Need for Speed Heat Reviews
Saying this is the best Need for Speed games in years may not mean much when some of its recent predecessors were just decent, but Need for Speed Heat is a return to its roots for better or worse, and is still fun to play even if there are better racers out there.
As we said, Need for Speed Heat is the best entry in the franchise for quite some time, but it's still not quite where it needs to be. The day vs. night gameplay is a compelling loop, and it's a big step in the right direction for the series in general. It's a solid effort with fun handling and lots of customisation options. It's a shame the open world lacks personality, and the police are perhaps a little too hardball, but there's still plenty to like. At the tail end of this generation, Need for Speed is back to being good — let's hope it can be great in future.
Ultimately, Need for Speed: Heat is a decent racer. In fact, I would say it is a great playing one. It’s just missing something new.
The day/night dynamic is entertaining and mixes things up. The car list is better than expected. Customization is clean and maximizes personalization. And the driving mechanics aren't overly complicated but present enough of a challenge.
Need for Speed Heat ditching its predecessor's heavy-handed microtransactions and live-service nonsense is commendable, but in most other ways, this is actually a step back for the series. The game provides some solid arcade thrills, but a limited map, so-so visuals, slapdash action, and irritating cops weigh the experience down. If you're desperate for a new open-world racer, Need for Speed Heat may be worth a spin, but most will want to wait until this one hits the used car lot.
But, it is the very definition of generic, with the tired, Fast and Furious lite, underground street racer motif we've seen dozens of times before. Heat fails to stand out from similar franchises, and joins the ranks of the more forgettable Need for Speed entries. There's some measure of fun to be had here, but it's clear that the series needs a shot of nitrous in the tank if it wants to stay relevant.
Need for Speed Heat is a big step in the right direction for the iconic franchise
An unnecessary release which cobbles together pieces from other, better racing games into a competent but dull experience. Save your cash and grab a copy of Burnout Paradise Remastered instead.
Despite a number of notable shortcomings, Need for Speed: Heat is a really good game to play. If you like the genre you can try a new game from Ghost Games and EA. The technical problems are likely to be quickly fixed by the planned updates.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Need for Speed Heat is the greeting of the series to this generation but also a new beginning thanks to its solidity, aesthetics, and playability. Ghost Games has combined the simplicity of the inputs with a great sense of control, in a beautiful open world to see and full of events.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Aesthetic, soundtrack, car customisation… Need For Speed Heat has it all except for the most important part: the driving. A clumsy drifting mechanic, clumsy feeling cars and a lack of physicality hamper the game, but that doesn't mean you can't have some fun with it.
Need for Speed Heat brings the 25-year-old racing franchise back to relevancy by combining the best mechanics from previous entries with a few new ones.
While it’s got a long way to go to hit the heights of the Forza Horizon competition, the improved story telling, inventive Night vs. Day structure, and fun driving make Heat worth picking up even if Payback and 2015’s reboot put you off the series.
Need For Speed Heat isn't perfect, but it's the best game Need For Speed has seen in a while and provides plenty of street racing thrills for fans.
Despite the many things Need for Speed: Heat does right, there’s just not enough there to keep me jumping back in for more.
This is not the EA release you're looking for.
I feel like an accessory to the crime by awarding Need for Speed: Heat such a high score, given the blatant theft of Forza Horizon’s entire schtick. But, at the end of the day it works and the few additions that Heat does bring to the formula help it stand apart. Need for Speed: Heat is a return to form for the series, and a great foundation to rebuild the tattered franchise on.
Unfortunately, Need for Speed: Heat is not the game that will bring back the magic to the franchise, but nonetheless, it's still a solid entry which certainly deserves your attention, only if you're a fan of this kind of games.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Need for Speed Heat is a solid arcade racer, in a landscape that continues to suffer from a drought of them. It is also, surprisingly, a solid arcade racer that is not plagued by the scourge that can be microtransactions, in a landscape (and from a publisher) that continues to practically drown in them. The story may be as generic as a Miami cop show from the '80s, but the cars are numerous and varied, the map is expansive and full of events, and most importantly, the racing is fast and furiously fun.
To the game's credit, the police presence on the track feels less like a gimmick than a genuine menace.