Previews

Hands-on with Need For Speed: Most Wanted

Accelerating onto iOS and Android at the end of October

Hands-on with Need For Speed: Most Wanted

On Wednesday, we once again had the chance to go hands-on with EA's upcoming racing title Need for Speed: Most Wanted. Only this time, we went hands-on with it on an iPhone 5.

While the demo lap we tried out was identical to the one we played at E3 back in June, we did get the opportunity to learn about the new optional touch-steering feature that was added at the request of Need for Speed fans.

Don't worry, tilt-to-steer fans: Need for Speed: Most Wanted still defaults to the intuitive gyroscopic steering setup, but, hey, it's nice to have options.

Fingers at 10 and 2

With this optional touch-steering method - a franchise first for Need for Speed - you essentially gain a virtual steering wheel interface on the bottom-left corner of the screen.

You tap and hold the wheel, and then rotate your finger to the right or left to steer. A simple, but effective, white dot indicates the top of the wheel and helps provide a visual cue for orientation.

After a lap, it was clear to see that this newly integrated control scheme brings a welcome tightness to the steering controls.

While the gyroscopic steering still wins out for me when it comes to open lane drifting, the precision that the touch-steering controls affords on tight corners or narrow passing situations can't be emphasised enough.

While EA didn't provide a firm release date for the mobile version of Need for Speed: Most Wanted, we were told to expect it by the end of October on iOS and Android.

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Matthew Diener
Matthew Diener
Representing the former colonies, Matt keeps the Pocket Gamer news feed updated when sleepy Europeans are sleeping. As a frustrated journalist, diehard gamer and recovering MMO addict, this is pretty much his dream job.