NEED FOR SPEED: PAY BACK

Revenge is sweet when it looks this good Format PS4 ETA 10 Nov Pub EA Dev Ghost Games

Every time a new Need For Speed is announced we cross our fingers and pray to the petrol gods. “This time,” we whisper, “make it good, make it like Hot Pursuit”. It looks like our prayers have been answered.

Developed by Ghost Games, a studio made up of former employees of Burnout studio Criterion, Need For Speed: Payback looks like a mix of classic cops ’n’ robbers chases set in the fictional US state of Fortune Valley. We’re promised a racer’s playground of jumps, stunts, and high-speed pursuits.

It’s all wrapped in a story mode that lets you switch between three characters, Tyler, the racer; Mac, the player; and Jess, the getaway driver. Meeting challenges and events earns you ‘respect’, unlocking new missions and map zones, each getting you closer to taking revenge against The House – a shady organisation the trio have a shared beef with.

OVERTAKEDOWN

A standout mission has our car weaving through burning wreckage, sideswiping pursuing vehicles off the road in slow-mo carnage-cam smashes, while homing in on a

truck housing a sweet ride that needs stealing. It’s a mission that mixes Burnout takedowns with story-driven moments reminiscent of The Run, before escalating into a Hot Pursuit police hunt as we make a break for it.

In many ways, Payback feels like the culmination of all the tried and tested Need For Speed tropes – custom cars, open-world chases, a cinematic story mode – pimped and polished into one new package. It’s only taken 20 years, but EA may have finally found the perfect Need For Speed formula.

“WE’RE PROMISED A RACER’S PLAYGROUND OF JUMPS, STUNTS, AND HIGH-SPEED PURSUITS.”