Need For Speed: Most Wanted from Criterion Games, and it can be yours for the princely sum on nothing thanks to EA’s Origin On the House program.

        If you haven’t had a chance at giving this one a shot yet, here’s your best opportunity. Need For Speed: Most Wanted is definitely one of the stronger outings for the racing series in recent memory, with a massive open-world map and a blend of Need For Speed and classic Burnout - Criterion’s other series.

        I know Criterion’s additions to the franchise have been divisive for longtime fans, but I come from a racing background that is heavily soaked in the influence of Burnout, EA’s former “other” racing franchise. Criterion’s work on that series turned me into a racing game fan for a short while in ways that only Mario had before.

        When Criterion announced it would abandon Burnout in favor of Need for Speed, I was of mixed feelings but still happy that the company would be allowed to make high octane racing games. The results were a solid racing game with all of Criterion’s tropes of speed and aggression, but lacking in the flair of their original car designs or just general insanity. In other words, I like Need for Speed: Most Wanted, and this comes from a guy who has a hard time recommending any racing game in the post Burnout 3: Takedown world. Take a few minutes, log into your Origin account for the first time in months, and snag it up for free.

        I had an absolute blast smashing through this one a few years back, so it’s definitely worth giving it a go, and it should serve as a great primer for the upcoming Need For Speed reboot on PC. That one’s still tentatively scheduled for Spring 2016, but something tells me this giveaway means an announcement isn’t far off.

        If you want to grab Need For Speed: Most Wanted then all you need to is head to Origin and click ‘Download Now’ and it’s yours to keep forever. You will need an Origin account of course, but I’m guessing most people already have for all these free game giveaways EA keeps running.