Need for Speed: Heat is the fourth entry in the series for developer Ghost Games. Starting in 2013 with Rivals and most recently putting out the very disappointing Payback, this was the chance to reignite the franchise and sign off this console generation on a high.
Heat manages to do just that by going back to the Need for Speed roots. Cars handle superbly and after a small amount of time spent getting that muscle memory back I found myself sliding around corners with ease by pumping the accelerator and handbrake. The game provides a real sense of speed that is exhilarating, especially at night.
Graphically Ghost Games has put together a stunning racing game. This genre has always been a great showcase for the power of a console and Need for Speed: Heat is certainly no exception. The fictional Palm City (based off Miami) is a great setting that goes from beautiful sun drenched streets during the day to a sea of neon lighting at night. Heat definitely is one of the most visually striking games of the year.
The day and night cycles do a lot more than just change up the aesthetic as well. During the day you take part in sanctioned races to earn money which you can then use to buy new vehicles. Money isn’t all you will need though, as the sellers in Palm City are very picky in who they deal with. This is where our night setting, the real star of the show, takes over. Here you delve into illegal street races that inevitably alert the boys in blue.
This takes us on to NFS Heat’s best mechanic; the heat level. As you win races and build your heat level you will attract the attention of the police. If they catch you, you lose all the rep you earned that night, so it’s a little game of risk and reward deciding when is the best time to lose them, head for the safe house and bank it. The day/night cycle strangely reminded me of 2015’s Dying Light by Techland. When darkness falls the environment is more dangerous, but the rewards are greater.
Heat does come with an obligatory tacked on story that would feel at home in any Fast and Furious knock off film, but thankfully this time it doesn’t feel like it gets in the way of the driving too much. The stage is set pretty early on and from there you are free to enjoy the games finer points without having to worry about the narrative too much. I will say though it was nice to have a choice of characters, which did make cutscenes feel more personal.
Trophies are a nice mix of completing the story, getting 3 stars on all activities, finding all collectibles and a healthy dose of misc objectives. Reach 240mph with any car, completing jumps and evading police capture a certain number of times. Trophies when they are well thought out like this add to the overall experience of a game. They make you think of the gameplay from a different angle and encourage exploration. That is the case with Need for Speed: Heat and so even if you aren’t a trophy hunter I would definitely recommend taking a glance and trying to set yourself some goals.
Overall Need for Speed: Heat is a solid entry in the series. It rights the wrongs of 2017’s Payback by ditching loot boxes and getting the fundamentals right. A quick look at the UK sales charts suggests fans have been reluctant to jump on board but if you are reading this and are on the fence I recommend taking the leap. There are no shortage of racing games out there, but the exhilaration you get from losing the cops after a long pursuit and overall graphical style make this a real winner.
Reviewed on PS4 Pro. A review code was provided by the publisher.
