks and trains are common for these, but with trucks you can drive through the gap under the trailer. There are 11 Drag strips to select from.
    No Caption Provided
    • Lap Knockout
      Lap Knockout, or Elimination mode, as it is known in some games initially appears to be something similar to Circuit mode. And that is because it is a modified version of Circuit mode. At the end of each lap, the racer in last place is eliminated from the competition. Lap Knockout runs until there are two drivers left, and then it becomes a 1v1 event until the finish line is reached. In Lap Knockout, there are 20 different tracks to select from.
    • Speedtrap
      Speedtrap events are all about speed. However, speed in these races needs to be balanced with acceleration and handling or you will find yourself behind everyone else. Speedtrap initially appears to be similar to Sprint as it uses the same tracks, but the way they are played is different. There are different speed traps laid out along the route, and the aim is to go through each trap as quickly as possible. Once the race is complete all your speeds are added up into one total, which is then compared against the other racers. The highest total speed is the winner. There are 31 Speedtrap track layouts in the game, and they are generally either similar, or directly from the Sprint events.

    Unlike Underground, which featured no police presence, Most Wanted has a full police force that will do anything to stop street racers. Initially you will start off with basic patrol cars, but as you cause chaos you will move up the Rockport PD's 'wanted level', and more and more dangerous versions of police vehicles will arrive in an attempt to thwart your illegal efforts. In order to challenge other racers on the Blacklist and actually advance through the game, you will need to complete three different tasks set by that racer. Below is an example of the task layout:

    Bounty: 10,000/20,000

    Races: 3/4

    Challenges: 2/5

    No Caption Provided

    In order to challenge the other racer you must have completed all of the tasks: Bounty, Races, and Challenges. Bounty is earned from surviving in police chases for long periods of time, and it is extremely easy to rack up a huge bounty against the highest level of police enforcement if you are a good driver. For every five seconds you stay in the pursuit you will receive money added onto your bounty. Getting caught however, will forfeit any bounty you were earning during the pursuit though. In order to ease the difficulty of the police chase, there are some locations marked around the city with red triangles, that will only appear on your mini-map during a pursuit. These markers highlight the presence of 'Pursuit Breakers', which are traps that can be used to immobilize the police. Examples of a common Pursuit Breaker include water towers - smashing through the centre of a water tower will cause it to collapse, and scaffolding. Using Pursuit Breakers effectively is absolutely vital, as a good driver can potentially be in a chase for up to, and over, an hour. Breakers will not respawn during the same chase, so strategy is needed to use them to their fullest effect.

    My Cars

    No Caption Provided

    My Cars is a mode that was added with Underground, and has made its presence in all Need for Speed games since. This mode allows the player to select a car, and then customize it with a limitless budget. Cars customized here cannot be used in Career mode, though it is a useful way of adding extra cars for use in Quick Races and Split Screen events. Cars here can be showcased and honed to perfection. In addition, you can install special parts from using the 'Burger King' challenge, which is accessed through inputting a code. These parts are known as 'Junkman' parts, and can provide a major bonus if they are installed after the Race parts for a car. My Cars features thirty slots for storing customized creations in, but they cannot be transported into your Career, so if there is a car you really like using it will have to be made again in Career mode.

    Story

    No Caption Provided

    The player arrives in Rockport City as a nameless street racer looking to make a name for themselves, driving a race version of the BMW M3 GTR. After first encountering a fellow street racer named Mia Townsend (Josie Maran) in a Mazda RX-8, the player is invited to race her and a friend named "Rog". After winning this race and earning some reputation, the player is pulled over by Sgt. Cross, the head of the Rockport Police Department's Street Racing Division and who drives a distinctive pursuit Chevrolet Corvette. Cross vows to arrest the player for street racing and strip down their car as soon as he can get enough evidence. The player then challenges Clarence "Razor" Callahan, who is the #15 racer on the Blacklist (a list of Rockport's fifteen most wanted street racers). After beating his cronies "Ronnie" and "Bull", the player goes up against Razor. However, Razor sabotages the player's ride, costing them the race and their car. To add insult to injury, the cops raid the finish line and everyone gets away except the player, who is arrested.

    No Caption Provided

    After being released due to lack of evidence (because the player no longer has a car), Mia picks the player up from the police station in Rosewood and fills them in on the situation. While the player was locked up, Razor took their car and used it to climb to the top of the Blacklist. The player must now start from scratch and work their way up by defeating each racer on the list before they can challenge Razor again. Mia helps the player choose a new car and sets them up with "safehouses" in which to lie low between races in exchange for being able to set up "side bets" on the player's races. The player then works their way up the Blacklist, earning cars, parts and Police reputation, while Cross and Razor taunt the player through phone messages.

