Need for Speed Payback

 Xbox One
User Score
4.1

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 281 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 88 out of 281
  2. Mixed: 29 out of 281
  3. Negative: 164 out of 281
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  1. Xbox_Alive
    Jan 2, 2018
    7
    The Need for Speed series has been up and down over the last few years and this has definitely put a few people off. I’ve always liked the Need for Speed series but there has been too many problems in the last few game’s, which in turn harmed the overall package. The problems are still evident in this instalment, but most of the core ideas have paid off and in the end Need for SpeedThe Need for Speed series has been up and down over the last few years and this has definitely put a few people off. I’ve always liked the Need for Speed series but there has been too many problems in the last few game’s, which in turn harmed the overall package. The problems are still evident in this instalment, but most of the core ideas have paid off and in the end Need for Speed Payback was pretty enjoyable. The racing in the game feels better than ever and I was very impressed by how fluid and responsive it remained throughout. I was also impressed with the story in the game, and whilst it may not be everybody’s cup a tea I found it to be quite engaging. There is a great deal of variety in Need for Speed Payback and that’s evident when it comes to the different driving styles and races. I must admit though that the game did frustrate me quite a few times and that was mainly down to the AI and the high difficulty curve the cheating AI brought with it. If you like customisation then this game has plenty for you to sink your teeth into. There is one problem with this though and that’s the micro-transactions that are present in the game, and unfortunately if you’re not prepared to pay for certain items then you will spend a lot of time grinding to get them. The presentation side of the game is pretty good, but I can’t help feeling that it could have been a little better. Visually the game can look stunning at times, but unfortunately the sound design is not as good and is lacking in certain areas. At the end of the day fans of the Need for Speed series will definitely enjoy what’s on offer here, but I don’t think this new addition will bring many new fans to the table. Don’t get me wrong it gets a lot of things right and it can be very fun at times, but the added micro-transactions and little niggling problems here and there will make some people stay away, which is a shame because the core ideas are well done and these ideas just do enough for me to recommend the game to you.… Expand
  2. Needles
    Nov 24, 2017
    0
    Stop supporting this horrible company. They keep making bad games until you stop buying them. EA symbolizes everything that is wrong with the video game industry.
  3. Rundusol
    Dec 11, 2017
    4
    This could be a good game were it not for the completely broken way in which you upgrade your vehicles. A card based system that is essentially very similar to that within Battlefront 2.

    I can't be bothered banging on about the positives and the negatives because for me quite simply it is a broken mess full of grinding or purchasing the aforementioned cards with real world money. Yes EA    This could be a good game were it not for the completely broken way in which you upgrade your vehicles. A card based system that is essentially very similar to that within Battlefront 2.

    I can't be bothered banging on about the positives and the negatives because for me quite simply it is a broken mess full of grinding or purchasing the aforementioned cards with real world money. Yes EA have tried to fix it and make it easier however it still simply doesn't make any logical sense. it makes the previous re-boot actually look a lot better!

    Avoid unless you are a die hard fan of the series.    … Expand
  4. Chipbubble
    Nov 10, 2020
    2
    Grey in grey level design makes it horrible to play. Pay to win. Boring story. Everything is wrong with this game.
  5. DesNukem
    Mar 12, 2018
    4
    The unconscionable money-grabbing aspect has been addressed by several reviewers so I'll just mention a couple of other things that Ghost Games and other developers need to learn:

    1. Don't try to appeal to the youth market by imitating their language and mannerisms – it just looks contrived. If you make a game like a teen-movie and players don't like your movie, they're not going to    The unconscionable money-grabbing aspect has been addressed by several reviewers so I'll just mention a couple of other things that Ghost Games and other developers need to learn:

    1. Don't try to appeal to the youth market by imitating their language and mannerisms – it just looks contrived. If you make a game like a teen-movie and players don't like your movie, they're not going to enjoy your game no matter how it plays. Make games for mature adults and you will capture the youth market.

    2. Don't substitute unnecessary cut scenes for actions that players could perform themselves.

    NFS Payback is a perfect example of how not to make a game – racing or otherwise. As far as racing goes, another flaw in this entry is the obtrusive arches and directional arrows which completely break the immersion in an otherwise beautifully rendered open world. You especially don't need directions in places where there is only one possible route. I give it 4 points for the graphics.    … Expand
  6. Skptc
    Nov 22, 2020
    3
    Еле прошел! Раздражало в игре все: сюжет, озвучка, тюнинг, персонажи, а главное гонки.
  7. Mr_G
    Apr 17, 2018
    0
    You see, driving games and card games don't mix. Then there's microtransations in a full price game. No thanks.
  8. khron
    May 18, 2018
    0
    Bought second hand copy, played through weekend, got to the completely anti-climatic end, uninstalled.

    If someone thought NFS2015 cutscenes were bad (were fine actually), then try Payback - it has probably most dumb, uninspired quotes I have heard in AAA video games. NFS2015's cutscenes at least conveyed something and you can actually see some effort someone took to create them. None of    Bought second hand copy, played through weekend, got to the completely anti-climatic end, uninstalled.

    If someone thought NFS2015 cutscenes were bad (were fine actually), then try Payback - it has probably most dumb, uninspired quotes I have heard in AAA video games. NFS2015's cutscenes at least conveyed something and you can actually see some effort someone took to create them. None of this happens in Payback, cutscenes and voiceovers took literally zero effrot.

    Story is bad, it's practically non-existent. Whole chapters and missions are just lists with checkboxes on them. There is some verbal interaction between your character and whomever during and after missions, you learn like literally one or two full sentences which are obvious or unimportant (like "I'll tell you next time").

    As for character's quotes, those are even worse. Characters are completely overconfident, arrogant, and still can say something like "Come on, I can do it!" while I have already left ai drivers in the dust and have like almost a minute of advantage on them during long race!

