Need for Speed: Most Wanted - A Criterion Game

Criterion Games / October 30, 2012 / Rated Everyone 10+

Data last updated July 24, 2026

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Released

2012

Publisher

Electronic Arts

Time to beat

~2 hrs

Community

2,824

Need for Speed: Most Wanted - A Criterion Game is an open world racing game and it is the nineteenth entry in the famous racing series. This is a reboot of the game with the same title released in 2005.
In the game players have to select a car and compete against other racers in various events like Sprint races, Circuit, races and Speed runs. There is also an Ambush races mode, where players have to escape from the police as fast as possible. Like in the original Need for Speed: Most Wanted game, cops can start to pursue the player during the race and as well as in the original players have to compete against other racers and if succeeded they instantly get their cars. The game takes place in a regular city called Fairhaven, which has a beach and an industrial district as well as the main highway.
The game was praised for those who are fans of Burnout series, especially because of its way of races where there is a start and finish of the race but players have an option to choose which way they want to go.

Need for Speed: Most Wanted is a 2012 racing game developed by Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts. Most Wanted is the nineteenth title in the Need for Speed series and was released worldwide for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation Vita, iOS and Android, beginning in North America in 2012. A Wii U version, under the title Need for Speed: Most Wanted U, was released in 2013. Like its predecessor, 2010's Hot Pursuit, the game is a revival of the original 2005 Most Wanted title.