

Money and reputation multipliers are also passively earned when joining an online crew. Finding collectibles and performing mini-challenges like smashing billboards, going through speed traps, and taking on technical time trial courses dole out rewards. Palm City, which has Miami-like city streets, industrial areas, and broad hills made for drifting, contains more than just race events.

Also, they are only a nuisance now and again because there aren’t enough set-piece moments to amp up their power and presence. The cops can be formidable, marshaling ramming trucks and more to bring you down, but they’re easy to escape when they chase you in the middle of a race event.

Meanwhile, you earn progressively more rep for stringing races together and attracting police attention, so it’s fun to tempt fate with “one more race” before parking it for the night at the nearest safe house.Įven with the threat of arrest, the police in NFS Heat take a slight backseat to racing other street racers (online or A.I.). Cops are more active at night and take chunks of money and rep if you’re caught. You earn money during the day and reputation points at night. While the story of street racers going up against corrupt cops is forgettable, the day/night cycle that governs your activities is appealing. Need for Speed Heat has its flaws (its cop integration could be better), but it’s a rousing return that delivers on many of the franchise’s touchstones. During that time, developer Ghost Games has refocused and concentrated on the series’ core: cops, high speeds, world exploration, and customization – with a hokey story thrown in for old times’ sake. The Need for Speed franchise is back from a brief hiatus after the failure of 2017’s Need for Speed Payback.
