Need for Speed Heat
Cover art featuring a modified Polestar 1 being chased by a Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport police car.
Developer(s)Ghost Games
Publisher(s)Electronic Arts
Director(s)Riley Cooper
Designer(s)Yoni Rabinowitz
Programmer(s)Nicolas Mercier
Artist(s)Henry LaBounta
Writer(s)Philip Huxley
Composer(s)Pedro Bromfman
SeriesNeed for Speed
EngineFrostbite 3
Platform(s)
ReleaseNovember 8, 2019
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Need for Speed Heat (stylised as NFS Heat) is a 2019 racing video game developed by Ghost Games and published by Electronic Arts for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. It is the twenty-fourth installment in the Need for Speed series and commemorates the series' 25th anniversary. The game received mixed reviews from critics, who mostly found the game to be an improvement over the 2015 Need for Speed reboot and Payback but not enough to be a full return to form for the franchise.

Heat was Ghost Games' final game both for the Need for Speed franchise and as a lead developer. In February 2020, EA shifted development of the franchise back to Criterion Games—the developers of the Burnout series, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010) and Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012)—and reduced Ghost Games to an engineering studio for the Frostbite engine, reverting their name back to EA Gothenburg. The game is succeeded by Need for Speed Unbound, which released in December 2022.

Gameplay

Need for Speed Heat is a racing game set in an open world environment called Palm City, a fictionalised version of Miami, Florida, and its surrounding areas. However, The in-game map features diverse geography, including mountainous areas, dense forests, and open fields.[1] Unlike Need for Speed Payback, the game does not include a 24-hour day-night cycle, but players can switch between day and night. During the day, players can take part in sanctioned race events, which reward players with cash to spend on new cars and upgrades. During the night, players can take part in illicit street racing, which rewards REP. Racing during the night will attract the attention of a rogue police task force that patrols the streets of Palm City, who are tasked with shutting down street racing in Palm City, which can lead players to risk their earned rep against the police or lose their earnings in handcuffs. Pursuits in Palm City can take place during day or night, but the PCPD's response to a pursuit differs depending on the time period. Players earn rep from participating in pursuits, with greater amounts offered during night than day. Each heat level also equates to the amount a player's earned rep for a current night session will be multiplied by, should they successfully reach a safehouse or garage.

The player is busted when the driver stops and is close to a PCPD unit for a certain amount of time, is completely immobilised during a pursuit, or has depleted their strength bar. Being busted will reward the player with any rep they have earned during the current night session, but will not be multiplied based on their heat level. They will also have to pay a fine using bank. Players busted by the PCPD will not have an impound strike applied to their vehicle or any other form of marks that would result in them losing their vehicle. They will only be fined and have their current night session consequently concluded. The game also features a storyline in which the players interact with the city's police force, led by authority figure Lt. Frank Mercer.[2][3][4] Players can smash neon flamingos hidden within the map, which rewards them with a small amount of money or rep depending on the time of day. They can also find graffiti, referred to as "Street Art" in the game, and send it to the livery editor to use it on their cars. Lastly, they can complete activities around the open world such as smashing billboards, beating scores on drift zones, getting the highest speeds passing through speed traps, and going the longest distances when performing long jumps. Players may complete "Crew Time Trials" which allows them to complete short timed events in an attempt to get the #1 spot on the leaderboard in their crew.

The game features 127 cars from 33 manufacturers, with Ferrari making its triumphant return after being absent from Payback due to licensing issues.[5] Unlike Payback, performance upgrades no longer come in random Speedcards and are unlocked by earning REP and winning races. The game does not feature loot boxes; however, time savers, which reveals collectibles on the map, and paid downloadable content was included.[6]

Ahead of the game's release, Electronic Arts released the NFS Heat Studio app for iOS and Android devices. Users can collect and customise their cars which can be imported into the main game upon release.[7][8]

The game added feature support for cross-platform play starting in June 2020 as part of the game's final patch.[9]

