Today EA released a trailer for Need For Speed Payback, the first console installment in the series in two years. The game feature three main characters and a variety of mission types in their attempt to seek vengeance against The House, a criminal cartel that runs the city of Fortune Valley.
This is the first mention of a Need For Speed console release since Need For Speed: No Limits in 2015. Payback is EA’s attempt at reestablishing the series dominance in the racing genre after most of the recent entries have been met with lukewarm reception from gamers and critics alike.
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The Need For Speed Payback trailer highlights the usual action-oriented driving that players have come to expect from the series; souped-up muscle cars weave in and out of traffic, low riders peel off the pavement at the starting line of a street race, and wrecked cop cars spin haphazardly through traffic in pursuit. The trailer introduced the three characters players will use to take down the in-game cartel: Tyler, who handles racing events; Jess, the wheelman for heists; and Mac, the showman. All three characters will have unique missions suited to their expertise.
The trailer showcases a handful of exotic and tuned up cars whipping around in the traffic-laden streets of Fortune Valley with equally tricked out police vehicles in pursuit. The trailer seems to showcase the setting of Fortune Valley as well; from narrow, congested city streets lined with skyscrapers, to flat desert peppered with scrubby bushes. The trailer also mentions “turning scrappers into supercars”, an allusion to the customization element that will allow players to trick out any of the number of rides in their garage.
The story element in Payback seems like a refreshing change for the racing genre; the narrative seems to have a bit more pull than your normal, shallow racing game plot that plops you at the next starting line with little explanation. For all the promise in the trailer, gamer’s should still be skeptical of the finished product; the Need For Speed franchise has devolved into the throes of mediocrity with the last few entries in the series. The DLC shenanigans have also begun; players who preorder Payback will receive the “Platinum Car Pack” with five iconic, supped up cars available from the start.
Need For Speed Payback will be released November 10th for Xbox One, PC, and PlayStation 4.