Home Gaming It was “confusing” to have so many Need For Speed games

It was “confusing” to have so many Need For Speed games

1 min read
39

Need for speed

Need For Speed is a term that happens to be synonymous with the racing genre, due to the fact that the damn franchise has the resilience of a Parktown Prawn. Need For Speed had a new game out almost every single year, resulting in fans getting a little bit jaded and apprehensive to plonking down cash for yet another driving game.

Sure, there were some great games released when Criterion took over, but the overall attitude was more along the lines of “whoa, slow down guys”. Since the last game in 2013 however, Need For Speed: Rivals, the franchise has managed to take a break of sorts.

And that’s something that Ghost Games executive producer Marcus Nilsson feels was absolutely necessary as that beak did indeed give fans and the racing property some much-needed breathing room.

“Taking the year off is obviously an answer to that, right? We used it to figure out who we are and what we should be,” Nilsson said to OXM.

Was it confusing to have Need for Speed: The Run [six months after having] Shift 2? Absolutely. It is – not only does it saturate Need for Speed, but it also confuses you, ‘What is the experience I get from Need for Speed?’

So, this reboot of the franchise is about getting our foundation correctly laid out – what you see here is what the Need for Speed experience will be for the foreseeable future.

The new Need For Speed is looking alright. I’m still feeling a tad bit fatigued from all the various games that came out in the last gen, which included this list of vroom-vroomers:

  • Need For Speed Most Wanted
  • Need For Speed Carbon
  • Need For Speed Pro Street
  • Need For Speed Undercover
  • Need For Speed Shift
  • Need For Speed Hot Pursuit
  • Need For Speed Shift 2 Unleashed
  • Need For Speed The Run
  • Need For Speed Most Wanted (again)

That’s a lot of Need For Speed. Consider my desire to go really, really fast back then properly quenched. Maybe the next game will prove that the thirst is indeed real. Again. Again.

Last Updated: August 3, 2015

39 Comments

  1. If you not first you last! – Ricky bobby

    Reply

    • WitWolfy

      August 3, 2015 at 12:28

      Its the fastest who get paid, and the fastest who get laid! – Reese Bobby (His dad)

      Reply

    • WitWolfy

      August 3, 2015 at 12:28

      Its the fastest who get paid, and the fastest who get laid! – Reese Bobby (His dad)

      Reply

    • WitWolfy

      August 3, 2015 at 12:28

      Its the fastest who get paid, and the fastest who get laid! – Reese Bobby (His dad)

      Reply

  2. Loftus

    August 3, 2015 at 08:42

    Really really really want a Toyota Prius in the next Need for Speed. Will annoy the hell out of my wifey (massive need for speed fan), going arround a corner @ 20 km/h and saying broom broom every time I accelerate! hehehe

    Reply

  3. HvR

    August 3, 2015 at 08:55

    What was really “confusing” was the developers decreasing car knowledge or will to even remotely model the cars to the real thing. I know it more of an arcade racing than a simulator but little I played of the last games it felt like there was 3 or 4 car models with just different skins on them.

    And for FFS next time do not put a turbo on a Tesla.

    Reply

  4. Mistake Not...

    August 3, 2015 at 08:59

    I’m still not pleased with the whole ‘online only’ story.

    Reply

  5. Ryanza

    August 3, 2015 at 09:12

    need for speed turned shit after most wanted. it’s not about too many games been confusing, it’s about too many shit need for speed games, one after the other, that’s confusing.

    need for speed turned into burnout and then need for speed the movie. need for speed is not need for speed anymore.

    don’t make a shit version of burnout and call it need for speed.

    what’s next the need for speed paul walker edition.

    need for speed drm. so confusing.

    Don’t support DRM. i don’t think there is a non drm racing game coming soon. shame.

    Reply

    • Nikola

      August 3, 2015 at 10:20

      True after Most Wanted they were all absolute crap, Carbon was still OK I could play it wasn’t too bad but the rest never could play another NFS game

      Reply

    • Nikola

      August 3, 2015 at 10:20

      True after Most Wanted they were all absolute crap, Carbon was still OK I could play it wasn’t too bad but the rest never could play another NFS game

      Reply

    • Nikola

      August 3, 2015 at 10:20

      True after Most Wanted they were all absolute crap, Carbon was still OK I could play it wasn’t too bad but the rest never could play another NFS game

      Reply

    • Nikola

      August 3, 2015 at 10:20

      True after Most Wanted they were all absolute crap, Carbon was still OK I could play it wasn’t too bad but the rest never could play another NFS game

      Reply

    • Nikola

      August 3, 2015 at 10:20

      True after Most Wanted they were all absolute crap, Carbon was still OK I could play it wasn’t too bad but the rest never could play another NFS game

      Reply

    • Nikola

      August 3, 2015 at 10:20

      True after Most Wanted they were all absolute crap, Carbon was still OK I could play it wasn’t too bad but the rest never could play another NFS game

      Reply

  6. Captain JJ Fantasticus

    August 3, 2015 at 09:21

    Criterion made only a few decent NFS games. Rivals was a joke, refunded that one within 20 minutes. Shift 1 and 2 were at least decent. And the only one worth playing otherwise is the original Most Wanted. Not that awful excuse for a new one.

