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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. 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.
  2. 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
  3. 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.
  4. 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
  5. Skptc
    Nov 22, 2020
    3
    Еле прошел! Раздражало в игре все: сюжет, озвучка, тюнинг, персонажи, а главное гонки.
  6. 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.
  7. 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
  8. 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.
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. 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.
  12. 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...
  13. 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
  14. 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 -> ****
  15. 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
  16. 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.
  17. 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....
  18. 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
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. 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
  22. 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
  23. 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.
  24. 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
  25. 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.
  26. 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
  27. 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

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.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »