There was a third option on the screen, which allowed for switching between day and night immediately. Unlike the other two, this option's cause and effect were immediately apparent. As well as quite pretty looking.
In fact, Figueroa explained how it was the best nighttime you'll find pretty much anywhere, at least in a Need For Speed game. Furthermore, it was proudly boasted that the Wii U version sports the best visuals of the entire Most Wanted round up, at least among the console versions, since it utilizes the PC version's texture packs.
And it is true; the reflections on the cars looked phenomenal. Sitting side by said the Wii U version was the PS3 version; there was a noticeable difference in the lighting and reflection between the vehicles in each version. Though to be fair, both had different kinds of cars, so perhaps the one on the PS3 was less shiny/reflective.
Furthermore, the overall lighting effects were a bit more pronounced in the Wii U version. Specifically the "glare" that hits the screen, which reflects bits of dust and debris, presumably from the "camera" that's filming the entire action.
Speaking of, and this was something that seemed a bit odd to ask, but I enquired about the logic behind father and son mode. On other Wii U games, say Super Mario Bros U, having someone intervening with the GamePad is totally acceptable, given that it's such a cartoony affair.
But Most Wanted is such a realistic game that such leaps in reality is rather jarring. It's as if the hand of God is making things happen on a whim. Figueroa understood what I was going at, and basically explained that it was designed for two people to have fun together, though more over, for one person to lend a hand, maybe for someone else who is not as proficient at the game.
Which is why the person with the GamePad can take over at any given moment. It's almost like being the car with a driver instructor; if you screw up, someone can take over and save your ass.
Back to the visuals; they did indeed look impressive. It had the same amount of detail as the aforementioned PS3 version, plus everything runs along at a rock solid 30 FPS as well. But the colors appeared comparatively washed out. The reason for this was unclear.
Perhaps it's the way both consoles were hooked up to the displays? Both were exactly the same kind of Samsung HD sets, so there was no disparity there.
I also asked about DLC, if any upcoming downloadable content for the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, would hit the Wii U at the same time, or something after. There is no answer regarding this at the moment.
At the very least, if one gets the Wii U version this upcoming March 19th, you'll be getting the most feature rich version, that allows for local co-op in a manner that is hardly groundbreaking, but still admittedly fun (and which also ramps up the accessibility, which was clearly the intention). Plus it looks quite nice, and visuals is something that many former Wii and current Wii U owners are mindful of, since that's always the department that gets the worse of it all.
That being said, it remains to be seen how it looks on your display, especially when compared to the 360 and PS3 versions.