    As for rubberbanding, ai racers seem to have next to none, but police... no matter you are going 350km/h, police is even faster. And this is not rubberbanding anymore, they are literally superglued to you. But then, magically, during last 1.5km they just retreat. You can hear on radio that "no one is continuing pursuit" even if there were like 10 of them aroun you moment before. Oh, and they are spawning out of thin air too.

    After you finish the game, there is text message "hey, you completed the game, now for the fun part you can spin wheels of fortune to tune your cars and find all wrecks". What?! Seriously?! I found all wrecks in 5 minutes each and you can gimp your way through spinns (just spin for the same part brand each time). "Tuning" is nonexistent. You cannot set anything that have any influence on handling. You just raise level of your cars and each car has type (like race or drift) set in stone. You want to try your race car in drifting? Too bad, but you can buy another one and make it drift spec. WTF?! And you must upgrade your car, because if your car does not meet certain level, no skill is able to get you to the first place. One ai car (or all of them) would get to cosmic speed and it is technically impossible to win the race then.

    So, I have finished game in 2 days and I am selling game back (or throwing it away, it's garbage). It's probably first game where I am so let down, that I don't even want to find all billboards.

    Game world may be big, but it is literally empty. You are cruising seeing road, empty road sides and sky. There is one city in the game, nothing to do in it, and hidden paths leading to jumps for billboards. Once you finish "main plot" you have seen everything and that's it. Yes, it has drift zones etc. but other games have that too (NFS2015 even better).

    Offroad is strange in the game because you are actually penalized for going offroad by limiting your max speed (sic!). Then what's the point of offroad build? And drag build is apparently used to speed through city corners to actually get on timer to the place where you are drag racing... what.

    And paid dlc... I have no words, a few list-with-checkboxes missions and that's it. Such "dlc" was free for NFS2015 with on of the patches, just like that.    … Expand
  9. Rapida716
    Oct 4, 2018
    0
    Nothing changes, everything is the same. I do not understand why we need a series of NFS, when there is a Forza Horizon 3/4.
  10. EaglEBeKA
    Jul 14, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Муср чистый данатная помойка муср и ещё рпг в гонках бляяяч… Expand
  11. TechnicalN9ne
    Dec 24, 2019
    4
    Let's be honest, this game franchise has evidently been falling down since the last 10 years. Prostreet was the last well made title, otherwise it's clear to see the decline. Ever since then, it's confused about what it truly wants to be. One minute it's a street racer, then a track racer, and then a high speed police chase. It's evident that this game is confused, and both single andLet's be honest, this game franchise has evidently been falling down since the last 10 years. Prostreet was the last well made title, otherwise it's clear to see the decline. Ever since then, it's confused about what it truly wants to be. One minute it's a street racer, then a track racer, and then a high speed police chase. It's evident that this game is confused, and both single and multi player modes are very poor, preferably avoid. The whole upgrade system is also just retarded af.… Expand
  12. SrCre
    Mar 10, 2020
    0
    [ ] Perfect
    [ ] Awesome
    [ ] Good
    [ ] Good Bad
    [x] Fail

    Não vejo necessidade em escrever um longo texto analisando sobre uma arte, a nota é apenas um conselho para saber o quanto ela vale para sua vida.

    I see no need to write a long text analyzing an art, the note is just a piece of advice to know how much it is worth in your life.
  13. didierdrogba11
    Sep 16, 2020
    3
    It's the worst NFS game that I've ever played. The story is very cliche. And when you ride a car, you don't feel like you are riding a car. You feel like riding a boat or something. I love racing games. But this is the worst racing game that I've ever played...
  14. Tmattom
    Nov 17, 2017
    0
    Unfortunately. I was waiting for this game, the general concept behind it is nice, I don't really care that the plot is cheesy - it's just a racing game. Oh no, sorry. It's not a game. It is a slot machine, a gambling application with a possibility to play the game hidden behind this. At least there are lots of other racing games out there, that don't work like this, including older NFSUnfortunately. I was waiting for this game, the general concept behind it is nice, I don't really care that the plot is cheesy - it's just a racing game. Oh no, sorry. It's not a game. It is a slot machine, a gambling application with a possibility to play the game hidden behind this. At least there are lots of other racing games out there, that don't work like this, including older NFS installments.… Expand
  15. Kennet0508
    Nov 16, 2017
    0
    Dont own the game, but making a statement on EA's microtransaction and card malpractices, buying a AAA title does not warrant me having to double up to get all the content. so instead of a 60$ game its a 120$ game
    check out Angry Joe's video on the subject on youtube -> ****
  16. beast89
    Nov 10, 2017
    0
    I give it 0 Because the games is boring is pure fast and furious and looks like forza Horizon 3 It is not like the need for speed underground 2 that for me was the best and now everything is DLC And Micropayments I will not buy a need for speed more
  17. Mutt233
    Nov 16, 2017
    1
    I bought ps one becose nfs and i was stuned
    I lovde nfs sice then
    And 2017 paybacy hapend wtf...... Payng for full aaa game and then payng once more for playng fun.
    Is the ae are so greede that the try to f... Players for every posible way?
    Nfs R. I. P. 2017
    WHAT A Shame.
  18. BumFrontMan
    Nov 21, 2017
    0
    I just finished watching Angry Joe playing this game where he gave it a 2/10, which confirms to me as well, why couldn't this game just be fun? instead of ruining the core gameplay with stupid cards. What does collecting cards and levelling them up have to go with a car game? Just, terrible....
  19. Hoerli
    Nov 8, 2017
    4
    Die Story ist langweilig, aber besser als beim Need for Speed (2015).
    Dafür ist die Grafik ganz akzeptabel.
    Die Steuerung ist von NFS 2015 übernommen und etwas verbessert. Vorallem beim Drifen ist sie aber immer noch total mies und langweilig. Autos lassen sich sehr einfach steuern, denn diese versuchen aktiv, euch auf der Strecke zu halten. Dabei kommt ein extrem schwammiges Fahren    Die Story ist langweilig, aber besser als beim Need for Speed (2015).
    Dafür ist die Grafik ganz akzeptabel.
    Die Steuerung ist von NFS 2015 übernommen und etwas verbessert.
    Vorallem beim Drifen ist sie aber immer noch total mies und langweilig.
    Autos lassen sich sehr einfach steuern, denn diese versuchen aktiv, euch auf der Strecke zu halten.
    Dabei kommt ein extrem schwammiges Fahren zu stande, was nach 3-4 Stunden kein Spaß macht.

