Need For Speed: Most Wanted Free On Origin

"It’s Burnout Paradise 2," John declared in his Wot I Think of 2012's Need for Speed Most Wanted [official site]. "It's Burnout Paradise: This Time There Are Cops." I'm wondering: gosh, how ever did this game pass me by? Maybe it was speeding - ha ha!

Good news for me (and possibly you!): NFS Most Wanted is free on Origin right now.

It's the latest in EA's 'On the House' giveaway bonanza intended to get more folks on Origin, which has also included Jade Empire, Theme Hospital, Sim City 2000, Crusader: No Remorse, Ultima VIII, Wing Commander 3, Peggle - mostly older games. Maybe this is also part apology/teaser for delaying the new Need for Speed's PC version. Not that I imagine EA are losing many sales by making this £8 games free. Oh gosh stop over-analysing this freebie.

Most Wanted does sound a bit wonky from what John said, but I'd be content with a few hours of rolling around and smashing through things.

As this worked so well to ward off grumps last time, I'll simply quote myself:

"Yes, you'll need an Electronic Arts account and yes you'll need the Origin client, but if you consider either of those to be deal-breakers when it comes to free games, perhaps rather than going on about it – as you do every gosh darn time – perhaps try saying "You got me again, Ian Arts! You scamp you!" then shake your fist and make a grumpy growling noise and I'm sure you'll feel a lot better."

Apparently our news editor thinks I'm being "unreasonable" and "overly hostile" and "maybe not even joking? but you are, aren't you?" as I keep threatening to stuff the mouths of you, our dear readers, full of your own knuckle bones. "You know you don't like it either, that you're not sure how you keep slipping into this aggressive performance, that you're trying to break out of it," she adds. Ugh. She's such a boring know-it-all.