    No Caption Provided

    Finally, the player challenges Razor again, on the same track as last time. After the player wins the race, Razor refuses to hand over the keys. Mia takes them from Razor anyway and when he attacks her, she subdues and handcuffs him while revealing herself as an undercover cop. As thanks for their "help" in taking down the Blacklist, Mia gives the player a headstart before calling in backup. Cross arrives and questions Mia as to the player's whereabouts (she says that the player "got away") before ordering the entire Police Department after them in a special Level Six pursuit.

    After five minutes in pursuit, Mia calls the player and tells them that their only escape from Rockport is by jumping a broken bridge to Palmont City. The player makes the jump and escapes town and the Rockport Police with the car. The final cutscene shows Cross updating the player's rap sheet and adding them to the National Most Wanted list.

    Blacklist

    As mentioned above, there are 15 racers present on the Blacklist for Rockport City. Each racer has their own races, challenges, and custom car. In the table below are all the Blacklist racers, their car of choice, challenges needed, and race wins.

    AliasReal NameCarRace WinsBountyChallenges
    SonnyHo SeunVolkswagen Golf GTI320,0003
    TazVince KilicLexus IS300450,0003
    VicVictor VasquezToyota Supra4100,0003
    IzzyIsabel DiazMazda RX-84180,0003
    Big LouLou ParkMitsubishi Eclipse GT5300,0003
    BaronKarl SmitPorsche Cayman S5500,0004
    EarlEugene JamesMitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII5790,0004
    JewelsJade BarrettFord Mustang GT51,180,0004
    KamikazeKira NakazatoMercedes CLK50071,680,0004
    MingHector DomingoLamborghini Gallardo72,300,0004
    WebsterWes AllenChevrolet Corvette C673,050,0004
    JVJoe VegaDodge Viper SRT-1074,050,0005
    RonnieRonald McCreaAston Martin DB985,550,0005
    BullToru SatoMcLaren Mercedes SLR87,550,0005
    RazorClarence CallahanBMW M3 GTR910,000,0005

    Challenge Mode

    Challenge Mode in Need for Speed: Most Wanted is exactly what you would expect. There are 66 challenges available, and you can select to try them. Examples of Challenges are completing Speedtrap events with a total speed of over 1,000MPH on a certain track, or surviving in a police pursuit for 45 minutes. Challenges are unlocked through completing previous challenges, and they grow progressively harder as you advance. In the special edition of Most Wanted there are two extra challenges, featuring a special level of police hostility that can only be described as impossible.

    Xbox 360 Version

    No Caption Provided

    Most Wanted was the first Need for Speed game to reach Microsoft's newest gaming platform, the Xbox 360. Most Wanted uses Microsoft's 'TrueSkill' technology to find events that theoretically will not pit a highly skilled player against a new player, should you enter Ranked Matches. The other option are Player Matches, which are unranked and are simply for the experience and fun of a race against other human players. Online, many players use cars from the 'My Cars' section with the Junkman parts installed.

    Most Wanted was added to the Xbox LIVE 'Games on Demand' service for 2400 Microsoft Points, and is 6.8GB to download. If you install the disc of the game to your hard drive it will also require 6.8GB of storage space. The 360 version of the game features achievements, and is generally regarded as an easy game to earn the full 1000 Gamerpoints from, as all the achievements are unlocked through completing the story, making Multiplayer and Challenge Mode completely obsolete.

    Car List

    As expected from a racing game, the cars available to you at the start are less than impressive, but it does not take much progression to begin to earn some higher quality vehicles. Though beating members of the Blacklist, you will unlock new cars in the Dealership and My Cars section to purchase. Oddly though, in the My Cars section some cars are pre-unlocked before having unlocked them in the Career (the Porsche Cayman S and Lamborghini Gallardo being two of these pre-unlocked cars). Below is a table detailing all of the cars in the game, and how to unlock them:

    Make and ModelUnlock Criteria
    Lexus IS300Already Unlocked
    Fiat Grande PuntoAlready Unlocked
    Chevrolet CobaltAlready Unlocked
    Volkswagen Golf GTIAlready Unlocked
    Audi TT QuattroBeat Sonny
    Audi A3 QuattroBeat Sonny
    Mitsubishi EclipseBeat Taz
    Audi A4 Quattro FSIBeat Taz
    Toyota SupraBeat Vic
    Renault Clio V6Beat Vic
    Mazda RX-8Already Unlocked
    Cadillac CTS-VBeat Izzy
    Ford Mustang GTAlready Unlocked
    Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. VIIIBeat Big Lou
    Mercedes Benz SL500Already Unlocked
    Pontiac GTOBeat Baron
    Vauxhall Monaro VXRBeat Baron
    Porsche Cayman SBeat Baron
    Subaru Impreza WRX STiAlready Unlocked
    Mazda RX-7Beat Earl
    Mercedes Benz CLK500Beat Jewels
    Lotus EliseBeat Jewels
    Aston Martin DB9Beat Kaze
    Porsche 911 Carrera SAlready Unlocked
    Dodge Viper SRT-10Beat Ming
    Lamborghini GallardoAlready Unlocked
    Porsche 911 Turbo SBeat Webster
    Chevrolet Corvette C6Beat Webster
    Lamboghini MurcielagoBeat JV
    Ford GTBeat JV
    McLaren Mercedes SLRBeat Ronnie
    Porsche Carrera GTBeat Ronnie

