It won’t be long until we’ll be able to play Need for Speed Heat, the next addition to probably the most loved racing franchises ever. While the new game will bring new mechanics to the mix, Ghost Games will stay true to the series name, paying respect to most previous titles, in different kinds of ways.
We recently had the opportunity to interview Riley Cooper, creative director for Need for Speed Heat. Amongst others, he talked about the game’s multiplayer and how Ghost Games intend to make it a vital part of its ecosystem. What intrigued us though is how the studio intends to pay tribute to fan-favorite titles like Underground and Most Wanted. When asked about what will be different in Need for Speed Heat from its predecessors he pointed out that they intend to “bring the best experiences from the past into a single one”:
Heat is a first step towards bringing the best experiences of Need for Speed from the past together into a single experience. We have the sanctioned racing element of Pro Street, a cop experience akin to most wanted, and style inspired by Underground, Carbon & 2015 and risk-reward mechanics akin to Rivals. That was our goal and it’s the first time it’s been even attempted in the franchise history.
As you can already tell, Ghost Games is going all-in with Need for Speed Heat. Thinking back, we can all tell that we loved certain NFS titles for different types of things. We love the police hunts in Most Wanted and we love the exploration of Underground 2.
Also, no one can deny that there are racing parts of Pro Street and Carbon that we missed in the previous 2 titles. If you needed a reason to get hyped for the next addition to the franchise, Ghost Games delivered just that.
To make that work more naturally, the studio intends to “split” the game in two. Playing Need for Speed Heat, you’ll find yourself in a city with a full day and night cycle. This way, the developers can implement more mechanics by making nights feel more challenging. Cooper collaborated more on this:
The novelty of Heat is about bringing separate experiences together into one. The result is something that is more than the sum of its parts. It’s supported by our very new day-night loop. When you bring sanctioned day racing, and illicit street racing at night under one roof, it gives each experience dimension. Going to day is a relief, going to night steps up the challenge and the adrenaline. And by cycling between these two very differently paced experiences and looks each stays fresh. This enables longer play sessions that are more dynamic in nature.
Summing up, don’t expect Need for Speed Heat to be another yearly release. If what Ghost Games intends to do is as deep as it looks then we might be looking at a game worthy of long-term support. The studio has already confirmed that there will be no loot boxes in their game.
Instead, we’ll get purchasable content, probably in the form of DLC. You can check out the full car list here.
Need for Speed Heat releases on November 8th for Playstation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC. Pre-orders are available on all platforms, rewarding you with a limited edition starter car.
