This game is like no other need for speed it changes the gameplay, style and, somtimes even pace. Here are some pros and cons of this game.

Pros:
-Great Gameplay.
-Good Graphics that have aged pretty good.
-A nice car selection.
-A fair storyline.

Cons:
-AI doesnt feel like it is trying in most races or pursuits but some missions can be very challenging.
-The Story feels very short (but is an ok story overall).
-a lot of races feel recylced.
-There is not to much replayabilty in this game .

Other Thoughts
-The games soundtrack is ok but not quite as good as some other need for speed games.
-There is a fair amount of cusomization in this game with the inclusion of AutoSculpt from Need For Speed Carbon however there is not neon or any trunk audio and fine (Mostly unimportant) customization like in Underground and Underground 2.
-There is not a strong modding comunitiy like there is for games like high stakes so dont expect to many (If any) overhauls for this game however there is always a some car addons out there.

This game has alot of personality to it, however may that be from the random (and sometimes comical) Police radio chatter or even just some cheesy cutscenes or music choices which add some real charecter to the game.

In conclusion I think this game is about a 9/10 there is definitely ways this game could have been better but overall its a solid game and for the price you can't really go wrong. If you are on the fence about it I would recomend waiting for a sale.