Need for Speed may have lost some of its luster in recent years. But he is still one of the biggest names in the racing genre. Many franchises have changed in an effort to become as realistic as possible by making the pilots more like simulators. But EA has rigidly kept this series as arcade-like as possible.
Released in 2017, Need for Speed Payback is no different. It’s all about holding the throttle firmly and gliding around corners as elegantly as possible. Need for Speed games are meant for fun rather than realism. They are designed to be picked up and played by virtually anyone.
At this point, though, it looks like the series is starting to show its age. From the very beginning of this title, it is obvious that the developers were directly inspired Fast & Furious. But it feels more like a desperate attempt to stay relevant rather than an actual hook.
Game
The ride itself is fine. It follows the same basic gameplay as the rest of the series. Although the handling has been made a little less precise. I guess this is an attempt to make Payback more accessible by eliminating some of the challenges in car control.
The vehicles also feel like they have less weight and a reduced amount of power. In this sense, collisions simply don’t have the impact they had in previous Need for Speed games.
There are all sorts of customization and optimization options available to players, although they can prove to be expensive. This is a staple of the Need for Speed franchise and it’s done just as well here.
The fact that racing can be so difficult means you probably won’t experience as many vehicles. Upgrading several cars becomes a problem as costs rise rapidly. It forces you to make a decision. Do you grind the races over and over to get the funds needed to maintain a larger garage? Or do you stick to making a vehicle the best it can be?
Evaluation system
It seems the developers recognized this was a problem, as they have a vehicle ranking system for events. This number sets a minimum value that they recommend that your car meet before entering the race. Pairing it means you can compete competitively against other drivers, while something lower leaves you no chance to keep up.
This rating is given to every event, including things like drift challenges, so you have a good idea if you have a chance to beat an event before entering it. Of course, meeting the minimum requirements doesn’t guarantee success, so you’ll need to replay most of them at least a couple of times before winning.
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