Need For Speed: Most Wanted '05, first impressions.

This is a pretty good racing game, and it controls pretty good.

The game has impressive graphics for a sixth generation game, and the controls work. Since the PS2 doesn't have analog triggers, accelerate and reverse were mapped to the right analog stick, and it works out pretty good. My first complaint is the police start pursuit even if your behind them, and not in their  line of sight. But that's a programming issue, and nothing that detracts from the game itself. As of yet I haven't been busted, and the game is pretty fun, if a little repetitive. Since this was back in EA's heyday it's pretty good.The FMV's are nice-looking and the car-damage seems pretty realistic, but I've occasionally had problems with the steering if I've been pinned against something, which just goes to show that I need to learn how to use the camera-system better. Another thing is that if you beat a black-lister you're not guaranteed their car if you win, you have to win at a game of chance that can either give you something good or something useless depending on the current circumstances, even though I'm pretty sure that they get yours if you lose (Especially since the entire plot of the game is you getting your car back from a black-list guy who cheated you out of it. Another thing, the game could have as easily been called "Need For Speed: The Blacklist" as Most Wanted because of the prominence of The Blacklist in the game. The "Knockout" races have fairly arbitrary rules as to when someone is knocked out, and they're not all that fun. Also, I'm not sure I want to find out what happens when the fire meter on the mini-map fills up (I'm pretty sure it's a damage meter, and if so, why can't you fix it when you go back to your safehouse?)
So far, I really like it, the only issue is an issue with the PS2 itself, the inability to let you install custom soundtracks on the HDD makes for a lack of music that YOU want to listen to and just a bunch of stuff that EA thought would fit, and some, but not all of it doesn't fit my tastes.
Since I'm still uploading my other LPs the footage of me playing it won't get out for a while, so check out my channnel in a few days for gameplay footage. In the meantime I've got other playthroughs to be had on that channel too, still haven't finished uploading Resident Evil/Biohazard 4 yet, and I've got complete playthroughs of Metal gear Solid and MGS2 as well. See ya next week!