    Performance? Ha! 30FPS bei 900p ist echt nicht hübsch. Da sieht es auf dem PC doch besser aus.

    Der Multiplayer ist jetzt mehr ein Matchmaking-System, welches Spieler zusammen wirft, gegen die man dann fahren kann.
    Oft erwischt man aber Chaoten, die nur auf Rammen aus sind. Das macht kein Spaß.

    Tuning ist dafür wieder besser geworden. Endlich kann man Fahrzeuge besser anpassen.
    Vorallem der Leistungsbereich ist aber komplett unübersichtlich gestaltet worden.

    Wer das Spiel mal ansehen möchte, schaut einfach auf meiner HP vorbei. Dort hab ich neben Videos auch noch mehr Bilder und Text hinterlassen :)

    Empfehlenswert?
    Nein!
    Wer das Spiel mit mehr als 6 (60) oder 7 (70) bewertet, hat noch nie die alten NFS gespielt. Das waren noch gute Spiele. Nach Pro Street kam nichts gutes mehr.    … Expand
  20. Lukecali97
    Nov 17, 2017
    0
    this games micro transactions are so bad that critics like angry Joe couldn't even bear to finish this poor excuse of a game ea can take their p2w crap and shove it up their ass
  21. PurelyMac
    Nov 9, 2017
    4
    Two years in the making!: yup, it's taken two years to develop the most boring NFS yet. Not only that, but where all other franchise keep going forward, NFS is still stuck in reverse. It's like they learned nothing from the 2015 attempt except, there is far more daylight and a lot less rain [infact, I dont think i've seen rain yet]

    They replaced the duff-actors of the past with animated    Two years in the making!: yup, it's taken two years to develop the most boring NFS yet. Not only that, but where all other franchise keep going forward, NFS is still stuck in reverse. It's like they learned nothing from the 2015 attempt except, there is far more daylight and a lot less rain [infact, I dont think i've seen rain yet]

    They replaced the duff-actors of the past with animated stereotypical characters with the most cringeworthy dialogue you ever heard in any form of entertainment and a storyline that's permanently stuck in first gear [I say that because when there is any sight of any excitement, the game takes over and you can only watch; you have no input]

    Gameplay is very routine and repetitive, almost boring; collectibles are there but pointed out to you so not hard to find those; we have the usual speed traps/zones, drift zones and jumps, nothing new there then. We do however have 'derelicts' cars to find parts for and build .. so there ya go something new .. to NFS .. but hardly new. Currency is hard to come by, you need to grind over races you already did to make the money for parts to upgrade your cars .. you do get awarded an upgrade card after a race win, it's a random card so again luck is involved; you can gamble some of your 'tokens' in a fruit-machine style app for more parts or you can simply buy them with real cash [not forgetting you already spent 60/80 or whatever of your local currency to buy the game in the first place.]

    I say now; it may get better but I have abandoned the game after about 12 hours play; so checkout other reviews.

    It's most annoying because again, the NFS developers have turned a potential masterpiece into an actual turkey by their game-play choices; they have again delivered 'average' and not 'awesome' and frankly 'average' doesn't cut-it these days.

    A few key words on the actual racing; messy .. erratic .. rubberbanded .. clunky .. random.

    In a nutshell, 2 years in the making for a second-rate attempt at including something for everyone … well almost, because horror of all horrors, you can't free-roam in multiplayer, you cant hang out with your mate, do car-shows, take nice group photos, form a drift train … bait a cop? .. nope, no cops in multiplayer.

    I will give a mark of 4 for the fact this time there is daylight.    … Expand
  22. Tenacidad963
    Nov 7, 2017
    0
    Nuevamente quieren obligar al jugador a pagar para poder avanzar rápido y ganar el juego con micropagos. Este juego no lo recomiendo. No se puede disfrutar mucho ya que se tiene que repetir lo mismo hasta el cansancio para acumular puntos para poder avanzar, aunque sea la desarrolladora hubiera puesto más carreras distintas para compensar, pero no, debes pagar. La EA busca que su mercadoNuevamente quieren obligar al jugador a pagar para poder avanzar rápido y ganar el juego con micropagos. Este juego no lo recomiendo. No se puede disfrutar mucho ya que se tiene que repetir lo mismo hasta el cansancio para acumular puntos para poder avanzar, aunque sea la desarrolladora hubiera puesto más carreras distintas para compensar, pero no, debes pagar. La EA busca que su mercado sea ya no el de vender juego, sino la de micropagos que posteriormente debes pagar después de comprar el juego. O sea que al final pagas mucho más en total de lo que esperabas.

