Is Need For Speed: Most Wanted on my ‘Most Wanted’ list when it comes to mobile games? To put it simply, yes it is. To be put it in more detail, it is certainly one of the most impressive mobile games I have seen in quite some time, in fact it pushes the mobile platform to it’s utmost limits and doesn’t even break a sweat.
The mobile version of Need For Speed: Most Wanted was on show earlier today at EA Australia’s Need For Speed: Most Wanted event right alongside the console version. Now while the console version in and of itself is quite an interesting game, I found the mobile version to be equally as captivating, if not more so.
So what makes this game one to add to your very own ‘Most Wanted’ list? Well quite simply it is a game of great ambition, not only does it look almost as good as the console version, but it plays just as good. The thing that really stuck with me was the excellent control scheme that far surpassed the console experience in my mind. The game implements a tilt to steer control scheme with a few touch gestures for different things such as nitrous, drifting and of course breaking. All this occurs with the game automatically accelerates for you. It works excellently and gives the game an arcade racer vibe. I find it to be somewhat like a mobile version of Burnout with an emphasis on police interference. It works magnificently.
The game places players in different types of races and unlike the console version is not set within an open world, obviously due to the platforms limitations. Despite this, it harkens back the vibes of classic racing games while adding in some fresh new additions to the genre. Not only does it revitalise the racing genre on mobile devices but I feel as though this game revitalises the mobile game marketplace that has stagnated over recent times.
Visually it looks incredibly, with a great amount of attention to detail. More detail than any Need For Speed game on mobile devices prior to this one as a matter of fact. When you crash, your paint will show wear and tear right down to the smallest of scratches on your  vehicle. Also there is incredibly realistic lighting and reflection effects in this game, much like the console version you will see lights reflect off your vehicle and reflection on the windows etc. It is all so incredibly detailed. Even the environment is well defined and conceived. The demonstration match I played was on a city night track and my immediate thoughts were something along the lines of ‘wow, a mobile game can look this good?’ I think that says everything about the game’s visuals really, it is simply one of the best looking games on mobile devices with very little even coming close.
In terms of gameplay, it is very addictive and with the arcade racing feel to it, I can imagine myself becoming incredibly immersed in the game both on the go and within the comfort of my home. This addictive nature of course multiplies when you add in the competition aspect which allows you to compete against your friends in terms of score and accomplishments. This of course makes it both a perfect social game and hardcore game.
I truly feel that Need For Speed: Most Wanted on mobile strikes a perfect balance between casual arcade racing fun and hardcore competitive racing. It is easily one of the must have titles coming to the iOS and Android platforms. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this game on the top of mobile users ‘Most Wanted’ lists.
