Need for Speed (2015)
Discussion
Interesting views on the handling a friend who also got to try the beta has said that the handling is classic NFS but now you can set it up how you want. They went all out with a drift setup as the grip setup was just too sim like (you actually had to brake for corners 
)
Just under a month to go now
)Just under a month to go now
LAUNCH TRAILER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLQGXHy5m6Y
I am very excited for this now, looks to be much better than the last set of attempts by EA. Also it's been a very long time since I've hear Gangsta's Paradise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLQGXHy5m6Y
I am very excited for this now, looks to be much better than the last set of attempts by EA. Also it's been a very long time since I've hear Gangsta's Paradise
TommoAE86 said:
LAUNCH TRAILER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLQGXHy5m6Y
I am very excited for this now, looks to be much better than the last set of attempts by EA. Also it's been a very long time since I've hear Gangsta's Paradise
It's probably what their marketing people want to hear, but based on the trailer, I'm sold! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLQGXHy5m6Y
I am very excited for this now, looks to be much better than the last set of attempts by EA. Also it's been a very long time since I've hear Gangsta's Paradise
Also, thanks to those who posted reviews of the Beta, I had the email but didn't get round to playing it. Really enjoyed Underground 1 and 2, Most Wanted, Carbon was ok, Hot Pursuit was great fun too. Rivals wasn't bad either. But this looks like back to its classic best!
Well, I caved and paid £3.99 for the early access. Initial thoughts are that it took 12hrs to download, then crashed after 5 minutes of attempting to connect to an online session so I could play the career. Had to go to work then so haven't actually played it yet...
Not the best start.
Not the best start.
Right, Ive had a few hours on this now so Im in a better position to judge the game. I wouldnt normally bother reviewing a game but with three big titles out in November and all the hype around this I thought Id give my humble opinion on it. Before I go on, what I would say is that its definitely worth paying the £3.99 to EA access to play this early. Its not a demo, its 10hrs of the full game.
Visually, this game is great. Certainly Forza Horizon 2 worthy, but arguably more interesting with the downtown LA backdrop. The visual customisation in particular is absolutely superb and should be the benchmark for future racing games to follow, especially Forza which is still milking the same old mods it has been for the last decade. The choice of mods is not only vast but relevant - lots of trendy names and styles. The car list also seems like it was put together by someone who is actually interested in cars themselves. Theres a few obvious ones in there but having the likes of 993 Porsches and 240Zs (not to mention the first game in years to feature a late-spec RX7!) is a nice touch, although petrolheads will notice some glaring inaccuracies in the mods list so best to remember this isnt a simulator.
Really though, thats the good stuff out of the way. It would take me ages to go into detail with all the things I dislike, so Ill try and stay concise.
-The cutscenes being full of fist-pumping and hollyoaks-esque acting. Multiple uses of the word "bae". Maybe Im just not down with the kids anymore.
-Back on the PS2 as a teenager, I surprised myself (and my wallet) by rage-twisting apart a controller, literally tearing it to pieces. That was because of a Need For Speed race that I had been losing at for over an hour either through magical cars appearing on the penultimate corner causing me to crash or my opponent catching me up at the end despite me cleverly shunting him into an oncoming car at 140mph. Well that kind of gameplay is back in spades for this one.
-Online only play. Probably seemed like a good idea in a meeting, lots of talk about community involvement I imagine. What they seemed to forget is that everybody on the internet is an a
hole. So you can be mid-race and some sexless teenager will crash into you at speed making you lose. A bit like 'the Crew' but worse because people actually play this game.
-In keeping with the last reference, the handling physics. Theyre bloody awful. It plays exactly like 'the Crew'. You do get used to how awful it is, but its not intuitive at all. All the new objectives seem to appear at the opposite side of the map to wherever you are, so again much like 'the Crew' you will spend more time commuting than racing. The immovable Police cars from that game also feature in this one, happily defying any laws of physics.
Ive got to say Im disappointed. I really wanted this to knock those money-grabbing bds at Turn10 for six but I just dont think it will happen. For all their soulless thievery they know how to make a good racing game and its got to be said this is nowhere near as good as Horizon 2 is. Combine the gameplay and physics of that with the narrative and customisation of NFS and I think you would have the perfect game.
Try before you buy.
Visually, this game is great. Certainly Forza Horizon 2 worthy, but arguably more interesting with the downtown LA backdrop. The visual customisation in particular is absolutely superb and should be the benchmark for future racing games to follow, especially Forza which is still milking the same old mods it has been for the last decade. The choice of mods is not only vast but relevant - lots of trendy names and styles. The car list also seems like it was put together by someone who is actually interested in cars themselves. Theres a few obvious ones in there but having the likes of 993 Porsches and 240Zs (not to mention the first game in years to feature a late-spec RX7!) is a nice touch, although petrolheads will notice some glaring inaccuracies in the mods list so best to remember this isnt a simulator.
Really though, thats the good stuff out of the way. It would take me ages to go into detail with all the things I dislike, so Ill try and stay concise.
-The cutscenes being full of fist-pumping and hollyoaks-esque acting. Multiple uses of the word "bae". Maybe Im just not down with the kids anymore.
-Back on the PS2 as a teenager, I surprised myself (and my wallet) by rage-twisting apart a controller, literally tearing it to pieces. That was because of a Need For Speed race that I had been losing at for over an hour either through magical cars appearing on the penultimate corner causing me to crash or my opponent catching me up at the end despite me cleverly shunting him into an oncoming car at 140mph. Well that kind of gameplay is back in spades for this one.
