Game Room: October Roundup

Need for Speed Most Wanted is the latest installment in the arcade series, offering a wealth of racing in a fantastic sandbox environment. In the game you're set loose in Fairhaven, a sprawling city boasting a wide variety of terrain and tons of hidden roads and attractions. Most Wanted allows you to drive over 40 cars, with each vehicle featuring five unique races. As the game progresses you'll acquire Speed Points used to upgrade cars and to challenge the top 10 Most Wanted racers. Modifications to your car, like improving handling, can be done while driving so you don't have to waste time driving to centralized garages. But you can and will crash if you get too focused on this process while speeding around Fairhaven. A staple in Need for Speed games -- drawing the attention of cops and getting them to chase you around the city -- remains a flat-out fun experience. As pursuit intensifies you'll get more aggressive attention from the po-po's fleet of chase vehicles. A highlight of multiplayer is the option to drive Fairhaven with friends while playing thru set lists of races.

Score: 9 out of 10