Need For Speed Heat Game Review
3 Step Game Review
About the Game
Released
November 8, 2019
Developer
Ghost Games
Price
US$ 59.99
(MAY VARY PER LOCATION)
Game Description
Hustle by day and risk it all at night in Need for Speed™ Heat, a white-knuckle street racer, where the lines of the law fade as the sun starts to set.
By day, Palm City hosts the Speedhunter Showdown, a sanctioned competition where you earn Bank to customize and upgrade your high-performance cars.
At night, ramp up the intensity in illicit street races that build your reputation, getting you access to bigger races and better parts. But stay ready – cops are waiting and not all of them play fair.
Step 1: Playing Conditions
Read below the game basic characteristics. If it is something you see yourself playing, move on to Step 2: Graphics & Sound.
Gameplay Overview
As obvious as may sound, it’s another Need For Speed (NFS) game: you DRIVE, BUILD and CUSTOMIZE awesome cars. NFS Heat is divided into 2 modes: Day and Night. The first mode rewards money and the second reputation, XP for character levels.
The NIGHT MODE carries the function that gives the game name. HEAT is a “wanted system” as you have in games like GTA. It goes from 0 to 5 and the higher you get, more cops you will attract and more XP will be rewarded. Bigger the risk, bigger the reward.
Your “taste” for the game genre is key to set your expectations correctly as 100% of the gameplay you will be driving or setting-up a car. The set of storyline missions is short, but there are tones of things to do at NFS Heat (collectibles, race modes, time trials, jumps, drifting…).
Step 2: Graphics & Sound
Watch 5 to 10 minutes of any video below. If you like what you see and hear, move on to Step 3: Game Evaluation.
Step 3: Game Evaluation
Build your expectations about the game by learning what it offers and how was The Partisan Spy’s experience.
USER INTERFACE
NSF Heat UI is similar to the “genre template”, added the specifics elements of the game.
The CAR is always the “focal point” being in the center of the screen and the relevant information about what’s happening is around it. Menu, tabs, and functionalities are intuitive and easy to learn.
The hardcoded keybindings are a LIMITATION to the gameplay personal customizations.
STORY
The story is BASIC and functional with little chance of building an emotional connection with game characters. It exists to explain and justify all game elements.
Through the main NPC, you are introduced to these elements and side-missions NPCs. As the story ends, the game continues with the same objective: drive to gain money and reputation.
COMMUNITY POTENTIAL
Since 1994, 24 NFS titles were released, almost one new game for every year. That’s how NFS became one of the BIGGEST franchises of the genre with a huge community behind it.
Added to that, NFS Heat has open-world online lobbies, various ways to play PVP and creation of CREWS. It has the full potential to be played with friends and to be a vast source of content creation.
GAMEPLAY MOOD TRACKER
MOOD ANALYSIS
The sports game genre (racing, soccer, basketball, football…) has a common pattern when comes to mood tracking. As you learn the game there is an initial excitement and after that stage, it’s all about perfecting your mechanical ability to race, kick, dribble, etc…
NFS HEAT as most sports games is full of small and quick satisfaction feelings as you get better at the game. That kept my mood between NORMAL and ENTERTAINED but never strong enough to reach higher averages.
GRIND FEELING
There are so many different things to do at NFS Heat that is really hard to feel any grinding. When looking at the map there are HUNDREDS of icons “asking to be checked-out”. Maybe the hardest part of the game is to set a waypoint and don’t stop during the trip to do something else, like grab a collectible or make a long jump.
The grind feeling at NFS Heat can be related to the DRIVING as you are always in a car. But that’s the genre and playing condition of the game, so it can be avoided when deciding to buy the game.
LIKED THE MOST
The game is able to make you feel as you really were inside a car and have similar sensations as you would in RL when you speed, jump, or crash.
DISLIKED THE MOST
Not being able to play online as there was always the risk to be disconnected all lose my progress on an event.
EVALUATION SUMMARY
Need For Speed Heat is CONSISTENT with its legacy. The game is extremely polished (exception to connection stability), free of bugs, and offers a gameplay driving experience perfected year after year.
If you are competitive and like the genre, you will have fun with this game. On the other hand, choosing to buy NFS Heat today, means also paying for its brand and the “exclusivity of playing it first”. That is so because you can have SIMILAR experience and fun buying previous NFS titles for one-third of NFS Heat’s price.
Choices & Advice
DON’T BUY IT
IF YOU EXPECT A BIG EVOLUTION FROM PREVIOUS NFS GAMES.
WAIT TO BUY
IF YOU WANT A GOOD GAME FOR A FAIR PRICE.
BUY NOW
IF YOU ARE A SUPER FAN OF THE NFS FRANCHISE.
GAME LIFETIME
THIS IS A 40-60 HOUR GAME DEPENDING ON YOUR DRIVING SKILLS AND USE OF EXTERNAL INFORMATION.
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