    Reply

    • Matthew Holliday

      August 3, 2015 at 09:54

      shift wasnt an NFS game.
      it was a NFS game pretending to be a racing sim. race tracks, race cars and racing lines are totally not NFS.
      NFS is not a racing sim, it is a racing game, drive stupid fast in real locations in awesome cars and use NOS like a meth addict.
      rivals atleast didnt pretend to be something it wasnt, a casual drive fast game. most wanted on the other hand, was trash.
      if you’re a project cars fan, you generally wouldnt like NFS games.

      most wanted and underground are like a racing gamers crown jewels.
      customisation and street racing, more to do with customisation than super high tier cars. soup your 350z to onetime drop a lambo, ez.
      and drifting, oh my, the drifting, used to have competitions with friends at school to see who could get the highest score.
      but still, even back then it wasnt so much about skill, back then i was terrible, but i still managed to wreck.

      not sure what i think about this new NFS though, that drift view just seems totally off and out of your control. like the PC babysits you through it.
      EA did what we all wanted, then told a bouncer to not let us do what we wanted when we got it.

      Reply

      • Captain JJ Fantasticus

        August 3, 2015 at 10:01

        Shift is very far from a sim though. Simcade, maybe, yes.

        But I honestly thought Rivals was a load of crap. On pc the keys could only be changed if you actually went into the game files (for controllers). There’s no steering wheel support. There was no manual transmission (how laze were they?). The cars handled like pinballs. Not arcade, just stupidly.
        Going on where NFS comes from, Rivals was terrible. For a burnout game it was good.
        I’m yet to play Project Cars. SInce there’s only one Asian car in it, it doesn’t immediately strike me as a very varied game. So I’m sticking with older games for now.

        I’m also very unsure about the new NFS. I want to be positive, after The Crew wasn’t quite what it promised to be, but I know the trend of NFS games of the past, so I’m not holding my breath.
        The guys who got it right was Test Drive. That game, with some extra modification would have been incredible.

        Reply

    • Matthew Holliday

      August 3, 2015 at 09:54

      shift wasnt an NFS game.
      it was a NFS game pretending to be a racing sim. race tracks, race cars and racing lines are totally not NFS.
      NFS is not a racing sim, it is a racing game, drive stupid fast in real locations in awesome cars and use NOS like a meth addict.
      rivals atleast didnt pretend to be something it wasnt, a casual drive fast game. most wanted on the other hand, was trash.
      if you’re a project cars fan, you generally wouldnt like NFS games.

      most wanted and underground are like a racing gamers crown jewels.
      customisation and street racing, more to do with customisation than super high tier cars. soup your 350z to onetime drop a lambo, ez.
      and drifting, oh my, the drifting, used to have competitions with friends at school to see who could get the highest score.
      but still, even back then it wasnt so much about skill, back then i was terrible, but i still managed to wreck.

      not sure what i think about this new NFS though, that drift view just seems totally off and out of your control. like the PC babysits you through it.
      EA did what we all wanted, then told a bouncer to not let us do what we wanted when we got it.

      Reply

    • Matthew Holliday

      August 3, 2015 at 09:54

      shift wasnt an NFS game.
      it was a NFS game pretending to be a racing sim. race tracks, race cars and racing lines are totally not NFS.
      NFS is not a racing sim, it is a racing game, drive stupid fast in real locations in awesome cars and use NOS like a meth addict.
      rivals atleast didnt pretend to be something it wasnt, a casual drive fast game. most wanted on the other hand, was trash.
      if you’re a project cars fan, you generally wouldnt like NFS games.

      most wanted and underground are like a racing gamers crown jewels.
      customisation and street racing, more to do with customisation than super high tier cars. soup your 350z to onetime drop a lambo, ez.
      and drifting, oh my, the drifting, used to have competitions with friends at school to see who could get the highest score.
      but still, even back then it wasnt so much about skill, back then i was terrible, but i still managed to wreck.

      not sure what i think about this new NFS though, that drift view just seems totally off and out of your control. like the PC babysits you through it.
      EA did what we all wanted, then told a bouncer to not let us do what we wanted when we got it.

