The minute you fire up Need for Speed: Most Wanted, you are slammed with amazingly bad cutscenes that combine the real actors and in-game models – it is almost like Sega CD classics like Night Trap and Sewer Shark have been reborn…

So perhaps that statement is a bit misleading. The cutscenes themselves look incredible and definitely give the game a look all its own. Both the actors and scenes are presented through a semi-cel shaded lens that gives the game an appearance reminiscent of the movie “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow”. It is the acting that makes the cutscenes so cringe-worthy. Whether intentionally or not, some of the acting is so over-the-top that you can’t help but to watch. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt at all that Josie Maran, who plays a key role in most cutscenes, is easy on the eyes.

Outside of the theatrics, Most Wanted looks great, but does show some of the hardware’s limitations. Cars look great and feature a number of customization options that allow you to give your rides a personal touch. Then, of course, are the open environments that really bring the game to life. The texture quality does come off as a little muddy in some areas, but you’re more than likely going to be screaming though most areas at 100 MPH anyway – so even if the textures were at a higher resolution, you’re not likely to be able to tell the difference. Most Wanted also manages to run at a decent clip, though it can start to chug once police chases really begin to heat up.

It is no secret that I am not a fan of the selections usually chosen for the EA Trax feature. Most Wanted actually manages to overcome that obstacle and delivers a great soundtrack that really fits with the game. I wasn’t wild about everything I heard, but considering that I usually dislike EA soundtracks, it is a noteworthy feat.

Need for Speed: Most Wanted takes the series back to it's roots by bringing back police chases that made the original games in the series so much fun. At the same time, it also retains the street racing elements that made the Underground series popular. The game's single-player mode puts you in the role of a newcomer to the fictional city of Rockport. Not long after your arrival, you catch the eye of a girl, Mia, who takes a special interest in your carrier. You also attract the attention of the local P.D. and local racer, Razor -- who you eventually challenge. However, Razor plays dirty, and sabotages your car during a pink slip race and, after taking your car, leaves you to the mercy of the police. To add insult to injury, Razor then uses your car to win his way to the top of the Blacklist, a list of the top 15 racers in the city. After Mia springs you from jail, she sets you up with a new ride and the job of working your way up the Blacklist and challenging Razor.

Earning a shot at Blacklist racers isn't as easy as walking up to them and asking for a race. Instead, you need to catch their attention by completing race events, reaching milestones and racking up a bounty. Each Blacklister has a certain number of events that must be completed before they'll race you. All events are broken up into three categories and include a variety of types. Races include standard Circuit and Sprint races as well as Speed Trap, Toll Booth, and Drag Races. Speed Trap races pit you against three other racers as you go through a series of radar detectors. The object isn't to reach the finish line first, but to post the best accumulated speed total. Toll Booth is your typical checkpoint race where you need to hit toll booths before time runs out. Drag races are more about skill and timing than anything else and require you to time your shifting with an on-screen indicator.

Milestone and Bounty events are intertwined and involve what is Most Wanted's most enjoyable aspect, police chases. Nearly every Milestone involves the police, though the conditions behind each are usually unique. Some require you to survive police chases of a certain length while others require you to escape one in a set amount of time. Other milestones include things like running through so many roadblocks, taking out police cruisers or causing a set amount of monetary damage to the state. Police chases are set on five tiers, each being more harrowing than the first. Every police pursuit begins with you crossing paths with normal police cruisers, only to lead up to bigger things like highway patrol, the Street Racing Task Force and Rhino SUVs. String the police on long enough and they'll bring out the helicopter, which you can only avoid by taking short cuts through buildings.

Evading puts a price on your head. The more run-ins you have with the police, the higher your Bounty goes. If you're unable to lose the police, you'll have to pay a stiff fine and also earn impound strikes. Earn three impound strikes and your car is taken from you. Also, the police keep track of your car, which ups the chances of you losing your car after being caught. A higher "Heat Level" also means that you'll have to pay more to get your car back and pay a larger fine to get out of jail, taking away from your cash pool and reducing the number of upgrades and new cars you can buy. Generally, it is a good idea to have at least two to three cars so you can switch them out and reduce the Heat level on any one car.

A.I. is generally good, though it does suffer from a few bouts of inconsistency and some potentially fun-ruining aspects. At lower levels, the racer A.I., especially with some of the lower-level Blacklisters, is a little too easy. Once or twice I had Blacklist racers come to a near stop when they had more than a 6 second lead, giving me enough time to catch up (and most of the time take the win). Higher up on the Blacklist, the A.I. becomes more challenging, drivers become much more aggressive and the cars are generally a little faster. These are all to be expected. What isn't, however, is the shouts of cheap tactics that pop-up. For example, other racers are not against taking part in games of "Protect the Leader" and will sometimes make sure you're being blocked at all times. Even the non-racer A.I. feels like it is against you at times. More than once I had a car cut across multiple lanes with what seemed like the sole intention of making me run into it. In addition, A.I. drivers aren't as prone to making many, if any, mistakes -- which usually forces a restart since there's rarely a chance to catch up. Even the game's physics feel like they're going against you at times. When combined with the loose handling of some cars, even the slightest of taps can cause you to go into a position-losing tailspin while the same tap to an A.I.-controlled car isn't nearly as costly.

The number of cars and upgrades available is pretty underwhelming. Around 33 cars are available; many of which must be unlocked by working your way up the Blacklist. Overall, I wasn't all that impressed with the selection of cars available. You'll run into notables like the Supra and Eclipse, as well as higher-end rides like the Audi and Viper, but more prominent tuners like the Civic, Lancer and Jetta aren't present and replaced with less exciting cars like the Cobalt and Golf. All of the cars feel about the same though some, like the Supra, are a little harder to handle than others. Handling is actually one of the game's bigger flaws as it never feels 100% "right" and feels loose. An in-game slider allows you to adjust parameters like Handling and Acceleration, thought their actual effect on gameplay isn't that noticeable. In addition, the instruction book that comes with the game is pretty thin and doesn't explain anything about the sliders, so you're left to figuring out everything yourself.

Upgrades are equally disappointing and, like the cars, must be unlocked in order to acquire them. Since Most Wanted is an arcade racer, there aren't many performance options available and most of the time you're just buying the best parts you can, resulting in a generic feel to the cars. Visual upgrades are a little more varied and allow for some creativity.

Even with some of its more glaring problems, Need for Speed: Most Wanted is still an enjoyable arcade racer, especially if you're a long-time follower of the series. The game is at its best during police chases, which makes for a slightly different racing experience than your typical racer.