    In English
    Again they want to force the player to pay to be able to advance fast and win the game with micropayments. This game I do not recommend. You can not enjoy much because you have to repeat the same thing until you get tired to accumulate points to move forward, even if the developer would have put more different races to compensate, but no, you must pay. The EA seeks that its market is no longer that of selling games, but that of micropayments that you must later pay after buying the game. So in the end you pay much more in total than you expected.    … Expand
  23. justmkomsk
    Nov 16, 2017
    1
    I'm completely disappointed in progression system. Once i got first challenges with racing gangs I was pushed to replay older missions to get some money to get at least necessary upgrades. Or, of course, there was another way: to pay real money in the fullpriced game to get... money in the game. That is freakingly bad and I will try to refund the game.
    Worst racing game progression system    I'm completely disappointed in progression system. Once i got first challenges with racing gangs I was pushed to replay older missions to get some money to get at least necessary upgrades. Or, of course, there was another way: to pay real money in the fullpriced game to get... money in the game. That is freakingly bad and I will try to refund the game.
    Worst racing game progression system ever. Worst NFS ever, despite of good handling and graphics. In the current state game should be named NFS: Refund.    … Expand
  24. King_o_Spice
    Nov 22, 2017
    0
    pay 2 win, automatic 0.

    I really shouldn't be required to get a cracked version and a hex editor for a somewhat satifying game progression.

    Save your money for a better game or any other NFS title.
  25. HelpMePls
    Nov 15, 2017
    7
    I know this is going to get downvoted to death, but here it is anyway. Let me start by explaining that the loot boxes aren't pay to win by any means. Last time I checked, neons and horns don't make your car faster. Not to mention the fact that you get a box every time you level up (a la Overwatch, which happened to get GOTY last year). The game itself is pretty good. The car list isI know this is going to get downvoted to death, but here it is anyway. Let me start by explaining that the loot boxes aren't pay to win by any means. Last time I checked, neons and horns don't make your car faster. Not to mention the fact that you get a box every time you level up (a la Overwatch, which happened to get GOTY last year). The game itself is pretty good. The car list is decent, and every car has a lot of customization options on it. The story is ok, but I don't know anyone that expects the stories in any NFS game to be groundbreaking. There are some very interesting missions in the game that are almost reminiscent of heists in GTA which I like and they spice up the gameplay a bit. You can also replay these missions anytime after you unlock them, so they're not a one time only thing.

    The most glaring issues with this game is the lack of online free roam and the strange car upgrade system. The game isn't anywhere near as grindy as Destiny 2, especially if you know what you're doing, the best way to get better parts is to play races and trade in parts for part tokens. Money should never be an issue as the game hands out $10-$20 thousand per race late game.
    The open world is large and contains a large desert, a Las Vegas inspired city, a mountain/forest, and some canyons. There are no cops in free roam which can be considered a good thing if you don't like to be bothered, but for most people its disappointing and makes the world less interesting. You can still get into pursuits, although they have been limited to random locations around the world and missions.

    My final verdict as of now is a 7, as the game for the most part is good, but there are some issues here and there. Keep in mind that Ghost (the developer) will provide free updates and hopefully improve upon the game in the coming months. In my opinion, the loot crates don't ruin the game because you get tons of them just by playing the game, and they give you cosmetic items that don't affect the gameplay at all. If you're considering buying this game, I would wait for a sale unless you're a die hard NFS fan. If you aren't into the series I suggest you consider buying if this goes on sale for $40. Thanks for taking the time to read the wall of text that is my review, I hope it helps.    … Expand
  26. SKSK
    Jul 25, 2018
    7
    The game itself is good. The car list is pretty decent, such as the storyline (for a racing game).
  27. Broyax
    May 4, 2020
    1
    Tiens, le NFS nouveau (chaque année comme le Beaujolais... sauf que c'est de la piquette à chaque fois...) le NFS nouveau, disais-je, s'inspire nettement des Forza Horizon... ce qui n'est pas plus mal, ma foi... On a donc un beau monde ouvert (quoique moins varié que dans un FH) qui utilise très bien le moteur maison de chez EA, le Frosbite : en 4K sur la X et avec un solide 30 im/s, c'estTiens, le NFS nouveau (chaque année comme le Beaujolais... sauf que c'est de la piquette à chaque fois...) le NFS nouveau, disais-je, s'inspire nettement des Forza Horizon... ce qui n'est pas plus mal, ma foi... On a donc un beau monde ouvert (quoique moins varié que dans un FH) qui utilise très bien le moteur maison de chez EA, le Frosbite : en 4K sur la X et avec un solide 30 im/s, c'est vraiment pas mal du tout !

    La partie sonore est toujours à la hauteur, que ce soit les moteurs, les collisions, dérapages etc... on a d'ailleurs de beaux ralentis lorsqu'on fait de "takedowns" comme dans un Burnout ! c'est rigolol et spectaculol. La VF est de bonne qualité également (comme toujours chez EA) mais le souci vient clairement de l'écriture ou plutôt du niveau "caniveau" de l'écriture : on se doutait que ce serait beauf, kévin, jacky touch et débile à la fois... mais à ce point-là, c'est vraiment.. alarmant !

    Heureusement qu'on peut zapper l'essentiel de toutes ces cinématiques et dialogues affligeants, sinon on ne tiendrait pas... La con-duite reste très con et très approximative et clairement en deçà d'un FH, lequel est pourtant très arcade... mais moins con comme conduite. Mais les plus gros soucis concernent le farmage voire même un léger grind des missions et épreuves puisqu'il faut un niveau pour les courses (normal me dira-t-on) mais que ce niveau s'acquiert exclusivement par des "cartes" comme des cartes à jouer, synonymes d'équipement et d'améliorations...

    On peut aussi les échanger et participer à des tirages pour en avoir d'autres... ?! comme au casino (?!). Et ça dans un jeu de bagnoles, c'est vraiment... n'importe quoi. De toute façon, on se lasse du jeu bien avant de commencer un quelconque farmage avec son remplissage d'épreuves chiantes, répétitives et ses missions de campagne plus scriptées qu'un Call of Kevin !