      Reply

    • Matthew Holliday

      August 3, 2015 at 09:54

      shift wasnt an NFS game.
      it was a NFS game pretending to be a racing sim. race tracks, race cars and racing lines are totally not NFS.
      NFS is not a racing sim, it is a racing game, drive stupid fast in real locations in awesome cars and use NOS like a meth addict.
      rivals atleast didnt pretend to be something it wasnt, a casual drive fast game. most wanted on the other hand, was trash.
      if you’re a project cars fan, you generally wouldnt like NFS games.

      most wanted and underground are like a racing gamers crown jewels.
      customisation and street racing, more to do with customisation than super high tier cars. soup your 350z to onetime drop a lambo, ez.
      and drifting, oh my, the drifting, used to have competitions with friends at school to see who could get the highest score.
      but still, even back then it wasnt so much about skill, back then i was terrible, but i still managed to wreck.

      not sure what i think about this new NFS though, that drift view just seems totally off and out of your control. like the PC babysits you through it.
      EA did what we all wanted, then told a bouncer to not let us do what we wanted when we got it.

      Reply

    • Matthew Holliday

      August 3, 2015 at 09:54

      shift wasnt an NFS game.
      it was a NFS game pretending to be a racing sim. race tracks, race cars and racing lines are totally not NFS.
      NFS is not a racing sim, it is a racing game, drive stupid fast in real locations in awesome cars and use NOS like a meth addict.
      rivals atleast didnt pretend to be something it wasnt, a casual drive fast game. most wanted on the other hand, was trash.
      if you’re a project cars fan, you generally wouldnt like NFS games.

      most wanted and underground are like a racing gamers crown jewels.
      customisation and street racing, more to do with customisation than super high tier cars. soup your 350z to onetime drop a lambo, ez.
      and drifting, oh my, the drifting, used to have competitions with friends at school to see who could get the highest score.
      but still, even back then it wasnt so much about skill, back then i was terrible, but i still managed to wreck.

      not sure what i think about this new NFS though, that drift view just seems totally off and out of your control. like the PC babysits you through it.
      EA did what we all wanted, then told a bouncer to not let us do what we wanted when we got it.

      Reply

    • Matthew Holliday

      August 3, 2015 at 09:54

      shift wasnt an NFS game.
      it was a NFS game pretending to be a racing sim. race tracks, race cars and racing lines are totally not NFS.
      NFS is not a racing sim, it is a racing game, drive stupid fast in real locations in awesome cars and use NOS like a meth addict.
      rivals atleast didnt pretend to be something it wasnt, a casual drive fast game. most wanted on the other hand, was trash.
      if you’re a project cars fan, you generally wouldnt like NFS games.

      most wanted and underground are like a racing gamers crown jewels.
      customisation and street racing, more to do with customisation than super high tier cars. soup your 350z to onetime drop a lambo, ez.
      and drifting, oh my, the drifting, used to have competitions with friends at school to see who could get the highest score.
      but still, even back then it wasnt so much about skill, back then i was terrible, but i still managed to wreck.

      not sure what i think about this new NFS though, that drift view just seems totally off and out of your control. like the PC babysits you through it.
      EA did what we all wanted, then told a bouncer to not let us do what we wanted when we got it.

      Reply

  7. Fnuik

    August 3, 2015 at 09:32

    I reckon NFS went downhill after Underground 2. Played most wanted on ps3 after it came out on ps plus, but stopped playing it as soon as I saw a car standing next to the road that I had to pay to be able to drive.

    Reply

    • Sageville

      August 3, 2015 at 10:03

      The last one I actually enjoyed was Underground 2, after that… who cares, they lost the magic after that.

      Reply

  8. Captain JJ Fantasticus

    August 3, 2015 at 09:53

    If the new NFS doesn’t have a monetary system, then they didn’t listen to the fans.
    If it only has high-end cars, then they didn’t listen to the fans.
    If ONCE AGAIN there is only automatic transmission, then they didn’t listen to the fans.
    I’m curious to see if this is just another media stunt or if they actually care about the franchise.

    Reply

    • Matthew Holliday

      August 3, 2015 at 09:57

      from what i can tell, a monetary system is there and it wont be all about high tier cars. but theyll probably make it about high tier cars by the end game.
      auto transmission im not too fussed about, its casual, the need for gears is irrelevant in a NFS game.

      most of the game will be a media stunt though, refer to bouncer comment i made on your other comment.

