78
The trouble is, with the likes of "Project Gotham Racing 3" and "Test Drive Unlimited" looking pretty awesome - that level of expectation is very high - and this latest Need For Speed adventure doesn't quite have the weight to match it.
80
The sense of speed never reaches Burnout levels, but it's damn good in everything from a souped-up Volkswagon GTI to a stock RX-8. And while it should be a given, the Lamborghinis, Porsches and other high-end cars really rip. The 360 version is easily the best version of the bunch.
85
It's fast, good looking, boasts a great car list, and gives you plenty of game for the money. You get about 15 hours of gameplay from the main career mode, plus there are 68 additional challenges that will take you a fair few hours to get through, as well as online play.
8
The Xbox 360 version of "Most Wanted" is the definitive edition thanks to its HD graphics. It displays at 1080p and runs smoother than on the previous-gen due to 30 frames per second. A rearview mirror not found on the Xbox/PS2/GC versions was also added. If you're into arcade-style racing titles, this is a must play. I'd rate it with an 8.5 of 10.
10
Best arcade racing game. This game has everything you need in a good racing game. Great physics, good variety of races, great adrenaline-filled police chases. The game also has a great vibe.
10
I am writing this in 2026 and there is still no racing game better than this. That 'remake' they made later was a total insult to this legend. No modern game has reached this level...
Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005)
Released On:
Nov 16, 2005
Metascore
Generally Favorable
83
User score
Generally Favorable
8.5
My Score
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All Platforms
Xbox
Based on 32 Critic Reviews
83
PlayStation 2
Based on 36 Critic Reviews
82
GameCube
Based on 18 Critic Reviews
80
DS
Based on 4 Critic Reviews
45
Game Boy Advance
Based on 2 Critic Reviews
tbd
Based on 19 Critic Reviews
82
Based on 54 Critic Reviews
83
PSP
Based on 21 Critic Reviews
72
Metascore
Generally Favorable
83
87% Positive
47 Reviews
47 Reviews
13% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
100
One of those rare racing titles that make you feel like you're driving 180 m.p.h., yet still in control of your ride. You soar through the streets, trade paint with rivals and blast over the finish line.
90
It's a shame that the multiplayer options don't include a cop pursuit mode, but that's a minor omission in a one-game-fits-all package.
User score
Generally Favorable
8.5
85% Positive
656 Ratings
656 Ratings
9% Mixed
70 Ratings
70 Ratings
6% Negative
46 Ratings
46 Ratings
Mar 16, 2026
10
Best arcade racing game. This game has everything you need in a good racing game. Great physics, good variety of races, great adrenaline-filled police chases. The game also has a great vibe.
Mar 9, 2026
10
I am writing this in 2026 and there is still no racing game better than this. That 'remake' they made later was a total insult to this legend. No modern game has reached this level...
85
The graphics, sound effects, and controls are only a bonus to everything else that makes up a quality racing title. For a first attempt on new hardware I have to commend EA for a job well done.
84
Do you want a near-perfect combination of both, and the game that takes on almost all the qualities of a successful launch title? Do you want this reviewer’s most enjoyed game on the Xbox 360? Get Need for Speed. Be the most wanted.
80
EA has succeeded in taking the game back to its roots, but in other ways not as far as some may have liked.
80
The sheer variety of racing styles coupled with the thoroughly entertaining storyline, made this Need For Speed one of my Most Wanted. I'm sure no matter which system you play it on, you'll find NFSMW a real winner.
67
Need for Speed: Most Wanted takes Underground’s control scheme and slaps it into the Hot Pursuit series, which in the end, does not work.
Aug 30, 2025
10
Its a good game the police isvery goodand the car physic is very good the blacklist with razor and the story is the best i think
Jan 9, 2025
7
The game has more nostalgic appeal these days than it is a truly great game. This is mainly due to the terrible AI, which is simply random and has an unlimited rubberbanding scaling factor. You can drive flawlessly and still lose to inferior vehicles. You have to lose to win. To reset the scale factor. It's a shame to rate it so poorly. I have good memories from my childhood playing this game on the GameCube. But unfortunately it is a fact that it is unfair which makes no fun for me. I hope for a remake that doesn't make the same mistakes. Then I would give it at least a 9. For a long time I thought this game was the best in the series. But today I know that's no longer the case. Maybe it's the emu, but the behavior of the enemy AI is a no-go. Because of this I cannot recommand this game. But I like the style and pace of the game. Realistic police radio. And the progress of success from bottom to top. Get better step by step. Not like in today's games, where you have everything from the start and have no goal. Therefore, it compensates for the poor AI and I rate it higher.
