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.
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 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
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
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.
Need for Speed Heat is a big step in the right direction for the iconic franchise
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
The Need for Speed series is back with a new chapter with high ambitions but the final result is not exactly perfect.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Heat is the best Need for Speed for years, motivates and is a tuning monster - but not in a league with the competition.
Review in German | Read full review
Need for Speed Heat is a full open world racing game. It does just about everything the competition offers, but without thinking outside the box. Less generalist than Gran Turismo or Forza Horizon, which he comes closest, he is far from equal. However, it offers a good alternative to change the mood. Racing games in open world are no longer jostling at the gate anyway.
Review in French | Read full review
Need for Speed: Heat can be a ton of fun but is held back by incredibly questionable AI. The vehicle customisation and tuning is incredible and the games has plenty of content to keep you racing for weeks. The story feels a little silly but the racing itself is a joy to play. This is the course-correction the series so desperately needed, and I can't wait to see Ghost Games build on this solid foundation for their next entry.
It wouldn't be totally fair to call Need for Speed Heat a bad game, but given the exciting high-speed material it's defined by, it is a disappointingly boring one. Small blessings like the lack of over-aggressive microtransactions and an incredibly in-depth car customization suite can't make up for gameplay and progression loops which, at best, feel routine and archaic, and at worst frustrating and obtuse.
Need for Speed Heat may be a greatest hits collection of past success stories in an attempt to make up for the past, but it still pushes the pedal to the metal when it comes to being a guilty pleasure of pure street racing junk food that's hot off the engine block.
To the game's credit, the police presence on the track feels less like a gimmick than a genuine menace.
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.
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