At this point, I'm convinced that Criterion is simply incapable of making a game that doesn't look absolutely stunning. They've never been anything but top of the class as far as visual design goes, and Need for Speed: Most Wanted does nothing to shake my faith in their abilities. Fairhaven is a beautiful place that is easily on par with Burnout Paradise's Paradise City. It's a large virtual playground that gives you a number of environments to scream through. The sleek metropolitan cityscape only constitutes part of this place: venture out far enough and you'll be careening through calmer locales with more emphasis on the natural beauty of the land they occupy. Oh, and did I mention the cars look excellent? No? Well, they do.
Now I'm really starting to wonder exactly how Criterion comes up with the cringe-worthy sound effects for their games. Do they make excursions to the German autobahns, pour oil all over the roads, hit "Record," and wait for sh*t to go down? Probably not, but these wrecks sound absolutely horrifying. Need for Speed: Most Wanted is sweet vanilla custard -- for your ears. The soundtrack is hip and modern, and the cars sound distinguishable from one another. What more can you ask?
