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
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