    Donc à part techniquement, ce NFS est (encore) une grosse daube à éviter, évidemment !    … Expand
  28. jobbigtboys
    Dec 27, 2017
    1
    Seriously, don't waste your money on this, the singleplayer is okay (very short) and the multiplayer, oh boy, might actually be the worst game I've ever played, the online playlists require NO skill at all, it's basically who ever gets f*cked with the least.
  29. TheMaverick
    Jun 26, 2019
    9
    Normal game. I recommend to play in version for Xbox One. Localization is normal;)
  30. kdflcl
    Dec 31, 2017
    8
    I just wanted to preface this review with a few things. 1) I've been a big fan of the Need For Speed franchise since I was about 5. Most Wanted is possibly my favourite game of all time. 2) I'm absolutely aware that the EA management is scum, but I want to focus on the merits of each game separately rather than tarring everything with the same brush- and I think the widespread anger andI just wanted to preface this review with a few things. 1) I've been a big fan of the Need For Speed franchise since I was about 5. Most Wanted is possibly my favourite game of all time. 2) I'm absolutely aware that the EA management is scum, but I want to focus on the merits of each game separately rather than tarring everything with the same brush- and I think the widespread anger and scorn against Payback is more than a little unfair.

    Pros:
    - The driving experience.
    You get an exhilarating feeling of speed that no other major racing game releasing in the last few years really fulfils. As you progress through the story and the cars get faster and faster, the feeling only grows.
    - The art and sound design is sensational.
    The world isn't huge, but it's varied and beautiful. From hilly, swirling offroad mountain tracks to stretching desert roads to the bright night lights of the city, it's a joy to drive through. It reminds me of The Witcher 3 in how the game is a joy to traverse, taking in the sights, not just to sprint through until the credits roll.
    - Brilliant sound design.
    The roar of the engines, the stretched 'slurp' of the nitrous and the squeal of the drift sound excellent, no more so than when they reaches a cacophony combined with police sirens chasing you at 190 mph through oncoming traffic. The soundtrack doesn't mean much for a racing game, but it's got something for everyone- a healthy smattering of grime, rap and rock, featuring Queens of the Stone Age, Vince Staples and Skepta. There are a few stinkers, but the good outweighs the bad.
    - The driving experience feels genuinely fresh.
    It's a refreshing break from the racing sims that the market is moving closer towards. Sims are great in their own regard, but often fail to capture the joy of speed, destruction and carelessness a good arcade racer revels in.
    - It copies the successes of its predecessors:
    - Cops are a challenge and fun to battle and escape for the first time in years thanks to smart
    teamwork (due to well-made AI).
    - The customisation (the only real pro in NFS 2015) is taken in Payback with bodykits galore
    (especially on the derelicts you can restore) and a wide set of decals, along with a good
    community tab where you can download popular 'wraps'.
    - A full day and night cycle lets you have both the night gameplay people liked in Underground 1, 2
    and NFS 2015, as well as the sun-baked desert and sunset.
    - This is a controversial opinion, but the story mode is actually alright
    There are issues, but the story is, in parts, wonderfully camp, daft and fun once you get over the hurdle of its exasperating stupidity. It's quite hefty and long too, keeping me busy for at least a good 20+ hours. David Ajala does a brilliant job as Mac, the drifter and offroader of your 'crew', with a carefree joy and lovely British accent and so does Jessica Madsen as Jess- for a few lines, at least.

    Cons:
    - No cops in freeroam.
    Why design them so well and criminally underuse them?
    - Camera issues.
    No cockpit camera. Particularly in Drag-type cars, the camera under nitrous boost zooms back to emphasise the speed, which is a nice effect until you notice it's difficult to see over your car at the oncoming traffic.
    - Cars can only be used in the racing discipline for which you buy them (Drift cars are only usable in Drift events, for example.)
    I could want to use by Race-type NSX for a drag race, but I'd have to spit out the 100,000 credits to buy a Drag-type one then spend around 20 minutes of farming to get it to the right level. Surely there should be a 'remodding' or transformation mechanic to switch the type of previously bought vehicles in the garage?
    - Minor issues with the driving experience.
    Cars drive almost comically different depending on their role. Race-types have steering tuned too 'tight', and this is taken further with Drag-types. In races, the reset after crash mechanic is inconsistent and buggy, once resetting me facing a wall.
    - When the writing fails, it fails hard
    The acting is generally weak. Tyler, Lina, the racing league bosses, and, often, Jess are acted horribly, though it might be more accurate to blame the script. In particularly, the sketch to introduce Mac in the prologue criticises a 'cringy' drifting streamer called "HashTiger" physically hurt to play.
    - Farming
    Upgrading under-levelled vehicles is a chore, waiting for upgrade shops to restock and farming old events for 'Speed Cards', but the game is very liberal with resources, never pushing you to pay a penny for a microtransaction (considering they only buy you boxes containing money, vanity items and cards to 'roll' for more Speed Cards). I'll be the first person to crusade against microtransactions but this is light years away from how egregious Battlefront II or Shadow of War are.

