14 DAY TRIAL // Need for Speed: Most Wanted, the upcoming racing game from Criterion Games, delivers a realistic experience, but doesn’t go too far in the gritty simulator genre, as the developer wants to make players feel “cool” while driving all sorts of powerful sportscars.
Need for Speed games, besides the simulator-oriented Shift 1 and 2 installments, have delivered arcade experiences, as cars could be easily driven fast without worrying too much about handling.
NFS: Most Wanted, however, will try to add a bit more realism to the experience, as developer Criterion Games believes this is the most realistic simulation it’s ever done.
"There are so many little parts that go into making a great driving experience," Criterion Creative Director Craig Sullivan told The Guardian. "We start out with the raw data from the manufacturers and produce an accurate simulation of what that car is like to drive."
"Most Wanted contains the most realistic simulation we've ever done - and we could have stayed with that. There are plenty of games out there that are all about simulating how hard it is to drive a car, but we want to go beyond that - it needs to meet your expectations of what a car is like to drive."
In order to make the handling fun and not extremely challenging, Criterion has added a variety of systems, from better brakes to mechanics that control drifting.
"The brakes are a little bit stronger than they are in a real car so you can weave through traffic at speed. We have systems that help you control the drift – you can get the back end out doing 150-200mph – I don't know many drivers in the world who could do a 2km drift like that. In our game we have… they're not really assists, they're smart little systems that allow you to feel like you're really driving that Porsche 911. It feels believable, but it allows you to drive in a cool way."
Judging by recent videos, NFS: Most Wanted definitely seems like it’s nailed the mix between realism and arcade handling, so let’s hope the game won’t disappoint later this month, when it’s released for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.