Now as with any type of situation, it is never a good idea to try to show up and try to run things and demand respect. Respect is earned not given, which is precisely why some of the local racers decide to show the new racer who is to be respected. In order to prove to the rookie that it is not wise to show off, a group of local racers seize and sabotage the rookies car, and leave him stranded in the middle of a high speed chase with the police not far behind. With no car to get away in, the rookie finds himself as an easy target for the local sheriff Mr. Cross. Once he is arrested by Mr. Cross, he is hauled downtown and booked. So it seems as though Sergeant Cross is making good on his vow to clean up the streets, which is until he has to turn his racer loose for lack of evidence. No racing car to pin the driver in means no conviction. Imagine Mr. Cross dissatisfaction and even anger.

A fellow racer by the name of Mia Townsend picks the racer up from the sheriffs station and quickly gives him the run down on the racers ranking. She tells him of Razors status on the Blacklist, which is a group of fifteen most wanted racers by the Rockport Police Department. She then assists the racer in obtaining and acquiring a new car to race in order to work his way up on the list and to build a better reputation.

As rivals are defeated, the player is rewarded with new vehicles and vehicle improvements as well as a better reputation for every Blacklist member which the player defeats. The last challenge for the player in order for him to reach the number one ranking on the Blacklist is to defeat Razor in a race. Once this is accomplished and the player emerges victorious, they reclaim their BMW which was seized early on in the game by Razor. There is just one problem which arises, Razor refuses to relinquish his ownership of your vehicle, which strikes an altercation in which Mia confiscates the keys, subdues Razor, and blows her cover as an undercover police officer. She quickly tosses the keys to the player and orders him to flee the scene and escape the incoming police. Razor is arrested and taken into custody and the racer is tailed after by the entire Rockport Police Department under none other then Sergeant Cross command. As one could guess, if played successfully, the player escapes and abandons Rockport City by launching his BMW over an old bridge. After the escape Sergeant Cross goes back to the station and pulls up the players rap sheet and adds him to the National Most Wanted List.

Like many of the others in its name sake, Need for Speed is essentially a racing game where a player selects a car and races against other players or a time limit to a particular destination. Police chases have been integrated into certain sessions of the game. Their main reason is to stop a players car by employing police vehicles and tactics whose sole mission is to subdue the racer and arrest him. Obviously the goal is to not only win any and all races competed in, but also to evade the police and avoid being arrested. The longer you evade the police the higher ranked your heat level is in the game, which not only makes you a definite target for police chases, but also a very respected driver. How long do you think that you can last in one of these high speed pursuits? There is only one way to find out, and that of course is to play the game!

With as many positive reviews as this game has received, there is little to no wonder as to why there are so many installments to its series. Not only are the cars available in this game new to the scene, but they are customizable as well. Customizations of individual body pieces have been eliminated, however there are up to six whole body kits to choose from to customize your ride. Now while it may not seem to be much to choose from, at least there are customizations available.

Car specialties have been reduced drastically as well in the tune of customizations. Where once you could choose from a vast array of spinners, hydraulics, and neons, split hoods, doors and even nitrous purge; now there are but only two options to choose from. With only two choices to choose from which window tint, and custom gauges, it seems as though the ability to truly customize your ride have been eliminated. Even the paint customizations have been limited to only the main body of your vehicle. The reason for this is to lower the vehicles heat level with the cops. That means that in this particular game, the goal is to draw as little attention to your vehicle as possible unlike in other Need for Speed games. So when you play, dont worry about pimping out your ride, just keep your eyes on the final prize and start your engine!