When I ask Criterion's Alex Ward why they took on Need For Speed with Most Wanted which, on the surface, could be construed as ostensibly a sequel to Burnout: Paradise, he quickly corrects me and details just how they've not only mixed up the Need For Speed formula, but racing games in general.

"So to us it’s just about taking it further," he enthuses. "We always said each game is a reflection of who we are at the time, and this game, Most Wanted, reflects who we are, probably more than anything else: which is social, connected, and everything a game needs to be in 2012. Like I said, we just need to change it up really; that’s what we’ve got to do.

"I believe that in 2012, a game’s got to be very connected, they’ve got to have friends at the heart of the game. I’ve got to be able to do whatever I want, whenever I want to do it. So obviously, Paradise was a great stepping-stone from there. We like a bit of revolution; we like to turn things on its head. We did it with Burnout, and now we’re doing it with Need for Speed."

We also talk about car physics, the team's design freedom, using real-life cars, the potential for getting Australian Ford and Holden muscle cars into the game and Terminator 2 (as well as much more).

Click here for the full video interview and transcript.