I’ll be honest, when "Need for Speed Heat" was announced, I was cautiously optimistic, especially after the bag of mediocrity that was 2017’s "Need for Speed Payback".
After spending a fair amount of time with "Heat", however, I am happy to report that it’s actually a lot better than I was expecting. The game isn’t perfect, but it’s possibly the most fun I’ve had with the series in a long time.
The story takes place in Palm City, which happens to look a lot like Miami, and focuses on the street racing scene, both legal and illegal. The narrative is all about the various racing crews in the area and the battle to be the best crew there is while having run-ins with the police force.
For the most part, it’s really just a reason to get you behind the wheel of a vehicle and compete in races. The story isn’t memorable and neither are the characters, but it’s the right amount of corny fluff to get you entertained.
Where the game truly shines, aside from the actual racing, is the upgrading and customising of your vehicle.
There’s a plethora of options ranging from performance mods to customising the sound of your exhaust. Performance mods increase your car’s performance level as if in an RPG, resulting in more races becoming accessible.
I had the best time fine-tuning certain parts of the car in order to participate in a certain type of race. Not only that, but the amount of options for customising its appearance, right down to the angle of your wheels, is astounding.
"Need for Speed Heat" is available for purchase at Loot.co.za.