An engaging story plus solid racing gameplay equals a good game. Nothing fancy though, but definitely worth playing.
You start out as someone whose brother just got killed in a racing accident. You don't know who killed him, and you think racing your way through Coast city (the setting) will get you your answers. You end up jumping from territory to territory, beating gangs and winning good money to buy great looking cars. For me, the best aspect of the game comes in the quantity and quality of cars you can choose from. Of course, not all will be immediately available since you'll have to finish certain areas before specific cars become available -- i guess that's standard fare for any racing game with a story.
Still, I would have preferred it if there were even more cars. Where are the BMWs that worked so well in Most Wanted? Where is the Dodge Viper? The Vanquish? The Ferraris? The Esprit? It would have been nice to see more.
Beyond the story, however, there's very little to chew on. Sure, there's the standard quick play and multiplayer -- that's it. There are other small disappointments too:
1. The graphics are unimpressive
2. Souinds are standard - nothing flashy.
3. Race types are limited to just a few: circuit, sprint, escape, takedown and delivery. After you've played the races over and over again ... the game feels a bit monotonous.
4. Reward structures are poor.
Let me explain number 4. Prize money won is too small in proportion to the values of the cars, and there's no way to unload old cars that you have no longer want. The result? You end up having to play certain races over and over again if you want to buy more than just one exotic. This, combined with number 3 creates some tedious play time.
Also, you'll find that its absolutely necessary to max out all the performance parts just to get mileage and progress through the game. But they're not all available at once! You have to unlock another territory to get the best parts for the last car you bought, and you end up usually forced to use the last car you bought (assuming it was the best one available).
5. Story is too linear. It would have been nice to have all the territories available at once so that you could select fights and choose your path through the game. As it is, you have to trudge through level after level without the benefit of being given the possibility to jump straight for that Porsche Carrera or the Murcielago.
6. Free roam is a bore. In Most Wanted, free roam was encouraged because the environments were a bit alive, if not dynamic. In Own the City, the graphics and the lack of significant things to do make you just want to jump straight into the race map.
7. Where are the cops? The police added a whole new dimension for "Most Wanted", and it was exciting to avoid pursuit at all costs.
These minor annoyances aside though, the game is pretty solid, and the story has enough length to engage the average player.
Just don't look for something fancy.