Plot

The player (male player voiced by Andrew Lawrence, female player voiced by Jamie Gray Hyder)[lower-alpha 1] arrives in Palm City for the SpeedHunters Showdown, a citywide exhibition that draws in racers who compete in sanctioned races throughout the day, and illegal street races at night. Lt. Frank Mercer (Josh Coxx), leader of the police's High-Speed Task Force, announces his intent to arrest all street racers in the city. The player buys their first car from Lucas Rivera (Jonny Cruz), a local mechanic and former street racer, who also helps the player enter their first Showdown race, and becomes their mentor. Lucas' younger sister, Ana Rivera (Ana Marte), is a street racer whose crew recently disbanded after the task force nearly killed one of her friends.

Ana introduces the player to The League, a crew of Palm City's best street racers, which Lucas almost joined until he quit racing after their father suddenly died. Ana and the player form a new crew to vie for a place in The League. After a race, Ana and the player are confronted by Officer Shaw (Josh Collins) of Mercer's task force, who impounds Ana's Nissan 350Z.

After another race, they witness Shaw meeting task force officer Eva Torres (Shontae Saldana). Shaw shows Torres bags of money in his car, extorted from street racers on Mercer's orders. Torres takes a bag but warns that Mercer's brashness is endangering them. Ana steals her father's 1967 Chevrolet Camaro from Lucas' shop so she can join the player in a race which Shaw interrupts. The player overturns Shaw's car, scattering the extorted money onto the street. The spectacle raises public suspicion over the task force and Lucas becomes angered at Ana for stealing their father's car.

Torres contacts Ana and the player to admit the task force is corrupt but wants Mercer taken down because he is too reckless. Torres leads them to a warehouse that acts as an illegal chop shop, stripping cars seized by the High-Speed Task Force, or preparing them to be shipped out of the city. Ana realizes her 350Z has been processed after finding its license plate.

The player and Ana attempt to expose Mercer by crashing a Showdown event, leading police and local media to his chop shop, but it turns out to be vacated. Ana and the player visit Lucas and find him bound and tortured by Mercer. Mercer reveals he anticipated their plan after seeing them on a secret camera in his shop. Mercer forces the player and Ana into his police car, but Lucas, having escaped his bonds, intercepts them in his father's Camaro and rams Mercer's car. Ana steals Mercer's laptop and escapes with Lucas and the player. At a hideout, Lucas admits to Ana that he quit street racing because he believes their father's fatal heart attack was caused by hearing about Lucas's arrest for street racing that same night.

Ana and Lucas send files from Mercer's computer to various outlets, proving his corruption and forcing him into hiding, then learn that Mercer is preparing the stolen cars in his possession for export before fleeing Palm City. As they do not know which cops are complicit or innocent, Ana and Lucas convince The League and other crews to simultaneously goad and draw as many police cars as possible to the port where the stolen cars are being loaded. Confronted by a swarm of police and street racers, Mercer attempts to escape in a BMW M3 GTR. The player chases and wrecks Mercer's car, leaving him for Torres, who pulls her pistol in response to his threats and is implied to have shot him.

Over a week later, Mercer is missing and presumed dead. Torres has been promoted to lead his task force, and she announces her commitment to ending street racing. Lucas reconciles with Ana and gives her the keys to their father's repaired Camaro. Now, members of The League, the player and Ana plan to continue racing and tackle any challenges together.

Development

NFS Heat booth at Gamescom

The game was revealed with a trailer released on August 14, 2019,[12] followed-up by a gameplay trailer released on August 20.[13] It was released on November 8 the same year.[14][15][16][17][18][19] The game was announced not to have lootboxes unlike its predecessor Payback, whose progression system received negative reviews.[20] The only paid DLCs available for the game are a time saver pack and a pack that unlocks the McLaren F1.[21] Free content updates added the Aston Martin DB11 Volante[21] and a playable version of the Polestar 1 hero car featured on the game's cover art.[22]

