Still, if you've enjoyed previous installments of this racing series, you'll have a thrilling ride with Need for Speed Payback. All of which makes this game feel like it's trying to be Forza Horizon 3 but isn't even up to the first one of those games. Competing in races can also turn into a grind, as they quickly become a matter of completing a number of races just to get the right parts to advance the story. Also, since the game seems to be set on a holiday Sunday when everyone's out of town, the roads are rather empty, thus eliminating the fun and challenge of having to weave in and out of traffic. This is reinforced when they start yapping away in the middle of a race. Most game developers in general stopped this since they wanted to focus. The only thing is, since the days of the PS3, the games have not offered a split-screen view while you go into a two player mode.
Even the OG NFS from ’94 lets you play in a head-to-head race.
The thing is, while the racing is solid, and the stunt work is unique and challenging - thanks to the game's solid controls and twisty tracks - the boring characters and their clichéd dialogue makes the story stuff rather tiresome. Every game in the Need For Speed series has some form of multiplayer ability. Just be careful, as the whole 'illegal' thing might draw the attention of the local police, who you'll then have to knock out of the way or just outrun. Which is really just an excuse to do a ton of illegal street races, off-road contests, and cool movie-style stunts. In Need for Speed Payback, you play as a former street racer trying to rebuild your reputation - and your friendships with your former crew. Though it's a noticeable improvement over the previous model, this illegal street racing game is neither the best seen from the series, nor this year's best driving game.
