If you're in the lead, the AI rarely fouls up, ensuring that there's usually someone on your tail. If you fall behind, they'll usually slow up or make a mistake that lets you regain the lead. The three computer-controlled racers are definitely programmed to keep it close. The racing is fun, but the game's artificial intelligence sort of gets in the way at times. Each of the race types is slightly different, but the speed trap and drag races are the only ones to make you rethink your racing strategy. Your speed is clocked at each point and added to your overall score, and the highest score at the end of the track wins.
Speed-trap races put a series of speed cameras on the track. Drag racing is similar to how it's been in the last couple of Need for Speed games, focusing more on proper shifting and dodging traffic. Tollbooth races are checkpoint races against the clock. Knockout races eliminate the last-place racer at the end of each lap until only one remains. Circuit races and sprints are as basic as they come. The races are standard and come in a few different varieties. You'll have to take on each member of the list, one at a time, but you'll also have to prove yourself by completing a series of races and other milestones before you can face off against a Blacklister. Your career mode goal is to work your way to the top of the blacklist and take out Razor, who has used your old car to get to the top spot. Either way, they look neat and they're fully insane, and it's a real shame that there isn't more of it. They're amazingly hilarious, and really make you wonder if the comedy is intentional or not. It's a neat-looking effect, but the best part of the whole game has to be the characters and performances, because the acting - especially from Razor and his homeboy Ronnie - is completely over the top and ridiculous. These scenes mix CG cars and environments with live actors. But the entire prologue is delivered to you as a series of easy races broken up by full-motion video cutscenes. After you're back out and starting over again, the game's story is conveyed mostly via voicemail and text messages from the various racers.