The aforementioned EasyDrive feature makes Most Wanted an excellent portable experience. You'll also encounter speed markers that'll upload top speeds to online leaderboards, integrated into the fantastic Autolog system that returns from Hot Pursuit. Once you've unlocked a vehicle, you can freely switch between cars whenever you want via the helpful EasyDrive feature.Īlong with the various cars, there are a number of breakable structures that'll earn you bonus points that go toward the point total needed to unlock access to Blacklist racers. Once you drive up to a car, you'll have the option of pressing Triangle to jump into that vehicle and take it for a spin. You can locate and unlock new cars, represented by over 100 spots on the map labeled, "Jack Points." These cars can often be found parked in out-of-the-way locations, hidden behind structures, on side roads, in alleys, etc. As in Hot Pursuit and Burnout Paradise, another Criterion-developed open-world racer, you can essentially explore the city at will, which pays off for a handful of reasons. Most Wanted gives you the opportunity to race throughout an open city dubbed Fairhaven. Win, and you'll get a pretty big boost in points, and you'll also get the opportunity to permanently take down that racer, thus giving you access to his vehicle. To get the opportunity to race against these skilled opponents, you'll need to participate in a number of events, which earn points that go toward unlocking the option to race against more Blacklist racers.
The goal of this reboot is to rise up in rank until you make it to the top of the Blacklist, a list of notorious drivers and their accompanying vehicles. It also retains elements found in the original Most Wanted that debuted early in the life cycle for Xbox 360 and PS3. While the game doesn't have the subtitle of Hot Pursuit - the last Criterion-developed Need for Speed title - there are a few similarities in the gameplay mechanics.
Each manufacturer has a series of car models to unlock, representing most of the iconic modern cars that you'd expect to see in the Need for Speed series. Most major, well-known manufacturers are present, such as American car companies like Chevy and Ford, along with well-known luxury manufacturers like Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Maserati, Porsche, and so on. Need for Speed: Most Wanted puts you behind the wheel of a number of real-world cars, rare models, and a handful of concept vehicles. It's promising for Vita owners who hope to see more non-kart racing releases on the platform, and it sets a pretty high mark for future developers. Aside from some necessary changes to the multiplayer, like bumping the number of players down from eight to four, and some obvious downgrades in visuals, you're getting a very comparable experience to what you'll see on the Xbox 360 and PS3. It's about as close to the home console version as you're likely to see on a portable platform. Developer Criterion deserves a whole lot of credit for what it's brought to the table with the PlayStation Vita version of Need for Speed: Most Wanted.