Need for Speed: Heat

There are some minor issues that bring your time spent with Need for Speed Heat down a little, but they never amount to anything more than irritations. On the whole, this is a triumphant return to form for a series that has gone off the track in recent years. With its nail-biting police chases and electrifying sense of speed, Need for Speed Heat is the most exciting and tense arcade racing game we...

Great modding and a decent game engine can’t disguise the tired story and simplistic driving.

Need for Speed's latest instalment is one of its better efforts in recent years.

Need for Speed: Heat is a beautiful game with a great gameplay loop, but due to the Internet limits of Origin and the game itself, there are some pretty big compromises to make.

The adrenaline-inducing, high stakes nightlife of Need for Speed Heat is an exciting idea that pushes the franchise forward after years of stagnation. The packed, vibrant world of Palm City and solid driving mechanics go a long way towards helping as well, but the poorly-balanced AI opponents, middling story and barebones online integration hold Heat back from standing among the best in the series...

Though it still can't match the scope of Forza Horizon 4, Need for Speed: Heat is a great racing game in its own right.

While Need for Speed Heat feels a little more like a mosaic of existing concepts rather than something especially trendsetting, Ghost has certainly scraped these ideas from some of the most-loved games in the now 25-year-old series. Heat doesn’t always sizzle but it’s definitely much hotter than I’d expected. This is easily the most impressive Need for Speed game in many years.

The best Need for Speed for years, despite its obnoxious racers.

Coming straight from the Underground.

Republished on Wednesday 31st August 2022: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of September's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows.

With Need for Speed (2015) and Payback, EA seemed to lose grasp of what fans looked for from the series. Awkward Fast & Furious style stories, slot machine upgrades, and live-action segments were not what was needed to make Need for Speed the biggest name in racing again.

Need for Speed Heat's driving is a step in the right direction for a franchise that's stuck at the back of the pack. However, its poor story, severe balance problems, and complete lack of an online presence stop it from ever reaching top speed.