November 8, 2019
Ghost Games

Need for Speed Heat

It’s finally happened. Need for Speed is great again.

78%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

music, monetization

84% User Score Based on 100 reviews

Critic Score 73%Based on 51 reviews

Platforms

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About

Need for Speed Heat is a single player and multiplayer open world racing game. It was developed by Ghost Games and was released on November 8, 2019. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"Need for Speed Heat" is an adrenaline-pumping racing game that offers both legal and illegal street races. By day, participate in the Speed Hunter Showdown to earn money for car customization and upgrades. At night, engage in illicit street races to build reputation and access better parts, while avoiding a rogue task force ready to take you down. Experience the thrill of the chase and the adrenaline rush of underground racing in this immersive street racer.

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84%

Audience ScoreBased on 100 reviews

story11 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game successfully combines day and night racing, creating a thrilling risk/reward dynamic during police chases.
Customization options for cars are extensive, allowing players to personalize their vehicles significantly.
The graphics, especially at night, are visually stunning, enhancing the overall racing experience.

The story is weak and feels formulaic, lacking depth and engaging characters.
Police chases can be frustratingly difficult, often feeling unfair and leading to frequent player setbacks.
The open world lacks vibrancy and feels empty, diminishing the immersion and excitement of exploration.

story
82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
81%
6%
The story in the game is generally viewed as lackluster and clichéd, with many reviewers noting its predictability and brevity. While it serves as a backdrop for racing activities, it fails to engage players, often feeling tedious and uninspired. Despite some positive aspects like character customization and a day/night cycle, the overall narrative experience is considered weak and not a significant draw for players.
- “Die Story beginnt: man kommt in die Stadt, wo ein Racerevent stattfindet, an dem man teilnehmen will. Man will natürlich der Beste sein und gerät schnell in einen Konflikt mit der Polizei, weil man illegal bei Nacht unterwegs ist und merkwürdige Machenschaften der Polizei aufdeckt.”
- “Die Story entfaltet sich dabei sehr zäh und natürlich absehbar, schafft es aber auch in keiner Weise wirklich zu motivieren. Zu keinem Zeitpunkt habe ich mir gedacht: 'Oh jetzt die nächste Storymission, ich bin gerade richtig in der Story drin.'”
- “Die Story ist nice und das Gameplay auch.”
- “Die Story ist wieder nicht überzeugend, die Dialoge wirken sehr gestellt und erfüllen jedes Klischee.”
- “Die "Story" sah vielversprechend aus, aber leider viel zu kurz und nicht authentisch, wegen der Anfang der 20er Milchbubis, aber das macht den Braten auch nicht fett, Need for Speed ist ein Arcade-Racer und kein Story-Game.”
- “Die Story entfaltet sich dabei sehr zäh und natürlich absehbar... sie schafft es aber auch in keiner Weise wirklich richtig zu motivieren, zu keinem Zeitpunkt hab ich mir gedacht: "Oh jetzt die nächste Story-Mission, ich bin gerade richtig in der Story drin."”
gameplay
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
39%
23%
The gameplay is characterized by a compelling day-night cycle that introduces a mix of legal racing and thrilling police chases, enhancing the overall experience with a strong sense of speed and enjoyable drifting mechanics. While the customization options and upgrade system are praised, some players find the gameplay repetitive and lacking in variety, with certain mechanics feeling unbalanced or underdeveloped. Overall, the game offers an engaging flow but may not fully satisfy those seeking innovation in gameplay.
- “The day vs. night gameplay is a compelling loop, and it's a big step in the right direction for the series in general.”
- “There's an engaging flow to alternating between day and night events, the risk/reward mechanic revolving around police chases leads to some thrilling moments, fantastic sense of speed and enjoyable drifting, upgrade system grants a lot of freedom and includes a plethora of customization options.”
- “The tuning is a lot of fun, the sounds are great, and the gameplay is amazing.”
- “[a bad story that takes itself too seriously; repetitive open world activities; disappointing damage mechanics; looks underwhelming during the day.]”
- “[few stand-out gameplay elements, lack of event variety, random durability of scenery can be confusing while racing]”
- “[samey gameplay that rarely excites, surviving the night can feel more like luck than skill, all been done (better) before]”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding the soundtrack to be repetitive and lacking variety, primarily featuring electro and auto-tune rap that doesn't align well with the game's theme. Others appreciate the soundtrack's quality and diversity, noting it enhances the overall experience, though opinions on its suitability vary widely. Overall, while the sound design, including engine noises, is praised, the soundtrack's appeal is subjective and may not resonate with all players.
- “Superb graphics, incredibly good sound, a fitting soundtrack, and great online features.”
- “The soundtrack is top-notch and exactly my kind of music.”
- “Excellent soundtrack that can swing from poppy to grimey when the game calls for it.”
- “Nichts total schlimmes dabei, aber wird auch niemals an den Soundtrack von Underground 2 herankommen.”
