Ghost Games·Released Nov 3, 2015·Single player
With over 20 years of history in its rear view mirror, Need for Speed returns with a reboot that delivers on what Need for Speed stands for - rich customization, authentic urban car culture, a nocturnal open world, and an immersive narrative that drives your NFS game.
It all looks pretty nice and tries very, very desperately to be cool, but the actual game behind the graphics isn't close to being polished enough for a recommendation. The always-online requirement which is apparently only there because you have to be online to be able to share snapshots (seriously, that's the claim) is an absolute abomination but you'll be able to live with it, at least until EA kill the servers in a year or two and you won't be able to play the game anymore. Need for Speed isn't unplayable by any means, but there's a laundry list of things that can – and often do – stop that playing time from being very enjoyable.
Need for Speed's got many of the parts required of a great racer, but it's lacking a mechanic to assemble them and apply a lick of paint. The cutscenes, as obnoxious as they may be, are the real stars here, which may just be an indictment of the game as a whole. Sure, the handling's good, but the events are insipid – and the visuals may sparkle, but Ventura Bay is as vanilla as open worlds come. For as pumped-up as its excitable cast of characters are, this reboot quite simply lacks energy. Now, has anybody got any Monster?
21 years on from the series' debut on Panasonic's 3DO, billing this latest Need for Speed as a reboot feels somewhat gr…
This series reboot features numerous familiar features from past titles, but what's the actual allure of Ventura Bay?
Need For Speed gets a(nother) reboot, this time taking the game into a similar online-only world as The Crew. Will the game satiate your need for speed, or will it drift into obscurity? Let's find out...
Need For Speed borrows from the series' past to create an excellent street racer with a handful of obnoxious but ultimately forgivable problems.
Ghost's great-looking reboot shifts the series in a nice direction but doesn't pack quite enough under the hood.
