I hadn't played the game since I finished the campaign. Seeing it featured on the Humble Bundle reminded me that this used to be fun so I picked it up again.
I have been playing a lot of Need for Speed: Most Wanted recently. The one thing that I found odd was the car handling since I keep trying to drift and powerslide my way through streets (like I do in a NFS game) but the cars instead have a Velco-like grip on the road. Also, flying helicopters isn't exactly as fun since I keep expecting it to have the fluid maneuverability of a Viper or Little Bird from Battlefield 3. Couldn't do any cool flying tricks, with both keyboard+mouse and the 360 Controller.
The next game should have a more fun driving/flying mechanic. GTA IV couldn't quite get it right either with cars tending to spiral out of control at any decent speed. I hope the next part (if/whenever it comes out) addresses that.
Also, in spite of the over-the-top outlandish and fun missions, the great amount of customization and what not, the game just doesn't stick with you. I have no memory of what the plot was (unlike the GTA games where I still remember the general plot, twists and various subplots). I can't really quote any lines of dialogue either. But I do remember laughing a lot and thinking the game had a good sense of humor.
I still think it's a fantastic game, especially at its current low price. But the series needs more substance and character.