    I'm just so thankful EA have, after all this time, released a game that genuinely lives up to the Need for Speed name, even if it's not a masterpiece.    … Expand
  31. Lilmanike
    Nov 8, 2017
    9
    Pros:
    Extremely Pretty Looking
    Larger World Offline Play Much Larger Customization A more serious storyline A larger car list Cars are more balanced Actually likable characters One of the best Soundtracks in the series (Most Wanted is still the best with the soundtrack) More activities to do Neons, Airbags, Tire Smoke, and Horns were added Physics are fixed Cons:    Pros:
    Extremely Pretty Looking
    Larger World
    Offline Play
    Much Larger Customization
    A more serious storyline
    A larger car list
    Cars are more balanced
    Actually likable characters
    One of the best Soundtracks in the series (Most Wanted is still the best with the soundtrack)
    More activities to do
    Neons, Airbags, Tire Smoke, and Horns were added
    Physics are fixed

    Cons:
    Multiplayer is broken
    No Police in Freeroam
    No Online Freeroam
    IGN's and Gamespot's reviews
    Vanity Items exclusive to

    P.S. The microtransactions people, ONLY HAVE VISUAL CUSTOMIZATION!!! IT'S NOT PAY-TO-WIN!!!    … Expand
  32. Nick98
    Nov 7, 2017
    10
    I think the critics or reviewers need to stop giving this game negative reviews it looks fun to play and I grew up playing this series and the reboot of need for speed (2015) has horrible physics, cheesy cut scenes with the worst acting I've seen and the graphics are okay but not that great as Payback. Need For Speed Payback looks better and has a better story than the reboot of Need ForI think the critics or reviewers need to stop giving this game negative reviews it looks fun to play and I grew up playing this series and the reboot of need for speed (2015) has horrible physics, cheesy cut scenes with the worst acting I've seen and the graphics are okay but not that great as Payback. Need For Speed Payback looks better and has a better story than the reboot of Need For Speed and has better physics that that game. I think its going to be a surprise for people that grew up playing need for speed like me and appreciate that ghost at least did what the fans request and e.a. helping with the project. I think its worth the pre-order of this game and I think I'm in for a treat for Need for Speed Payback… Expand
  33. karelpica99
    Dec 20, 2017
    0
    Well, its EA... they f***ed up Battlefront 2 and they sure did f***ed up NFS aswell. Lootboxes, u get a Lootbox system, u get a lootboxes System EVERYONE gets a Lootbox system.... F**K u EA