    Soundtrack

    Most Wanted features a mixed soundtrack, comprising 26 songs. Some of these songs are remixes of other songs, and the songs played during police chases were specially composed for the game. Listed below are all of the songs you will hear in the game. In the options menu however, you can disable the playback of certain songs or change where it is played, should you wish to hear Celldweller when you start the game, and listen to police instrumentals when racing, for example. Regardless, here are all of the songs present in the soundtrack. They are formatted with the artist and then song name:

    No Caption Provided
    Poster featuring an early vesion of the game logo, as well as an orange BMW.
    Poster featuring an early vesion of the game logo, as well as an orange BMW.
    • Avenged Sevenfold - Blinded In Chains
    • Bullet For My Valentine - Hand Of Blood
    • Celldweller feat. Styles Of Beyond - Shapeshifter
    • Celldweller - One Good Reason
    • Dieselboy Kaos - Barrier Break
    • Disturbed - Decadence
    • DJ Spooky And Dave Lombardo - B-Side Wins Again feat. Chuck D
    • Evol Intent, Mayhem & Thinktank - Broken Sword
    • Hush - Fired Up
    • Hyper - We Control
    • Ils - Feed The Addiction
    • Jamiroquai - Feels Just Like It Should (Timo Maas Remix)
    • Juvenile - Sets Go Up
    • Lupe Fiasco - Tilted
    • Mastodon - Blood And Thunder
    • Rock - I Am Rock
    • Static-X - Skinnyman
    • Stratus - You Must Follow (Evol Intent VIP)
    • Styles Of Beyond - Nine Thou (Superstars Remix)
    • Suni Clay - In A Hood Near You
    • T.I. Presents The P$C - Do Ya Thang
    • The Perceptionists - Let’s Move
    • The Prodigy - You’ll Be Under My Wheels
    • The Roots And BT - Tao Of The Machine (Scott Humphrey’s Remix)

    Box Art

    The box art for Most Wanted is universally the same. It shows the side of the BMW M3 GTR, which is the 'cover car'
    Yes, Most Wanted was actually released on the GBA.
    Yes, Most Wanted was actually released on the GBA.
    for the game, at an angle that suggests it is drifting (odd, considering the fact that there are no drift races in Most Wanted). Reflected off the design of the M3 is a customized Corvette - this is actually Cross' Corvette. Additionally, the manufacturer decals on the rear window of the GTR do not actually appear in-game, and the vinyl is a darker blue. Despite this, Most Wanted has a very distinguishable cover, and is easily identified.

    Game Variants

    Most Wanted was released in two variants: the Black Edition, and the Standard Edition. The Black Edition of the game has slightly different box art, with the words 'Black Edition' scrawled under Most Wanted in the same typeface. In-game, the Black Edition has two extra cars in the form of the 1960s Chevrolet Camaro and the Nissan 240SX. Despite this, these two cars are of no real use to career players, as they can only be used for Custom Races, Multiplayer. Black Edition games also come with two extra challenges, but nothing else. Most Wanted 5-1-0 is its own game, and although based in Rockport City as well, it does not count as part of Most Wanted.

    Trivia

    • Some of the AI drivers will drive BMW M3s. They have the same stats as your GTR, though you cannot get these street M3s. In actual fact this is extremely inaccurate due to the fact that the M3 GTR was a much more powerful version of the car.
    • The vinyl on your M3 GTR is unique, so it should never be altered or you cannot get it back in Career mode.
    • Most Wanted's ending bridges the gap to Carbon's opening.
    • There are several references to the Need for Speed: Underground series within Most Wanted. The first occurs early in the game, when a racer comments "look what the Underground let loose, let's see how well you do in the daylight", in reference to the player. The second reference comes late in the game, where Rog tells the player that "people as far as Bayview are throwin' cash down on this". Bayview was the city featured in Underground 2.
    • According to the unlock information for the C6-R Corvette you need 100% completion to access it. However, you actually unlock it after completing the story.
    sizepositionchange
    sizepositionchange
    positionchange
    positionchange
    positionchange
    bordersheaderpositiontable
    positionchange

    This edit will also create new pages on Giant Bomb for:

    Beware, you are proposing to add brand new pages to the wiki along with your edits. Make sure this is what you intended. This will likely increase the time it takes for your changes to go live.

    Comment and Save

    Until you earn 1000 points all your submissions need to be vetted by other Giant Bomb users. This process takes no more than a few hours and we'll send you an email once approved.