- “Diese Musik passt keineswegs zu Need for Speed und noch schlimmer ist: es gibt kaum Abwechslung, es spielen ungefähr 12 Songs immer wieder in Schleife und davon ist nur Electro dabei und dieses ach so tolle 'Auto-Tune-Rap', welches für mich absolut nichts in einem 'wilden' Game zu suchen hat.”
- “NFS Heat sieht gut aus, es spielt sich toll, es hat eine hübsche Open World, das Tuning ist unvergleichlich gut, der Fuhrpark ist immens groß... nur die deutsche Synchro und der Soundtrack sind Müll, aber man gewöhnt sich dran.”
graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
18%
18%
Overall, the graphics in the game are praised for their crispness and impressive quality, particularly during night racing, which adds a unique aesthetic and challenge. Players appreciate the blend of old-school customization with modern visuals, although some express a desire for more car options and customization features. While the visuals are generally well-received, a few reviews mention inconsistencies, such as dreary visuals in certain contexts.
- “My favorite thing to do is to add my own art onto the cars, and something new with this version is you can actually download an app on your phone to design different graphics on cars and transfer them into the game later. I found that really cool and a change from the previous NFS games.”
- “Crisp graphics, especially in night mode.”
- “The day and night system is addictive, the cars feel great and distinct, the visuals are fantastic (especially at night), and the old-school customization is back and better than ever.”
- “Surprisingly dreary visuals.”
- “No graphics options.”
monetization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game has successfully eliminated microtransactions, which has been positively received by users; however, players still find that the grind remains a significant aspect of gameplay. Despite the absence of predatory monetization, the overall experience is enriched by features like challenging night racing, extensive car customization, and engaging mechanics.
- “Night racing is wonderfully challenging, with an impressive underground-inspired aesthetic. The driving is a solid balance of arcade and semi-realism, and there's great car customization with no predatory microtransactions.”
- “The new drifting mechanics and day and night gameplay are fantastic. The aggressive police add excitement, and there's tons of customization available, all without any microtransactions.”
- “There's a good sense of speed, and smashing through everything is fun. Exploring by day is relaxing, and there are no microtransactions, with plenty to do.”
- “Lack of microtransactions didn't remove the grind.”
- “Microtransactions are long gone thankfully, but not much else has changed.”
- “No microtransactions to be found.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The optimization aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with players praising the extensive tuning options for vehicles that enhance performance across various categories. However, the AI behavior has been criticized for being inconsistent and problematic, often leading to crashes during high-speed scenarios. Overall, while the game offers significant customization and performance improvements, the AI issues detract from the overall experience.
- “A performance display shows the status that the car should have to keep up well.”
- “Need for Speed Heat is a return to top performance for the franchise after multiple misfires.”
- “With over 120 cars and customization options to improve performance, there doesn't seem to be much purpose to continue rising once the story mode is complete.”
- “The normal traffic AI is just terrible; the entire highway is empty, and suddenly when you want to drift in a curve, the AI drives perfectly to the coordinates where you want to go = crash. The AI often stops right in the middle of the intersection when you're barreling down the street at 300 km/h with sunlight in front of you, resulting in a crash.”
- “With over 120 cars and customization options to improve performance, there doesn't seem to be much purpose to continue rising once the story mode is complete, and the only sense of competitiveness comes from the standard cop pursuits.”
- “The performance display shows the state that the car should be in to keep up well.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding in the game to be a significant detractor, as it hampers progression and disrupts pacing. The open world lacks engaging content, making the repetitive tasks feel even more tedious. While some appreciate the story and characters, the overall sentiment leans towards grinding being a chore rather than an enjoyable aspect of gameplay.
- “Heavy grinding made progression a chore.”
- “Grinding for upgrades hurts the pacing.”
- “With the exception of billboards, the open world offered little of value.”

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73%Critics’ scoreBased on 51 critic reviews

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Frequently Asked Questions

Need for Speed Heat is a open world racing game.

Need for Speed Heat is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox Series X|S and others.

Need for Speed Heat was released on November 8, 2019.

Need for Speed Heat was developed by Ghost Games.

Need for Speed Heat has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its music.

Need for Speed Heat is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Forza Motorsport 6, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, Diablo III: Eternal Collection, Demon's Souls, Endless Ocean Luminous and others.

Need for Speed Heat

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