    Card... CARD for upgrading/tuning your Car... what a joke and even the most lazy way i could think of... pathatic... the "Story" is cheesy I Hope someday EA will get bankrupt for the stupid s**t
  34. eminefes
    Dec 1, 2017
    8
    This is one of the most fun arcade racers I have ever played, and I have been playing racing games since the early 90s. Ignore the poor reviews. Yes, microtransactions are present just like in every other game, but in no way do you need to rely on them......earning credits is no problem in this game. Yes, a gambling-like system is used throughout the game since the game's setting is basedThis is one of the most fun arcade racers I have ever played, and I have been playing racing games since the early 90s. Ignore the poor reviews. Yes, microtransactions are present just like in every other game, but in no way do you need to rely on them......earning credits is no problem in this game. Yes, a gambling-like system is used throughout the game since the game's setting is based on Las Vegas. While it is a bit annoying that you can't always choose your car upgrades, the "gambling" adds a tiny bit of adventure to upgrading your car.....you often get better parts than you expected. Beyond that, the game's open-world map is one of the best I have ever seen in any genre. The amount of elevation change is astounding, especially for a racing game, and there are so many off-road areas to explore that you will be surprised at just how open this map is. I am a huge fan of the Forza Horizon series, and this map makes the Forza Horizon maps seem boring in comparison. Now, the car handling is typical modern-day Need For Speed, but it is an improvement from NFS 2015. The handling is much more precise than NFS 2015 while still focusing on drift-to-win handling for most of the cars. To me, this is the primary downside to the NFS series, but it does give NFS it's Burnout-style gameplay that it inherited when Criterion/Ghost Games took over. In the end, I hope this game will cause a little more competition in the arcade-racing genre. I have completed the main story missions and still want to go back into the game and explore more of the map and buy more cars to customize and enjoy. I really don't understand the negative reviews since this game is a HUGE improvement over NFS 2015. It makes me wonder what Turn 10/Playground Games has up their sleeves for Forza Horizon 4.… Expand
  35. bearcosta
    Nov 14, 2017
    5
    I'm a couple hours into the game... The last nfs games I really liked were underground 2, carbon, and undercover. This is okay.. the first (it felt like hours but probably hour or less) is just finding out who you are and the story. Now that the cinematic entrance racing is over I can finally upgrade the car some and get a starter car. It's not the starter cars I'm used too... they areI'm a couple hours into the game... The last nfs games I really liked were underground 2, carbon, and undercover. This is okay.. the first (it felt like hours but probably hour or less) is just finding out who you are and the story. Now that the cinematic entrance racing is over I can finally upgrade the car some and get a starter car. It's not the starter cars I'm used too... they are fairly fast to start with. I like starting with a popular car that is cheap and making it a contender. Not happening here.. you get a decent car and upgrade it with cards that can be purchased or won in races. You can only use them on one car, so choose wisely or grind away to win another card. You can save them for later if you want. When I read about the game I read about large amounts of customization... I was assuming the old dyno tuning setup or something like that would come back. I haven't seen it yet, I will update this if it's there, but it's looking like just collecting cards for upgrades. The racing is ok, it could be worse. This gets a mixed review from me. I'm disappointed... I guess what I want is an underground 2, or carbon with modern graphics and sounds (the sounds actually were not that bad at the time for those games I thought) maybe some new maps, keep the maps about the size of underground 2. I would like the opportunity for some car damage.. this isn't supposed to be burnout, maybe an on/off switch to keep people happy or make it like others with off, light, heavy, full, etc. There is not much penalty at all for hitting things (they don't slow you down much). Just remake an old series with modern updates and stop trying to re-invent the wheel. oh .. and yeah... STOP it with the microtransactions. nba2k, southpark tfbw, this is not a good trend for console games. (or pc games) If you are desperate for a new nfs game you could try this. I only paid as much as I did because I had $35 dollars off from Microsoft rewards. Was it worth it? No. Wait awhile.. it will go on sale and drop quick like nfs 2015 did. I value it at around $20.. in 2 years, maybe $8. (deals with gold) I still have my copies of nfs carbon and underground/undercover. I'm not getting rid of them yet, they are just plain fun. Sucks that there isn't a good need for speed xbox one game out yet, keep your pc running.… Expand
  36. SaggyHUGGIES123
    Nov 12, 2017
    10
    DO NOT LISTEN TO THE HATERS!!! THEY ARE JEALOUS THAT THEY ARE DISABLED AND REAL NFS FANS ARE NOT!!! This game will bring you back to your nostalgia with less restricted customization and performance. Game added crews and a new story that will grab your attention. Basically if fast and furious was good again. Game deserves a cookie and i hope you rate it well to or your favorite series willDO NOT LISTEN TO THE HATERS!!! THEY ARE JEALOUS THAT THEY ARE DISABLED AND REAL NFS FANS ARE NOT!!! This game will bring you back to your nostalgia with less restricted customization and performance. Game added crews and a new story that will grab your attention. Basically if fast and furious was good again. Game deserves a cookie and i hope you rate it well to or your favorite series will suffer at the wrath of the satanic IGN and Gamespot.… Expand
  37. AngryGamer34
    Mar 22, 2021
    0
    This game is by far the WORST NFS game ever! It's so bad that I've quit the NFS series for good! And I refuse to buy NFS Heat due to this game! I don't like how the customization of the cars work, I don't like the rubber-banding AIs, I just don't like this! This game gets the death penalty for being utterly bad! I feel bad for the gamers who paid $60 for this. I bought this digitally forThis game is by far the WORST NFS game ever! It's so bad that I've quit the NFS series for good! And I refuse to buy NFS Heat due to this game! I don't like how the customization of the cars work, I don't like the rubber-banding AIs, I just don't like this! This game gets the death penalty for being utterly bad! I feel bad for the gamers who paid $60 for this. I bought this digitally for $5 and was refused a refund. EA sucks!… Expand
  38. BebyDoXbox
    Oct 23, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Jogo Muito Top,Eu Recomendo Muito,Desde Criança Jogava Need No Ps2 !!!,hoje eu tenho oportunidade de jogar no ea play,enfim eu recomendo vc comprar !!… Expand
  39. SuperkenGaming
    Dec 22, 2017
    6
    Need for Speed: Payback
    Feels more like running errands than racing
    Need for Speed is an 18 hour long Arcade Racer where you play as 3 different characters in a story where theyre betrayed during a heist and youll never guess what these characters want… Did you guess yet? You were wrong.. they want payback Need for Speed Payback is probably the weakest need for speed game ive ever    Need for Speed: Payback
    Feels more like running errands than racing
    Need for Speed is an 18 hour long Arcade Racer where you play as 3 different characters in a story where theyre betrayed during a heist and youll never guess what these characters want…
    Did you guess yet? You were wrong.. they want payback
    Need for Speed Payback is probably the weakest need for speed game ive ever played
    This game follows the formula of 2015s need for speed that tried to capture the magic of underground 2… which isn’t a bad thing…
    They actually listened to feedback from that game and improved its offerings by adding drag races and cars feel much more customizable…
    However this game is lesser in every other aspect
    The story mode here is completely throwaway, it tries desperately to go the fast and the furious route, but the characters and missions just aren’t interesting enough… besides one really cool heist mission…
    But that one mission is the only fun this 18hrs offers…
    This open world which ads off roading.. another improvement.. just isn’t fun to drive through… its bland and because of that every race is bland…
    Again there are 3 different characters but there are 5 different race modes
    Theres circuit racing and drag racing which is handled by tyler
    Drifting and offroad which is handled by mac
    and finally there are run missions handled by jess
    And you need 1 car for each mission type and as you clear missions new cars will unlock for later chapters
    I didn’t mind most of these missions.. they just feel like busy work.. you never feel like youre some awesome crew taking over the area.. you just feel like youre doing a job the whole time… and this feeling smacks you the hardest when you play as jess…
    The run missions are just awful..
    Youre either running to different spots on the map before a timer runs out or youre running from annoying cops trying to make it from checkpoint to checkpoint…
    racing itself though feels just okay…
    The soundtrack here is probably one of the worst licensed soundtracks to ever exist in a game…
    And this isn’t a genre problem, I love all genres of music, and there wasn’t one song here that was fun to listen or race to,
    But the games biggest flaw is that to me literally every single car in this game feels identical
    I understand this is arcade and not a simulation racer… but I should still be able to feel the difference between lambo and Camaro, but i couldn’t
    I drive bumper cam and a lot of the time I don’t even remember what im driving…
    you only get a sense of your car being underpowered when you try to do a race that’s too high of a level…
    That’s right theres a leveling system for both you and your car… and the leveling system for your car is tied to speed cards…
    My feeling on this is up and down.. on the positive.. youre rewarded a speed card at the end of every race… this is basically a random part to upgrade your car with which then upgrades its level.. you can also just flat out buy cards at shops that refresh every 10 minutes..
    And if you get a card you don’t like you can sell it or trade it in for a part token and then trade 3 part tokens for a spin at a new random card but you get to pick the part…
    There is also a loot box system with cash, part tokens and cosmetics…
    On the negative.. .everything is random.. you don’t get to choose what improves and what doesn’t.. you don’t have a true feel of your current cars potential..
    You don’t know if you have to buy a new car every chapter which is what I did.. or if you can go out into the world and grind to bring your starter car up to the level of a super car…
    And I feel this system is exactly why every car feels exactly the same…
    even when youre upgraded you don’t feel more powerful… your opponents just aren’t pulling ahead of you as much..
    and because of this the racing just feels empty and again like busy work..
    There are plenty of challenges like speed traps and drifting around this boring world and collectables, but This is just a very forgettable racing experience…
    Its not bad but its not good either.. its very much just okay
    I give Need for Speed Payback
    a 6/10    … Expand
  40. DavidG185
    Jan 5, 2019
    5
    Need For Speed is one of the few racing franchises that I like prior to playing the Forza Horizon games with my favorite NFS game is the original Need For Speed Most Wanted made in 2005. For over 20 years of NFS and many many of those games, the current developers, Ghost Games and Electronic Arts release Need For Speed Payback back in 2017. I played it a year later, and oh boy. This isNeed For Speed is one of the few racing franchises that I like prior to playing the Forza Horizon games with my favorite NFS game is the original Need For Speed Most Wanted made in 2005. For over 20 years of NFS and many many of those games, the current developers, Ghost Games and Electronic Arts release Need For Speed Payback back in 2017. I played it a year later, and oh boy. This is what I call an average Need For Speed title. Need For Speed Payback is an improvement of their previous game, which is just titled Need For Speed back in 2015. Payback has a single player story campaign where you play as your crew with the three members Ty, Mac and Jess which apparently each of them are focused on the different concepts of what makes a Need For Speed game. Ty and Mac focuses on races with Ty focusing on Drag and Street races, and Mac focuses on Off-road and Drift respectfully. Jess however focuses mainly on the cop chases which is apparently both the good and the bad thing I like in this game. Good because I like to smash cop cars and trying to escape from their site, but bad because it sometimes has to be done with checkpoints. Also unlike my favorite NFS game, you can't start cop races in freeroam, and is only done when you have to collect... (sigh) a crate and make your way to that place with checkpoints to extend time. The races are pretty good and I can see myself doing them again if I'm bored doing the freeroam just to get the better time.