      Reply

    • Matthew Holliday

      August 3, 2015 at 09:57

      from what i can tell, a monetary system is there and it wont be all about high tier cars. but theyll probably make it about high tier cars by the end game.
      auto transmission im not too fussed about, its casual, the need for gears is irrelevant in a NFS game.

      most of the game will be a media stunt though, refer to bouncer comment i made on your other comment.

      Reply

      • Captain JJ Fantasticus

        August 3, 2015 at 10:04

        That’s good to hear. High end cars near the end of the game is fine. Just don’t start us off with a Porsche like they did in Rivals. The lack of being able to buy cars and build up a garage just irritates me to no end. Without ownership of your cars I really don’t see the point.
        I don’t mind if people want to play auto transmission, to each their own. But to not have the option is a bit silly. I personally can’t play on auto because it just bores me to no end.

        Reply

    • Matthew Holliday

      August 3, 2015 at 09:57

      from what i can tell, a monetary system is there and it wont be all about high tier cars. but theyll probably make it about high tier cars by the end game.
      auto transmission im not too fussed about, its casual, the need for gears is irrelevant in a NFS game.

      most of the game will be a media stunt though, refer to bouncer comment i made on your other comment.

      Reply

    • Matthew Holliday

      August 3, 2015 at 09:57

      from what i can tell, a monetary system is there and it wont be all about high tier cars. but theyll probably make it about high tier cars by the end game.
      auto transmission im not too fussed about, its casual, the need for gears is irrelevant in a NFS game.

      most of the game will be a media stunt though, refer to bouncer comment i made on your other comment.

      Reply

    • Matthew Holliday

      August 3, 2015 at 09:57

      from what i can tell, a monetary system is there and it wont be all about high tier cars. but theyll probably make it about high tier cars by the end game.
      auto transmission im not too fussed about, its casual, the need for gears is irrelevant in a NFS game.

      most of the game will be a media stunt though, refer to bouncer comment i made on your other comment.

      Reply

    • Matthew Holliday

      August 3, 2015 at 09:57

      from what i can tell, a monetary system is there and it wont be all about high tier cars. but theyll probably make it about high tier cars by the end game.
      auto transmission im not too fussed about, its casual, the need for gears is irrelevant in a NFS game.

      most of the game will be a media stunt though, refer to bouncer comment i made on your other comment.

      Reply

  9. Captain JJ Fantasticus

    August 3, 2015 at 09:53

    If the new NFS doesn’t have a monetary system, then they didn’t listen to the fans.
    If it only has high-end cars, then they didn’t listen to the fans.
    If ONCE AGAIN there is only automatic transmission, then they didn’t listen to the fans.
    I’m curious to see if this is just another media stunt or if they actually care about the franchise.

    Reply

  10. Captain JJ Fantasticus

    August 3, 2015 at 09:53

    If the new NFS doesn’t have a monetary system, then they didn’t listen to the fans.
    If it only has high-end cars, then they didn’t listen to the fans.
    If ONCE AGAIN there is only automatic transmission, then they didn’t listen to the fans.
    I’m curious to see if this is just another media stunt or if they actually care about the franchise.

    Reply

  11. Captain JJ Fantasticus

    August 3, 2015 at 09:53

    If the new NFS doesn’t have a monetary system, then they didn’t listen to the fans.
    If it only has high-end cars, then they didn’t listen to the fans.
    If ONCE AGAIN there is only automatic transmission, then they didn’t listen to the fans.
    I’m curious to see if this is just another media stunt or if they actually care about the franchise.

    Reply

  12. Captain JJ Fantasticus

    August 3, 2015 at 09:53

    If the new NFS doesn’t have a monetary system, then they didn’t listen to the fans.
    If it only has high-end cars, then they didn’t listen to the fans.
    If ONCE AGAIN there is only automatic transmission, then they didn’t listen to the fans.
    I’m curious to see if this is just another media stunt or if they actually care about the franchise.

    Reply

  13. Captain JJ Fantasticus

    August 3, 2015 at 09:53

    If the new NFS doesn’t have a monetary system, then they didn’t listen to the fans.
    If it only has high-end cars, then they didn’t listen to the fans.
    If ONCE AGAIN there is only automatic transmission, then they didn’t listen to the fans.
    I’m curious to see if this is just another media stunt or if they actually care about the franchise.

    Reply

  14. Ryanza

    August 3, 2015 at 11:00

    • Ryanza

      August 3, 2015 at 11:03

      And on that note. It’s good to hear Mystikal again.

      Reply

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