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E3 2015 Preview: Need for Speed

At E3, Stevivor went hands-on with Ghost Games’ Need for Speed.

Ghost gave the franchise a year off after Need for Speed: Rivals, giving itself some time to stop and figure out what made the game great.

According to the developer, Need for Speed boils down to five key tenets: culture, style, speed, outlaw and crew. Ghost admitted they’d let story fall to the wayside for the franchise’s latest titles, and decided to bring that aspect back to this reboot in a big way. Need for Speed will feature five stories, each representing one tenet, and highlighted by five real-world icons of motorsport. You’ll interact with those icons in your own personal quest to become on yourself.

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The NFS reboot will also focus on what Ghost says makes the franchise great, including things like nighttime driving, urban environments, street racing and messing around with cops.

We were treated to an extended sequence of the gameplay shown during EA’s press conference. As with the conference, it all began with a short, live-action sequence that immediately brought Need for Speed: Underground to mind. Then it was time to customise our car.

Customisation options seem limitless; you’re able to pick from real-life body kits, vehicle parts and even your car’s sound system. More important though is the ability to use the game’s Elite Tuner. For the first time in the franchise, you’re really able to control how your car behaves. Using a slider, you can set a global tuning setting, or delve down into elements like breaking and so on. No matter what you choose, you can opt for Need for Speed’s modern or classic styles. Those who like drifting are covered, as are those who like a little more grip.

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After customising our car, we set off on the moonlit streets of Ventura Bay. I opted to drift around the city, feeling like very much the bad-ass as I took corners with relative ease. I honestly was more interested in the sights around me rather than the way the car handled, but I did alright. Actually, that could potentially be proven, as new to the game is the an auto-snapshot feature that takes stills of you and your car if you do something amazing. As part of the feature, the shots are accessible by Need for Speed’s community right from the game’s main menu. If other gamers like a shot you star in, you’ll receive credit to use in-game.

The game’s main menu will also feature a series of ever-changing challenges, each thrown to the game’s community by Ghost Games. The developer said the feature has been crafted to really encourage replay after you’re finished with the five story sets. The menu lets you head into the game’s stories, connect with friends and more… it’s a tidy little hub that reinforces that this Need for Speed does require a constant internet connection.

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Anyways, back to the game’s visuals. If you’ve seen the game’s E3 trailer, you already know that Need for Speed looks gorgeous. Breathtakingly gorgeous. It’s immediately apparent that Ghost Games wasn’t kidding when it was said the reboot will have an emphasis on style.

It’s too early to be decidedly certain, but it damn well looks like Need for Speed’s back on the right path. We’ll find out for sure when the game is released on Windows PC, Xbox One and PS4 on 3 November.


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About the author

Steve Wright

Steve's the owner of this very site and an active games journalist nearing twenty (TWENTY!?!) years. He's a Canadian-Australian gay gaming geek, ice hockey player and fan. Husband to Matt and cat dad to Wally and Quinn.