    The stuntman ones, often known as Time Trials requires you to do the missions with your crew by doing certain things like trying to stop The House while trying to get the truck to stop. It might seems frantic at first but once cutscenes comes in, it already removes the novelty of the mission and the game itself. At least the cop chases has a hint of Burnout which is another racing franchise that I like before playing Forza Horizon games but are bland now due to the fact that I would play the Horizon games more than those two combined. With that, I would rather play Ridge Racer: Unbounded than NFS Payback which is another disappointment since I played Unbounded back on the X-Box 360. The race crews, yeah. Can I have the option where I can make a unique logo for my crew too. They would say nah! Your crew is not popular enough for this game to even have team customization. And seriously, these crews you have to fight against are much more important than this game! And that is intentionally an insult. My bad but no. This game is bad for the lack of customization for your team.

    Car classes which I mostly discussed I can handle that easily, car customizations no. I can't do that. The individual parts you can customized for your vehicles can only be unlocked by doing tasks out in the world. Doing challenges is OK but with the billboards, Turn 10 Games might need to have a word with Ghost Games with why that concept is used. I don't see myself smashing those billboards anytime soon. And a second biggie is the Speed Cards which is where performance upgrades are use on that specific car. I do not like that. That is this way of saying that we have to gamble our real money to get crates just to get speed cards, other unique options like underlights, horns etc. I don't like that either. And at the end of races if you win, you get a (drum roll beat) a random speed card which you don't know until you find out what it is. Oh I got a 6 Gearbox?! But I already have an 8 Gearbox card! Holding onto it until I know how to trade it in. Yawn! The AI is also ridiculous in races and spank you when you are using a car that is below only the suggested car level. Really.

    And then there is Online Multiplayer. Where can I start? Being able to just make point to point races for anyone and you to race on only just for that time is pointless because this game doesn't come with a race creator. And yes, the only point is just trying to beat friends times on tracks. That is something Ghost Games should include in their next NFS game which apparently it is Need For Speed Edge. OK. Other than that with the DLC's which you get some if you bought the Premium/Ultimate Edition and the Speedrun which is a different story all together and different events and I have to say, this is not the best Need For Speed game I played so far. Even Need For Speed Rivals is a much better game than that and that is Ghost Games' second NFS game that I would rate better than this game. I'm going to guess that Ghost Games is going to need to learn to do better in their next one just by learning the reviews of the others. And that is all I can give with this game. The world is great, I like the antagonist Navarro and some of the crews, but the multiplayer, racing, car customization aspects are very much bad. I would play a bit more of when I feel like the need for speed. I hope that is not a movie quote from the Need For Speed Movie which I haven't watch.    … Expand
  41. new_casual
    Sep 11, 2021
    9
    NFS Payback is great game for those who just want to play to good looking and fun racing game. Simple, but fun story, fun characters, a lot of positive in this game. It is worth mentioning, that customization-cards is brilliant idea for "not auto-geek" players like me!
  42. JJ2FAS4U
    Dec 29, 2021
    5
    Atmosphere: 7
    Enjoyment: 5
    Gameplay: 5
    Graphics: 5
    Music: 5
    Story: 4
    Total: 5.17

Awards & Rankings

25
#25 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2017
39
#39 Most Shared Xbox One Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
61

Mixed or average reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 32
  3. Negative: 6 out of 32
  1. CD-Action
    Feb 8, 2018
    40
    For me Need for Speed is dead and buried as a franchise. Yes, Payback offers a large and varied open world and 70 licensed cars, but the driving model is decent at best, microtransactions system resembles free-to-play games, randomized upgrades force you to grind and the story (along with the dialogues) is simply embarrassing. [01/2018, p.44]
  2. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    Jan 5, 2018
    40
    Turns out that fighting the machine has rarely been this dull. [Jan 2018, p.78]
  3. Xbox Tavern
    Dec 16, 2017
    83
    The gameplay is tight, responsive and surprisingly accessible whilst remaining challenging throughout. The story may well indeed be basic in its delivery, but the plot does prove to be energetic and exhilarating nevertheless, however it is sadly held back slightly by a poorly voiced cast of forgettable characters.
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