Need for Speed is one of the most recognizable names in video game racing, but the franchise fatigue brought about by annual releases prompted Electronic Arts to give the series a one year pit-stop. Now the iconic racer is back on the starting grid with a new title simply dubbed Need for Speed.
This iteration eschews the over the top car chases and police showdowns of the more recent entries in an attempt to return the series to its street racing roots. In many ways, Need for Speed 2015 feels like a spiritual successor to the franchise's Underground era, which placed a heavy emphasis on car customization and modification.
So did the one year break help NFS get back into the groove? Or should it have been fine-tuned a little longer? Here's what some of the critics are saying.
Gamespot gave the game an 8 out of 10, praising its gorgeous open world and saying that the car customization system really has a tangible effect on handling.
'You'll eventually open up 16 different sliders that control everything from tire pressure to shock stiffness, and believe it or not, I could actually feel the impact of every adjustment. It's an impressive system.' Reads the review.
IGN wasn't as kind, awarding NFS a 6.3 out of 10, saying that game's multiplayer features pale in comparison to that of rival titles.
'Like The Crew, Need for Speed requires a constant internet connection to play - even if you want to play solo.' Says IGN. 'Unlike The Crew, you can't just simply opt into multiplayer and rely on the game to take care of matchmaking and enlist you into a series of events.'
Similar to Ubisoft's racer The Crew, Need For Speed requires a constant internet connection to play. This inludes playing solo. However NFS, features no online lobbies or matchmaking of the sort. Like the previous entry in the series - 2013's Need For Speed Rivals, players are instanced into a free-roam session and from there can proceed to take part in events with another.
If you just want to hop into a lobby and start racing with other human opponents, you might want to look elsewhere.
The game's PS4 verison currently sits at a moderate 73 out of 100 on Metacritic.
