Picked Up the Limited Edition- Here's my take on it

Summary: Some helpful things to consider if you are somewhat discouraged by this game not being another Burnout Paradise (It's not, just BOP's cool cousin, or maybe a glimpse of an upcoming Burnout?).

Update: Defeated all Most Wanted Cars, 76% finished.

I raced and goofed around (very fun places to goof around in just like BOP) until I became number 7 on the Most Wanted List, so I spent enough time in the world to feel I could share some needed info with you guys. (I haven't tested out the Kinect with it yet.)

Oh Yeah...If you do 2,000 yards/1828.8 meter drifts out in the mountains, not bothering anyone; the cops will still come and arrest you...WTF!!! lol

• The right set of wheels, sets the deal- Find the right car that fits your style of driving (while still finding and adding cars to your collection and learning the map).
• Race, crash and smash to upgrade- Win races as 1st place as much as possible to upgrade your car so you can drive with illusive control.
• Get loose, Push your car's handling to the limits. Once you get use to the handling, you realize you cannot do most of the crazy sticks you could use in a stunt run in BOP.  Think more along the lines of "simulation-ish", because the handling is annoying at first.
• Can't catch me, I'm a BOP racer- While you can out run the cops, they have a set of steel ones behind the wheel. They can be evaded, but have some fun with them and lose them (change the color of your car when they are not looking).  Driving fast isn't always the best way to get rid of them. Try ducking out of site, driving along a dangerous path, whatever you would do against the real cops...I mean, if you did evade cops in real life lol.
• After that, you can head hunt the Most wanted cars you have unlocked.

I came into this game expecting a somewhat comfortable experience of playing an upgraded version of Burnout Paradise.  Though I have not been a NFS fan in the past, I think Criterion's work was well done. 

We all have read by now, the things Criterion has included from BOP, and that has helped me as a BOP player to forget it is NFS and just have fun playing it...I guess the thing I dislike the most about this game is...the handling. As time goes on...high-intense sensory open-world racing environments are leaning more to the "realistic" or "simulation" side.

Criterion left out flat spins and other car tricks from Burnout Paradise (but you still get oncoming and near misses), I'm hoping that this means Burnout will come back with a "This is how you really do it", meaning this version of NFS was just a demo of some of the new things Criterion is working on.  The environmental effects were refreshing to see, leaves riding on the wind, waves crashing against the shore, mud on your windshield; pretty nice.

Still, I do not get the same thrills as I have in Burnout Paradise, as you get with intense racing in an open world.  Open world racing seems at first unorganized and having to learn a huge map is a bit discouraging, but as long as you drive around, you begin to pick up on streets and landmarks.  Finding the right car that fits your personal of driving and it's upgrades are the main challenge. As long as you remember, THIS IS NOT BOP, JUST IT'S SUPER COOL COUSIN, you will have fun as a BOP racer.

Would I recommend this game: Yes, only because it is Criterion (and sometimes you forget it is not Burnout Paradise while playing because it is very similar)...other than that, keep playing what you have been, but this is a great game to feed another Burnout need for online play. Definitely not for Xenophobes.

Update: Defeated all Most Wanted Cars, 76% finished.