GAMES / REVIEWS
Need for Speed:
Heat /£49.99inc VAT
DEVELOPERGhostGames/PUBLISHEREA
N
eedforSpeed:HeatseesGhostGames(formed
fromtheashesofCriterionGames)beinginspired
byitslegacy.Theresultis a racerthatcombines
thesummeryopen-worldfunofBurnoutParadisewiththe
muscularcarchasesofNeedforSpeed:Rivals.
Thestoryplacesyouplayinganup-and-comingstreet
racerlookingtomakehisnameontheroadsofPalmCity.
Byday,youparticipateinorganisedracestoearn‘Bank’(or
‘money’asit’sknownbymosthumans).Whendarkness
falls,thegameswitchestoillegalstreetracing,which
increasesthe‘Rep’pointsrequiredtopartakeinmore
advancedracesandunlocknewcarsandparts.
Thisswitchingbetweendayandnightis Heat’skey
mechanic,andit’ssmartlydesigned.Changingbetween
thetwo is performed manually, accompanied by a stylish
camera transition. Racing in the day is fun, with a wide variety
of activities on offer and plenty of cars to unlock, but the
illegal street races are the highlight. Not only do you race
among regular traffic at night (roads are cordoned off for
daytime races), but there’s also a good chance you’ll attract
the police’s attention and get rammed off the road.
Heat also sports a clever risk/reward system, where
successfully evading the police increases your ‘Heat’ rating,
earning you more Rep. However, you only get to keep those
points when you end the night by returning to your garage. If
the police bust you before you get there, you lose them all.
The result is that Heat’s night races offer by far the best
racing in the series for years. That said, there are still some
problems. Firstly, the car handling, a long-running issue for
Need for Speed, still isn’t up to scratch. Compared with
Forza Horizon and even Codemasters’ GRID, Need for
Speed’s cars feel too lightweight, with not enough
distinction between drives.
Also, if you find Heat’s use of slang such as ‘Bank’ and
‘Rep’ a little annoying, that’s barely the start of it. Heat’s story
revolves around some of the most obnoxious, self-
absorbed characters outside of Grand Theft Auto. When
they’re not oozing performative machismo (regardless of
gender),they’remopingaround
becausetheirludicrouslyexpensive
toygotconfiscatedbythepoliceafter
theywerecaughtdoingtwicethe
speedlimit.They’resoprofoundly
unsympatheticthatthewritershaveto
makethepoliceoutrightpsychopaths
tomakethemseemworse.
If youcangrityourteeththrough
thecutscenes, however, you’ll be
rewarded with the most enjoyable
Need for Speed in years – a smart
blend of ideas that results in
scintillating racing.
RICK LANE/VERDICT
Heat’s story and
characters may
infuriate, but
beyond that you’ll
find a thrilling
and imaginative
open-worldracer.OVERALL SCORE
75 %%
HOT
+Day/night
mechanic
workswell
+Lotsofdifferent
racetypes
+Thrilling night racesCOLD- Handling still
isn’tgreat - Awful story and
characters