Need for Speed Most Wanted (2005)

Controls:

• Right Trigger: Brake/Reverse
• Right Button: Look Back
• Left Thumbstick: Steer
• D-Pad Up: Enter Shop
• D-Pad Left: Display World Map
• D-Pad Down: Display Blacklist
• D-Pad Right: Display SMS
• Back: Reset Car
• Start: Pause
• Right Thumbstick Up: Shift Up
• Right Thumbstick Down: Shift Down
• X Button: Speedbreaker (activates a slow-motion effect)
• A Button: E-brake (emergency brake)
• B Button: Nitrous (boost)
• Y Button: Look Back
• Right Button: Change Camera
• Right Trigger: Throttle

Head's Up Display (HUD (heads-up display — the on-screen icons showing health, ammo and the minimap)) Elements:

• Radar (your minimap with nearby blips and threats marked): Shows your surroundings and nearby events.
• Milestone Status: Tracks your progress towards current objectives.
• Heat Meter: Indicates the intensity of police attention; a higher meter means more frequent police pursuits.
• Speedbreaker: Icon for the Speedbreaker ability.
• Tach: Tachometer showing engine RPM.

• Defeating Ho Seun 'Sonny': $10
• Defeating Vince Kilic 'Taz': $10
• Defeating Victor Vasquez 'Vic': $10
• Defeating Isabel Diaz 'Izzy': $10
• Defeating Lou Park 'Big Lou': $25
• Defeating Karl Smit 'Baron': $25
• Defeating Eugene James 'Earl': $25
• Defeating Jade Barrett 'Jewels': $25
• Defeating Kira 'Kaze' Nakazato: $25
• Defeating Wes Allen 'Webster': $75
• Defeating Joe Vega 'JV': $85
• Defeating Ronald McCrea 'Ronnie': $100
• Defeating Toru Sato 'Bull': $200
• Defeating Clarance Callahan 'Razor': $350

This section covers performance tuning and police tactics in Need for Speed Most Wanted (2005).

Performance Tuning:

Performance tuning allows you to modify your vehicle's settings for optimal performance. Access it through the pause menu.

• Steering: Controls steering response quickness. Move right for quicker steering, left for slower.
• Handling: Tailors your car's slide. Move left for more slide, right for less.
• Brakes: Adjusts brake bias between front and rear. Affects turning while braking. Right moves bias forward, left moves it rearward.
• Ride Height: Raises or lowers the car. Right raises, left lowers. Lower ride height generally improves handling but can be difficult on rough roads.
• Aerodynamics: Increases or decreases downforce. More downforce helps the car stick but reduces top speed. Less downforce makes the car looser.
• Nitrous: Adjusts the N2O boost. Right provides a more powerful but shorter boost; left provides a longer but less powerful boost.
• Turbo: Adjusts the induction system. Right shifts torque boost to higher RPMs (good for high-speed tracks), sacrificing low-end boost. Left spreads torque boost across a larger RPM range (good for tighter tracks).

Below are suggested setups for different situations. Remember to adjust these to your personal driving style.

• City Courses: Steering (-), Handling (-), Brakes (-), Ride Height (-), Aerodynamics (-), Nitrous (-), Turbo (-).
• Drag Courses: Steering (-), Handling (-), Brakes (-), Ride Height (-), Aerodynamics (+), Nitrous (+), Turbo (-).
• Interstate Courses: Steering (-), Handling (-), Brakes (-), Ride Height (-), Aerodynamics (-), Nitrous (-), Turbo (-).
• Pursuit: Steering (-), Handling (-), Brakes (-), Ride Height (-), Aerodynamics (-), Nitrous (-), Turbo (-).

Police Information:

Pursuit Levels:

• Level 1: Vehicles: Civic Cruiser. Tactics: Simple pursuit. Easily evaded.
• Level 2: Vehicles: Civic Undercover Cruiser. Tactics: Simple Pursuit, Stationary Roadblocks. Slightly tougher than Level 1; roadblocks can be avoided with Speedbreaker (press X) and by finding openings.
• Level 3: Vehicles: State Pursuit Vehicle, SUV Light. Tactics: Semi-aggressive Pursuit, Stationary Roadblocks, Loose Rolling Roadblocks. Fairly well-trained police.

This section details the various police vehicles encountered during pursuits in Need for Speed Most Wanted (2005), categorized by their pursuit level and specific characteristics.

Police Pursuit Levels and Tactics:

As your Heat level increases, so does the sophistication and aggression of the police. At higher levels, they employ more advanced tactics such as rolling roadblocks, spike strips, and aerial tracking via helicopters.

• Level 4: Involves State Undercover Vehicles and Helicopters, using semi-aggressive pursuits, stationary and rolling roadblocks, and spike strips. They are more educated than lower-level police but still predictable.
• Level 5: Features Federal Pursuit Vehicles, SUV Heavies, the Cross Corvette (after Career Mode completion), and Helicopters. They employ all available tactics in a highly organized manner, performing multiple maneuvers simultaneously and making smart decisions. Watch out for spike strips and ramming SUVs.
• Level 6: Includes Federal Undercover Vehicles, SUV Heavies, the Cross Corvette, and Helicopters. These officers are relentless and will use all available tactics to stop you. Utilize pursuit breakers frequently and maintain high speeds, preferably on main roads.

Police Vehicle Database (Alphabetical):

• Civic Cruiser: Bounty: 250. Appears at Level 1. Low-trained officers, easily evaded.
• Civic Undercover Cruiser: Bounty: 500. Appears at Level 2. Unmarked black police cars, similar tactics to Civic Cruisers.
• Cross: Bounty: 100,000. Appears at Level 6 (and Level 5 after Career Mode completion). Cross's personal Corvette, can be more aggressive than Federal Pursuit Vehicles.
• Federal Pursuit Vehicle: Bounty: 20,000. Appears at Level 5. Aggressive pursuit cars that perform rolling roadblocks.
• Federal Undercover Vehicle: Bounty: 25,000. Appears at Level 6. Aggressive, all-black Corvettes that stop at nothing to bust you.
• Helicopter: Bounty: N/A. Appears at Levels 4, 5, 6. Provides aerial tracking, especially useful when you hide in areas without roofs.
• State Pursuit Vehicle: Bounty: 2,500. Appears at Level 3. Marked Pontiac GTOs, fairly fast and somewhat aggressive.
• State Undercover Vehicle: Bounty: 5,000. Appears at Level 4. All-black Pontiac GTOs, more aggressive and stronger than State Pursuit Vehicles.
• SUV Light: Bounty: 10,000. Appears at Level 3. Used as battering rams or for roadblocks, relatively easy to evade.
• SUV Heavy: Bounty: 15,000. Appears at Levels 4, 5, 6. Large SUVs used primarily as battering rams or for roadblocks.