-Online only play. Probably seemed like a good idea in a meeting, lots of talk about community involvement I imagine. What they seemed to forget is that everybody on the internet is an a
hole. So you can be mid-race and some sexless teenager will crash into you at speed making you lose. A bit like 'the Crew' but worse because people actually play this game.-In keeping with the last reference, the handling physics. Theyre bloody awful. It plays exactly like 'the Crew'. You do get used to how awful it is, but its not intuitive at all. All the new objectives seem to appear at the opposite side of the map to wherever you are, so again much like 'the Crew' you will spend more time commuting than racing. The immovable Police cars from that game also feature in this one, happily defying any laws of physics.
Ive got to say Im disappointed. I really wanted this to knock those money-grabbing b
ds at Turn10 for six but I just dont think it will happen. For all their soulless thievery they know how to make a good racing game and its got to be said this is nowhere near as good as Horizon 2 is. Combine the gameplay and physics of that with the narrative and customisation of NFS and I think you would have the perfect game.Try before you buy.
Edited by Rogue86 on Saturday 31st October 00:31
Youre not the only one, I really wanted this to be good. Unfortunately Ive been at the same race for over an hour now, the race only lasts 2mins. The gameplay isnt a case of rewarding skill like it is in something like Forza. You can punt the opponent into a wall and drive flawlessly for the whole race but there is every chance that the opponent will catch you up on the last corner and win for absolutely no logical reason.
Ive had to turn my Xbox off before it goes out of the window.
Ive had to turn my Xbox off before it goes out of the window.
I spent 7 hours yesterday playing it for our review; didn't hate it, surprisingly. It's not as good as Forza Horizon 2 if you're looking for an open world driving game, but it's not horrid: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/10/need-for-spe...
The elastic-band opponents were a main feature of the old Undergrounds - shame they've brought that 'feature' into the game, I recall more than a few controller-throws while playing the old games due to that
Nevertheless, it's the racing game I've been waiting for. I don't do sims, as much as I see their appeal it's all a bit too competitive and serious for me and I think they're wasted without a wheel setup.
I really wanted Forza Horizon too after playing the first one to be honest, but I can't justify buying another console for that one game.
Nevertheless, it's the racing game I've been waiting for. I don't do sims, as much as I see their appeal it's all a bit too competitive and serious for me and I think they're wasted without a wheel setup.
I really wanted Forza Horizon too after playing the first one to be honest, but I can't justify buying another console for that one game.
Dr JonboyG said:
I spent 7 hours yesterday playing it for our review; didn't hate it, surprisingly. It's not as good as Forza Horizon 2 if you're looking for an open world driving game, but it's not horrid: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/10/need-for-spe...
Just in reference to this review..1. You say it bogs down on the Xbox and the framerate drops low at times, by chance have you tried the game on any other platforms as a comparison?
2. Regarding having to drive back to the garage, I'm sure from some of the Youtube videos I've seen, players were 'fast travelling' to the garage from the start menu..
smithyithy said:
The elastic-band opponents were a main feature of the old Undergrounds - shame they've brought that 'feature' into the game, I recall more than a few controller-throws while playing the old games due to that
Nevertheless, it's the racing game I've been waiting for. I don't do sims, as much as I see their appeal it's all a bit too competitive and serious for me and I think they're wasted without a wheel setup.
I really wanted Forza Horizon too after playing the first one to be honest, but I can't justify buying another console for that one game.
I have to admit I'd never noticed the elastic-band AI until I got Rivals, then it was stupid as they'd come steaming up to you near the finish, I used to adjust my racing to get them to come up close mid race so I had time to get a good gap near the end. Nevertheless, it's the racing game I've been waiting for. I don't do sims, as much as I see their appeal it's all a bit too competitive and serious for me and I think they're wasted without a wheel setup.
I really wanted Forza Horizon too after playing the first one to be honest, but I can't justify buying another console for that one game.
I've got Horizon 2 on a pre-owned 360 and while it's the most complete open world racer so far, I can't help but get annoyed as the AI in that too... especially the constant ruining of clean streaks by just turning into you. Also "DLC only Xbone" - p
s off Turn10 
Hmmm glad I'm not the only one disappointed with this. Much like Rogue I was really wanting to love this but apart from the visuals and the car/mod list I don't. But I do think that the issues the game has a created because of the intended audience of the game. Make no mistake this is a arcade racer with pretty graphics and cut scenes.
I've found that the AI that creates the "elastic-band opponents" works in both ways. There have been a few times where I've had a mistaken laden start to a race and the opponents disappear in to the distance only to find that with a 1km or so to go I catch them up with their new passenger Miss Daisy. It doesn't make it any less frustrating but highlights that this game is aimed at the younger audience.
I can only emphasise the point Rogue makes about the cut scenes. Impressive as they are in their ability to transition from FMV to rendered graphics, they are cringe worthy and time consuming for anyone out of their teens.
Again the handling physics are arcade rather than simulation and definitely not better for it.
All I can say is thank god I got this on trial via the EA early access. I certainly won't be buying and I'm not sure I'll use the 4 remaining hours, although given I've apparently completed 45% of the game in the 6hrs I've used I wouldn't be far off completing it.
I've found that the AI that creates the "elastic-band opponents" works in both ways. There have been a few times where I've had a mistaken laden start to a race and the opponents disappear in to the distance only to find that with a 1km or so to go I catch them up with their new passenger Miss Daisy. It doesn't make it any less frustrating but highlights that this game is aimed at the younger audience.
I can only emphasise the point Rogue makes about the cut scenes. Impressive as they are in their ability to transition from FMV to rendered graphics, they are cringe worthy and time consuming for anyone out of their teens.
Again the handling physics are arcade rather than simulation and definitely not better for it.
All I can say is thank god I got this on trial via the EA early access. I certainly won't be buying and I'm not sure I'll use the 4 remaining hours, although given I've apparently completed 45% of the game in the 6hrs I've used I wouldn't be far off completing it.
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