Jul 25, 2023
7
Good: -Game play -Music -Police chase with police killing -Car Customization -The map Bad: -Story -When u pull too far ahead of ur opponent the ai make it catch up to you -Slow time button -Little bit repetitive experience -U can not roam freely just cruising because the police will come
Jan 22, 2017
4
Comme de coutume, un Need for Speed bien jackouille sur les bords et au milieu avec ses ramasse-miettes, ses jantes chromées, ses planches à repasser sur le coffre et ses barbouilles kikoolol, bref une personnalisation poussée qui ravira le jacky qui est en toi, Kévin, d'autant qu'il est fortement conseillé de bouiner les charettes pour diminuer leur indice de recherche. Car le point fort de ce NFS (mais également son point faible contre toute attente) concerne bel et bien les poursuites enragées (yo nique la Police) dans une ville, sa banlieue (wesh gros) et sa cambrousse variées et globalement assez bien conçues. Le jeu du chat ou plutôt des chats et de la souris (elle s'appelle Jackie) n'a sans doute jamais aussi bien porté son nom : semer la flicaille s'avère aussi grisant qu'énervant dans les niveaux élevés où l'IA est si acharnée que cela confine sans nul doute au défaut de calibrage. Ce défaut concerne aussi les concurrents eux-mêmes qui sont invulnérables aux collisions de votre fait en plus de tracer comme des porcs. La conduite éminemment arcade reste relativement cohérente à part la gestion navrante de la motricité : toutes les bagnoles certes gavées de bourrins ont l'embrayage dans le sac et des pneus lisses au démarrage et de surcroît le frein à main est quasi-inopérant puisqu'il fait glisser autant les roues avant que les roues arrière ! la maniabilité s'en trouve sévèrement affectée. Comme tout jeu d'arcade, la vitesse est saisissante... et pleine de flou et de saccades. On constate avec effarement que le jeu peine à maintenir les 25 im/s voire moins !... et qu'il abuse du flou cinétique, ainsi que d'un filtre verdâtre permanent. Cela ajoute grandement à la difficulté déjà élevée dans ces conditions. Le jeu n'en reste pas moins assez joli dans l'ensemble. La partie sonore est un sans-faute par contre, les voix françaises sont excellentes et les sons de moteurs (qui datent de 2005 tout de même !) mettent à l'amende n'importe quel GTron ou Project Chiasse passés ou à venir. Même le rap américain (heureusement désactivable) est de qualité (pour les amateurs). Quand on ne course pas les Forces de l'Ordre, on se tape des courses classiques ou à élimination, des contre-la-montre, tous beaucoup trop longs et vite répétitifs. Le drag pour sa part est crispant au possible et trop aléatoire pour être honnête. Beaucoup de problèmes donc avec ce NFS qui loupe certainement le coche alors que la base est bien pensée au départ mais son exécution et son développement manquent cruellement de rigueur dans nombre de secteurs-clés du jeu. Un peu comme tout jeu EA qui ne se respecte pas en somme.
SummaryCombining the thrill of illicit street racing and tuner customization with the intensity of strategic police pursuits that rivals any Hollywood-style chase scene, Need for Speed Most Wanted challenges players to become the most notorious and elusive street racer. Players instantly feel the thrill of the ride as they hit the streets in an... Read More
Rated Tfor Teen
Platforms:
- Xbox
- PlayStation 2
- GameCube
- DS
- Game Boy Advance
- PC
- Xbox 360
- PSP
Initial Release Date:Nov 16, 2005
Developer:
- EA Canada
Publisher:





























