Set in the gambler’s paradise of Fortune Valley, players can drive as three different characters: Tyler, the racer, Mac, the showman, and Jess, the wheelman, each with their own distinct driving style.
The main story sees them go up against The House, a nefarious cartel that runs the city’s underground.
And as you take on this lightweight Fast And Furious style tale you’re tasked with drifting up and down mountain roads, tearing up the desert terrain, speeding through the city in heist missions to earn enough of a reputation on the streets to get revenge and take down the gang.
Step away from the campaign and what you will find is a really well-realised open world set in a rip-off of Las Vegas.
There are a load of cars, across five classes, to race and tinker with to your heart’s content.
You can take a scrap chassis found on the side of the road and turn it into a supercar dream machine if you have the time and urge.
Side missions away form the main game itself tend to fall into either straight Racing, Off Road battles, Drifting sessions, Drag races or Runner missions.
And of course, as with every Need For Speed there are the classic cop car chases.
It’s still thrilling trying to fend off the police as numerous cop cars chase you through the streets in a bid to end your ride.
The AI has been revamped and it’s tough as nails trying to get away and out of their sights this time.
Although I didn’t experience police chases in this game as much as previous NFS titles like the still-excellent Rivals from 2013.
Graphics, while good, don’t quite match up to Microsoft’s flagship Forza for me.
And the gameplay is fun but more of the same when put in context with previous entries in the franchise.
Overall, the new Need for Speed is a bit of a hit and miss.
It has that fun arcadey racing gameplay we’ve come to love from the Need For Speed series.
But also with so much emphasis put on the new story mode, it’s disappointing that all we’ve received is a cliched soft version of the Fast and Furious films.
There are better car games out there this winter. But if you do go for NFS you will still find a decent game worth playing from start to finish.
