Need for Speed Preview

Introduction

EA and developer Ghost Games revealed Need for Speed in May as a complete reboot of the franchise. While it was originally scheduled for a November 2015 release date, the PC version has recently been pushed back to Spring 2016. The PS4 and XBOX One versions will still get a November 3rd release date. The PC delay is to unlock the framerate so it runs at more than 30fps, as well as make other visual improvements. All the DLC that the console’s will get until the PC release date will be included in the PC version from the start.

The entire Need for Speed series has been a disappointment for me since Underground. This racing series has been around since 1994 and newer racing series have came in with revolutionary ideas, while NFS copies their moves. For instance, Rockstar’s Midnight Club was the first free-roam racing title in history, and Midnight Club II was the first to feature playable motorcycles. Need for Speed eventually copied the idea with their release of Underground 2 in 2004.

In my opinion, the racing in NFS has always felt boring, and even the storylines were dull. It is in fact the most successful racing game series ever made, but I feel like it’s the well-known name that brings in the sales, as folks who never played Gran Turismo, Forza or Midnight Club might still pick up the latest Need For Speed title and have nothing to compare it to.

Need for Speed – A Full Reboot

There’s already a great deal of information about this new NFS available online, and I will share everything you need to know about the new game, including the latest updates from the developer.

Did you play 2013’s Rivals? Well, there will be twice the amount of drivable roads in this new NFS, making it a much larger game. However, it’s made exclusively for the XBOX One, Playstation 4, and PC, so they can do that. It’s also worth mentioning that there will be a 30fps frame-rate cap on both PS4 and XBOX One versions of the game, meaning it will play much better on the PC if you got a nice rig.

It’s going to feature a large open world and that is awesome, but there will not be a day and night transition, as the story involves a character who only races during the night. So, it’s a nocturnal open world with a deep emphasis on the storyline. In this NFS reboot you will race in the streets of Ventura Bay, which is basically a fictional Los Angeles.

According to the developer, the storylines in NFS have been one of the most crucial components to the games. However, I can’t remember a detail from any of those stories, so I think they’re wrong about that. I remember characters and plots from good stories in video games, from Ezio in Assassin’s Creed to Kratos in God of War. Racing games are not meant to deliver the best stories, they are meant to give you a rush and make you feel like you’re in a race. They are meant to feel competitive, with fun but challenging gameplay.

I like open world races because there’s not a straight path and it’s more challenging, but if I want a regular racing game I will go for Gran Turismo or Forza, as NFS always has a dull feel to it. If I want open world racing I play Midnight Club, but now there isn’t a recent Midnight Club for NFS to compete with so that’s not an option. Hopefully, in this new reboot they will do something groundbreaking, and they definitely have the impressive visuals on their side.

Need for Speed doesn’t just want to deliver another racing game, they want to become a part of urban car culture, as you can see by EA’s car culture community Speedhunters. It’s a good idea, and it looks like EA is doing everything they can to ensure the game is authentic.

It’s disappointing to many, but this Need for Speed title will not support split-screen, and it’s an online-only game. No offline single-player at all.

Customisation in NFS

In more recent Need for Speed games, it was clear that the developer didn’t care too much for customisation or wasn’t interested in providing gamers with that kind of experience. However, nearly every part of your car can be tweaked, for both looks and performance. So you can change everything, like spoilers, rims, body kits, window tinting, etc.

All the cars will be unlocked from the start, but you still have to earn the money to purchase them. They actually received help from the Speedhunters community on the choice of cars and aftermarket parts, as they wanted to make everything authentic, so you will drive the same kind of tuned-up car that an illegal street racer would in the real world.

Visuals

This will be the best-looking Need for Speed game ever made, hands down. EA Ghost used the Frostbite engine to create amazing new graphics, and they have essentially blended in-game assets with real live-action to create the most realistic racing experience yet. Forza Motorsport 6 looks good, but wow, have you seen the NFS preview trailer?

Conclusion

I am the biggest critic when it comes to racing games, especially the Need for Speed series that I grew up playing. Over the last ten years I have been let down over and over by the franchise, but what we know about this new game looks truly impressive. I will definitely purchase this game when it comes out as I love an open-world racing experience and those graphics look truly amazing. However, I am upset about the online-only experience and lack of splitscreen multiplayer. I feel like they’re taking splitscreen multiplayer away from so many games as it is and now they’re doing this with racing titles as well. Don’t forget EA – I grew up playing NFS splitscreen with friends and family, and that was the experience I, and so many others enjoyed!