Need for Speed Most Wanted is by far the longest-standing game that I have ever played. And when I talk about Most Wanted, I mean the 2005 version, not that shitty ass excuse of a game released in 2012. 

But what makes the game have so much replayable value that I have been playing it on and off for the last 15 odd years?

Pure nostalgia has to be the first reason. More specifically, the cars and the songs hit home. There is nothing quite like listening to Decadence, Shapeshifter, or I Am Rock while cruising around in a Supra or a Gallardo.

Regarding the cars in Most Wanted, they feel by far the best to drive out of all racing games. Even if I do not love the car, it still feels satisfying to drive. I think to Big Lou’s Mitsubishi Eclipse, one of my least favourite cars in the game, but it still feels good to drive, just not as good as the others.

In terms of replayability, the difficulty never changes, which is a good thing. The game is never a cakewalk, even after playing it for so many years. At the same time, it is not a super tryhard game which means I can relax while playing and take a break from the more competitive heavy games I play.

Most Wanted’s story is not the most in-depth, but there is something so satisfying about defeating every Blacklist racer and moving up the ranks one by one. And when it comes to Razor as the main antagonist, that did a great job. I mean nothing against Derek Hamilton when I say this, but he has a punchable face making him an antagonist even before you know his character. And here is where I must give credit to Hamilton as he does an amazing job at being that antagonist, making you want to defeat him.

My only gripe with Most Wanted is to do with its signature car, the BMW M3 GTR. It just does not feel like a signature car. It is sluggish compared to even the Cobalt (And yes, I have maxed out the Cobalt in career mode). On top of that, you do not get much use out of it. Outside of the starting races and final pursuit, there is no use for the car story-wise. Sure, you can replay the races, but not the Blacklist ones, which is a bummer. That being my only gripe with the game goes to show how good it is.

That brings me to the question I have for you all. Out of all the cars in Most Wanted, which one is your favourite and why? For me, it has the be the Lamborghini Gallardo. The look, feel, and sound of it is just unrivaled. The only car that comes within a snuff is the Toyota Supra, and even that is miles behind. Let me know what you think, and remember: “There’s something wrong with your ride; you left a huge oil slick at the start line; you have the end the race fast!”