From the legal tracks of circuit racing to more underground street racing, every Need for Speed has been pretty much hit or miss. Sadly, the one thing that has changed is it’s fan base and the excitement they once held for it. Need For Speed Rivals may be the most infamous hype-killer, as fans pass it off as “just another racing game.” This November 3rd will bring us a series reboot, courtesy of the “we listened to the fans and went back to the original formula” line that’s so typical of EA. So why be excited?
Well, along with taking ideas from every Need For Speed prior, this new entry has been announced to have some interesting new mechanics and systems. Only time will tell if this is enough to get me back on the Need For Speed hype-train. Until then, here are a few reasons to be genuinely excited for a racing game that’s not a first party exclusive.
Be Slick
Racing games rely on only the best graphics in the industry – so much so that they often define the capabilities of the system that they’re on. It’s little wonder why Sony and Microsoft have pushed their own exclusive racing franchises. It would be a missed opportunity for Need for Speed not to foreshadow what the Playstation 4 and Xbox One can do graphically. It’s seems cliché to say “that looks just like the real thing,” but what I’m seeing boasts lighting and textures so realistic that it looks like I can almost touch it.
When Need For Speed showcased its FMV functionality, it brought that statement a whole new meaning. The graphical fidelity only got better as the cars hit the streets. Glowing neon lights were ebbed like the real deal. Rain drops shifted on the side of classic and new cars alike; they glimmered and shone so elegantly that it made my jaw drop. This is no doubt thanks to EA’s Frostbite engine. It wouldn’t be surprising if Need For Speed used Frostbite, since all of EA’s last and current-generation games have been using it. Games like Battlefield 4, Star Wars: Battlefront, and Unravel are all examples of making great graphics for great software. Nonetheless, graphics don’t break or make a game — it takes a lot more.
Be Fast
There are five ways to play in Need for Speed‘s underground racing scene and one of them is being fast. My guess is that the more risks you take as far as speed goes, the more xp you earn. Going a hundred miles-per-hour in a small alleyway might rack up enough xp to dash right up a level or two. Though Ghost Games hasn’t said much about how fast we’ll be going, combining xp boosts with different types of objectives could make races interesting. I might be racing to make the ultimate drift around the next tight corner, but guaranteed to fail thanks to how I built my car.
Midnight racing can make for some spectacular sights. If Forza can make you feel the rush of being a on an elite racing team, then Need For Speed can and will obliterate the line between simulation and spontaneous action. If Arma is Forza, then Call of Duty is Need For Speed. You won’t get the most realism from the latter two, but you sure will get more fun out of it if you trade out the realism for bolder, more action-packed gameplay.
This is something I loved quite a bit about the previous Need For Speeds and something that’ll surely grab a lot of people this November. It’s not a racing game meant for car lovers, it’s something for the people who love the genre and, specifically, the underground feel. After all, it’s amazing to feel like the star of Fast And Furious for once, instead of Top Gear.
Be Dangerous
Being dangerous is the second way to play Need for Speed. Beating the heat is one of the pinnacles of the outlaw driving experience, and outwitting the cops to the tune of The Fast and The Furious could make for a lot of fun. Could I really pump up my little Honda and race it for pink slips? I could be Vin Diesel. Or not…probably not. Seriously, don’t do it, kids. It makes you feel that way, though, and if playing Need for Speed is the closest I can get to that, then it has my wallet right where it wants it.
Your crew is probably the most overused feature in racing games, and the third way Ghost Games’ wants you to play. Racing with and helping teammates for XP boosts is as overdone as persuading players to act as a cohesive bunch for the same goal. Games like The Crew put this as the main focal point of their game, but putting it in as a more side chore is a smart choice and doesn’t penalize players like me who just want to play by themselves. It’s less of a cooperative design, but I doubt any of my Call of Duty-loving friends will ever be buying this game anyway.
Be Stylish
Building your car is one of my favorite challenges, and being stylish is the fourth way to play Need for Speed. Build a drifter and you get that sweet extra xp bonus; build a muscle car for power and straightaways and you miss out on the extra boost. It will be amusing to play around with this part of the game, thanks to the level of customization and detail Need for Speed is aiming for. But I’m positive that you’re getting tired of hearing about these useless xp boosts, since most people will just aim to cross the finish line first, anyway.
Contrary to popular belief, style isn’t just how cool your paint job is, but it’s also the fifth way to play in Need for Speed. Drifting, tight turns, close cornering, and near misses – this is all related to the player’s skill and grants you bonus experience. Interestingly, Ghost Games tells the player that there are more ways to be successful than just being good at the game, though that’s always a valid option.
Instead of sticking to all the super cars, Need For Speed focuses on realistic street cars – cars that you might look at and say, “wow I saw that yesterday on my way to work.” That’s what excites me. Its garage of cars fills all gaps. Sure, you have cars that you’ll barely see roaming the streets of your local neighborhood and it has cars that you might laugh at if you saw going down road, but that’s always a good thing. I love the fact that Ghost Games really thought of this. The name of the game is variety, and Ghost plays that game well.
Be Adventurous
Ghost Games has said that along with the mean streets of its urban center, Need For Speed will also go into the hillside forests of Ventura Bay – the best of both sides of California. Yes, we’ll be racing through gritty industrial zones, among towering skyscrapers. Moreover, we’ll be cruising through a glorified Beverly Hills where the winding turns should make for exciting races.
Gliding your Mustangs and Porsches around trucks and dumpsters will likely be cool, especially with your crew laughing at your girly paint job. The varying settings should keep players satisfied and on their toes. I might be overly optimistic, but I think Ghost Games is chasing gold after the misstep that was Need For Speed Rivals. Whether they put their artistic talents to the test and earn it is yet to be seen.
No matter the turnout, I’m anticipating loving every second of drifting through Ventura Bay, enjoying every second of the customizing, cop chasing, and the street racing madness that is Need For Speed. Are you as excited as I am? Sound off in the comments below and tell us if you have a need for speed.