Following EA's decision to downsize developer Ghost Games, Criterion Games took over the development of the game's post-launch content. An update in June 2020 enabled cross-platform play between PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, making it the first EA game to have this feature, and the first since Need for Speed: Underground in 2003.[23]

Marketing

As part of marketing for the game, Polestar encouraged players to customize the Polestar 1, which appears in the game's cover, in the NFS Heat Studio app.[24]

Soundtrack

The musical score for Need for Speed Heat was composed by Brazilian composer Pedro Bromfman. In addition, the game features a soundtrack that comprises 58 tracks from various artists, with genres ranging from hip hop to EDM. According to EA, the game envisages "an open world of urban speed that resembles Miami" by incorporating Latin pop songs into the soundtrack.[25]

Reception

Need for Speed Heat received generally positive reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[26][27][28] Critics welcomed the overhauled progression system (compared to the predecessor Payback where one of the methods to gain upgrades for a car was to purchase loot boxes) and the option to choose between day and night for increased race variety, but criticized the short story and lack of innovation compared to previous titles.

Luke Reily of IGN gave the game an 8/10: "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."[33] Matthew Kato of Game Informer gave the game a score of 7.75/10. He stated in his review that "Need for Speed has meant different things over the years, but Heat is a good all-around representation of the franchise. The police could be a little more prominent, and the world – while well stocked – isn't as interesting as Forza Horizon’s, for instance, but NFS Heat is the best iteration since Ghost Games' reboot in 2015".[29]

Richard Wakeling of GameSpot gave the game a 7/10, stating that "With only a select few events, no discernible difference between each car's handling, and a simplistic driving model, Need for Speed Heat does stumble into repetition during its final few hours. It's not quite a rip-roaring return to form, then, but this latest entry puts the Need for Speed series back on the right track. The duality of its day and night events props up what would otherwise be a fairly run-of-the-mill racing game, but the renewed focus on hurtling around the track, racing wheel-to-wheel, and customizing each car in numerous ways, taps into the essence of what Need for Speed used to be about. Need for Speed Heat may not revolutionize racing games, but it's the best the series has been in a long, long time."[30]

Sales

Need for Speed Heat reached 9th place in sales at release, though it was the fifth best selling title on the PlayStation 4.[37]

Accolades

The game was nominated for "Best Racing Game" at the Gamescom Awards,[38] and won the award for "Game, Franchise Racing" at the NAVGTR Awards, whereas its other nomination was for "Song Collection".[39]

