Need for Speed Heat

A triumphant return to form for a series that has gone off the track in recent years. With its nail-biting police chases and electrifying sense of speed, Need for Speed Heat is the most exciting and tense arcade racing game we’ve had the pleasure of playing in years. It proves that there’s life in the old dog yet, even in a world in which Forza Horizon exists, and we’re very glad of that.

One of the best racing games of the generation. Spectacle, good music, tuning, racing and lots of fun.

Need for Speed Heat is an ode to what made this saga great with an installment that retrieves its foundations to combine them with a clear inspiration from the Forza Horizon saga bringing us one of the most complete and entertaining arcade driving games of the generation with stunning visuals.

Its characters lack depth, and it could really use some sort of leaderboard or ladder to compete with. But, overall, Need for Speed Heat is worth playing even if you're just a casual racing fan. The day/night dynamic is entertaining and mixes things up. The car list is better than expected. Customization is clean and maximizes personalization. And the driving mechanics aren't overly complicated but present enough of a challenge. s

Ultimately, Need for Speed: Heat is a decent racer. In fact, I would say it is a great playing one. It’s just missing something new. Since Most Wanted on the 360, the formula hasn’t changed much. Payback tried to, but never really came into its own. Heat has everything that is needed to make a fun racing game, and it does so very well. Maybe I’m just looking for something and don’t really know what it is. I enjoyed my time with Heat and I’m sure other arcade racing fans will too. It’s a solid game that plays and looks great, even with the little grind that may come along with it.

Need For Speed Heat has done a fantastic job going back to its routes... with loads of cars, tons of customisation and the feel of two games in one with the day and night cycle. It has a couple of flaws with the police chases but you still find yourself having a fun, intense experience.

Need for Speed Heat is fast, furious, fun, and the best Need for Speed game of recent years.

I feel like an accessory to the crime by awarding Need for Speed: Heat such a high score, given the blatant theft of Forza Horizon’s entire schtick. But, at the end of the day it works and the few additions that Heat does bring to the formula help it stand apart. Need for Speed: Heat is a return to form for the series, and a great foundation to rebuild the tattered franchise on.

Ghost Games delivers the best NFS of this generation, with thrilling night chases (even if our cars end up being frustratingly too damageable) and lots of contents and variety both during the daylight and night races.

Need for Speed ​​Heat is an ideal game for fans of the saga. It has everything: Tuning, day and night races, police chases. Of course, Palm City is a little small, the police is too tired appearing in all night races and the story doesn't bring anything new. Despite this, the multiplayer system, the control of the vehicles and its technical section put us in a great arcade driving game.

Need for Speed Heat is a mosaic of existing ideas but it is easily the most impressive Need for Speed game in years.

Need for Speed Heat wakes up the series from the nightmare and it's just like a greatest hits of the most iconic episodes of the franchise. Ghost Games did a great job in terms of gameplay and concepts, but Palm City is bloated of filler events and the progression isn't smooth enough. Anyway, the night races are great and the free tuning is back. If you are driven by Underground and Most Wanted nostalgia, Heat is definitely your game.

At the end of the day, Need for Speed Heat is a decent arcade racer that racing fans will enjoy, but shouldn’t be expecting a top tier title like others in the series or in comparison to premier arcade racers like the Forza Horizon. At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a new Need for Speed game, this brings police chases and big crashes to an average at best title.

While far from a perfect comeback, Need For Speed Heat refocuses the franchise on what it does best, and it’s all the better for it.

Need for Speed Heat puts the franchise back on the right track, but the various bugs and dull story means the series is still behind the pack.

Need For Speed Heat is more fun than I was expecting. It's hugely enjoyable, and almost relaxing, to fly down the roads of Palm City. If you like NFS games, you'll have a good time with Heat. Personally, grinding away to fully unlock everything in the game doesn't wholly appeal, but I'm sure to be jumping back into this one, for an hour of so of escapism, driving recklessly to raucous music.

There is fun to be had here, but in light of what else is out in the racing/driving wild these days, leaves Heat eating proverbial dust. There’s no question Ghost is a technically proficient developer (outside of car physics), but too much emphasis on a ‘story’ over more robust driving and driver-agency makes the game feel half complete on one side, and half over done on the other.

Need for Speed Heat has a great visual style that smartly leans into the tuner culture that helped set the series apart in games like Most Wanted and Underground. Unfortunately its sluggish progression and weak online offerings keep this from reaching the heights of the series.

While this installment isn’t the most innovative, that isn’t what Need for Speed needs right now. It needs to build up a solid foundation again, so it can get itself into a good position to ride the slipstream behind other titles, ready itself, then overtake it to possibly come out on top. There are some strong elements here, and the balance between day and night activities can provide a good loop. It handles well, not letting obstacles get in people’s way, and gives folks a lot of extras to shoot for. Yes, it could use a more lifelike world, a more interesting story, and a better soundtrack. But, what’s here is fun. That’s what matters most right now.

It's clear that Ghost Games has taken a touch of Paradise and applied it to Heat, resulting in a thrilling and beautiful racing game that's bursting with things to do. Though their ambition was bold, they strayed too far from comfort in putting Heat together. When measured up against its own franchise, Heat does a lot to move the series in the right direction and it's a clear, marked improvement over Payback.

Need for Speed: Heat is a welcome return to the atmosphere that made the series great. A general lack of cleanliness and finish prevents the title from making the leap in quality but it is still a product that will satisfy its audience.

Need for Speed Heat is ultimately enjoyable, an experience that can provide some high highs alongside some fairly low lows. Those looking for a new racing experience will certainly enjoy it, once mastering its quirks.

Need for Speed Heat boasts a large varied world and a cool gameplay twist with the addition of cops who are often on your tail. However, it doesn't do much else to stay interesting, making it just an average racer in a genre that has so much more to offer.

This latest Need for Speed doesn’t have any luck-based schemes disrupting the progression this time around, but there’s nothing moving the series forward either. The core parts that have been strong in the past aren’t quite as potent here, and the supporting elements feel directionless and half-baked. Need for Speed Heat is like a beat up old ride that’s still good to burn some rubber and get you around town, but don’t expect to turn any heads along the way.

Need for Speed Heat has issues that could easily be overlooked if the game had confidence in itself, but there seems to be some type of hesitation everywhere. Whether it's hesitation to move the story along, hesitation to introduce something new, or hesitation to strike out from the ghosts of its past, there just seems to be some lack of definition for Need for Speed Heat's release.

Heat is an enjoyable racing game, but Ghost Games need to do something to truly revitalize the franchise. Need for Speed used to lead the genre, and now it’s looking at other racing games to patch their formula.

This Need for Speed has everything it needs to please the players, especially those looking for an heir to Most Wanted. But Heat lacks of driving sensations, of a proper physic management, and has plenty of balance problems, making the game more frustrating than fun.