Notes

  1. ↑ Lawrence also provided his likeness for the player's Caucasian male character model and did the player's full-body motion capture.[10] Hyder also provided her likeness for the player's Caucasian female character model.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "'Need For Speed Heat' is an ode to Miami street racing". Engadget. Archived from the original on August 14, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Need for Speed: Heat trailer reveals day/night gameplay and the return of the cops". PC Gamer. August 19, 2019. Archived from the original on February 23, 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  3. ↑ "Need For Speed: Heat Live Gameplay Walkthrough - Gamescom 2019". YouTube. IGN. Archived from the original on August 29, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Need For Speed: Heat Official Synopsis". EA. EA. Archived from the original on August 26, 2019. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  5. ↑ Arts, Electronic (August 19, 2019). "Under the Hood: Need for Speed Heat Car List". /user-data. Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Need for Speed: Heat will never have loot boxes". PC Gamer. August 16, 2019. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Need For Speed Heat Studio". Electronic Arts. Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  8. ↑ "You can paint up your Need For Speed Heat rides right now". VG247. August 19, 2019. Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  9. ↑ Arts, Electronic (June 8, 2020). "Shifting Gears Into the Future with Criterion and Need for Speed". Electronic Arts Inc. Archived from the original on April 10, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  10. ↑ Lawrence, Andrew (20 November 2019). "Big shout out to the @needforspeed family! Sending out love and good vibes to all the wonderful cast, amazing crew and badass gamers. #NFSHeat #needforspeed #gamer #xbox #ps4 #ea #electronicarts #speed #racing #motorsports #blessed #gamerforlife". Instagram. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  11. ↑ Gray Hyder, Jamie [@JGHyder] (8 November 2019). "Select ME as your player in @EA's @NeedforSpeed HEAT out TODAY!!! #NFSHEAT #NeedforSpeedHeat" (Tweet). Retrieved 27 December 2019 – via Twitter.
  12. ↑ Need for Speed Heat Official Reveal Trailer, archived from the original on December 10, 2019, retrieved August 14, 2019
  13. ↑ Need for Speed Heat Official Gameplay Trailer, archived from the original on November 30, 2019, retrieved August 21, 2019
  14. ↑ "Need For Speed Heat Announced With Release Date". GameSpot. Archived from the original on August 14, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  15. ↑ Good, Owen S. (August 14, 2019). "Need for Speed Heat comes back with more cops vs. racers, watch the trailer now". Polygon. Archived from the original on August 14, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  16. ↑ Sheridan, Connor (August 14, 2019). "Need for Speed Heat trailer is here and the game's coming on November 8". gamesradar. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  17. ↑ Smith, Christopher. "Need For Speed Heat Graphics Look Next Level In First Trailer". Motor1.com. Archived from the original on August 14, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  18. ↑ Alexandra, Heather (August 14, 2019). "Newly Announced Need For Speed Has Some Serious Vice City Vibes". Kotaku. Archived from the original on August 15, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  19. ↑ Arts, Electronic (August 13, 2019). "Need for Speed Heat – Street Racing Video Game – Official EA Site". www.ea.com. Archived from the original on August 26, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  20. ↑ "R/Needforspeed - Comment by u/F8RGE on "Under the Hood: NFS Heat"". August 14, 2019. Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  21. 1 2 "Need for Speed™ Heat – New Cars Arrive on March 3". March 2, 2020. Archived from the original on April 20, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Need for Speed Heat - Update 1.5 - Update notes". December 11, 2019. Archived from the original on April 20, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  23. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (June 8, 2020). "Need for Speed Heat gets cross-play, the first EA game to do so". Polygon. Archived from the original on June 8, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  24. ↑ "Polestar and NFS Heat™". Polestar. Archived from the original on May 1, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  25. ↑ "The Music of Need for Speed™ Heat". Electronic Arts. October 31, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  26. 1 2 "Need for Speed Heat for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on November 5, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  27. 1 2 "Need for Speed Heat for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  28. 1 2 "Need for Speed Heat for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  29. 1 2 Kato, Matthew (November 15, 2019). "Need for Speed Heat Review". Game Informer. GameStop. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  30. 1 2 Wakeling, Richard (November 15, 2019). "Need for Speed Heat Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  31. ↑ Towell, Justin (November 8, 2019). "Need For Speed Heat review: "Can't quite capture the glory of the series PS2 heyday"". GamesRadar+. Future plc. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  32. ↑ Spyrison, Sam (November 8, 2019). "Review: Need for Speed Heat". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  33. 1 2 Reilly, Luke (November 8, 2019). "Need for Speed Heat review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  34. ↑ Lane, Rick (November 15, 2019). "Need for Speed Heat review". PC Gamer. Future plc. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  35. ↑ Williams, Mike (November 8, 2019). "Need for Speed Heat Review". USgamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  36. ↑ Iwaniuk, Phil (November 8, 2019). "Need For Speed Heat review". VG247. videogaming247 Ltd. Archived from the original on June 29, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  37. ↑ "November 2019 NPD — Pokémon has best U.S. launch in series history". Venturebeat. Jeff Grubb. November 8, 2019. Archived from the original on September 14, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  38. ↑ Milligan, Mercedes (August 15, 2019). "Gamescom Award 2019 Nominees Revealed". Animation Magazine. Animation Magazine, Inc. Archived from the original on September 13, 2019. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  39. ↑ "2019 Winners". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. February 24, 2020. Archived from the original on February 25, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
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