Need for Speed™ Payback

Developer: Ghost Games | Publisher: Electronic Arts | Release Date: 2017 | Genre: Racing / Arcade / Open World | Website: Official Website | Purchase: Steam

The Need for Speed series has been around for decades, and Payback marks its 23rd installment. Released in 2017, it attempted to merge high-octane racing with a cinematic, “Fast & Furious” inspired storyline set in the sprawling open world of Fortune Valley, which is a very obvious fictionalized version of Las Vegas. In theory, it’s a dream setup with heists, car culture, a gritty underworld, and a flashy desert city to explore. Unfortunately, when it comes to execution, the results are mixed, with both standout moments and frustrating design decisions.

Payback tries harder than most NFS titles to build a full narrative. Players switch between three protagonists, Tyler “Ty” Morgan (street racer), Sean “Mac” McAlister (off-road/drift specialist), and Jessica “Jess” Miller (getaway driver).

The game opens with a daring heist to steal a Koenigsegg Regera, only to immediately turn the tables with a betrayal that leaves the crew broken and Fortune Valley firmly under the grip of The House, a cartel that controls the streets, the casinos, and even law enforcement. Naturally, the rest of the game is a road to redemption, where the crew takes on rival gangs, builds their rep back up, and ultimately aims to topple The House at the Outlaw’s Rush, the ultimate street racing showdown.

The story feels like it wants to be a playable Fast & Furious film, so players can expect a ton of over-the-top action, bombastic set pieces, and enough melodrama that you half-expect Vin Diesel to walk in talking about “family.” While entertaining at times, the characters themselves range from passable to cringeworthy. Mac provides occasional comic levity, Jess has some sharper dialogue, but Ty is painfully generic, and the hacker/street-racer side characters almost feel like a comedy parody.

Fortune Valley is a solid backdrop. It blends desert highways, city streets, canyons, and industrial zones. The 24-hour day-night cycle lends it a sense of life, especially with the glow of the Strip-like downtown against the desert sky. On PC, the game looks sharp, with high-resolution textures and solid lighting effects. Cars themselves are beautifully modeled, and the customization options make them look as good as they handle.

That said, the world feels oddly sterile. Unlike the immersive cityscapes of Underground or Most Wanted, Fortune Valley rarely feels “alive.” There’s traffic, sure, but the environment is mostly just backdrops for races rather than something truly engaging to explore. The game does attempt to entice players to check out every nook and cranny of the map with derelict cars hidden across the desert, which can be rebuilt piece by piece into unique rides. This scavenger-hunt mechanic is fun, rewarding, and one of the game’s more inspired ideas. More predictable are the billboards, jumps, and gamblers’ chips scattered across the map for completionists to hunt down. These are tied to Steam achievements, so obviously, EA has cashed in on this by releasing a DLC that conveniently marks all of them on your map.

The handling leans heavily toward arcade, and this is definitely not Assetto Corsa or Forza Motorsport. Drifting around corners feels exaggerated, and most cars share a similar floaty feel unless tuned differently. This works for big cinematic races but will leave hardcore racing fans unsatisfied. The biggest frustration, however, is not the physics but the progression system.

Instead of upgrading cars naturally with earned cash, players are pushed into a loot-box-like system for performance parts. Winning a race doesn’t necessarily get you the upgrade you want, and instead gives you a randomized card. This system quickly feels grindy and manipulative, a major misstep that dampens the joy of building your dream machine.

Missions in Payback often fall back on the same formula: race a rival gang, win, repeat. Big heist-style set pieces do break up the monotony, such as hijacking a truck in motion,  but these scripted sequences are few and far between.

One of the biggest omissions compared to earlier Need for Speed titles is the police chase system. While cops do appear in Payback, they are almost entirely tied to scripted missions or certain events. This makes them feel more like obstacles than a dynamic presence in the world. In older NFS games, a random joyride could turn into an adrenaline-pumping pursuit with escalating heat levels. Here, unless the story dictates it, the police are strangely absent from Fortune Valley. It’s a missed opportunity that robs the open world of excitement and unpredictability.

On the flip side, car customization is robust and one of the game’s biggest strengths. Body kits, spoilers, hoods, rims, neon underglow, and more are all present and Payback allows players to truly personalize their rides in a way that recalls the Underground era. Visual customization feels deep and rewarding, and the cars can be made to look stunning. It’s also possible to download creations made by other players and apply them to your own cars. Unfortunately, the satisfaction of upgrading performance is undercut by the loot-box style Speed Cards system. You may have the hottest-looking ride in the valley, but its speed is at the mercy of randomized parts drops.

Another unique mechanic is the “Side Bet” feature. Before many races, players can gamble on optional challenges, like “drift for 1,000 yards” or “finish within a certain time.” Completing these earns extra cash, adding a bit of risk-reward spice to races. While it’s a fun twist, it can also feel punishing if the random bet doesn’t suit the car you’re currently driving.

Finally, the map system deserves mention. Fortune Valley is divided into distinct regions: the city with its casino strip, sprawling desert highways, mountain roads, and industrial areas. The map is large and easy to navigate, though some sections feel more like filler stretches than meaningful playgrounds. Points of interest are clearly marked, with race events, collectibles, and derelict parts scattered throughout. It’s functional and clear, but the lack of dynamic world events, such as spontaneous cop chases, makes exploration less engaging than it could have been. At least players can challenge racers from other “Leagues,” which leads up to a showdown with the boss of that league, and there are drift zones, speed traps, and more dotted around for something to do between points of interest.

Cutscenes are heavily cinematic, full of dramatic camera angles and fast cuts. They look like they were pulled straight from a B-tier Hollywood action flick, sometimes in a good way, sometimes not. 

If Payback gets one thing right, it’s the soundtrack. Featuring artists like Stormzy, The Amazons, Kano, Ten Tonnes, Nothing but Thieves, and Otherkin, the licensed music complements the game’s flashy aesthetic. The mix of rock, grime, and electronic feels modern and fits the vibe of street racing. Engine sounds are decent, but they lack the raw growl of older NFS titles like Underground 2. The voice acting is serviceable, though uneven. Jess’s lines often land better than Ty’s, whose delivery is painfully wooden. Mac’s exaggerated energy helps, but the supporting cast veers into awkward or downright cringe territory. It’s at least a step up from the full-motion video sequences of the previous entry in the series, and having three different protagonists with their own personalities is better than seeing everything from the eyes of a nameless, mute driver.  

Need for Speed Payback is a bold attempt at merging cinematic storytelling with open-world racing. It delivers some entertaining moments, like explosive heist missions, a solid soundtrack, and the thrill of customizing beautiful cars. However, it stumbles on several fronts, including a forgettable plot, a frustrating loot-box system, shallow handling, and a lifeless open world.

For casual players who just want flashy races and a cinematic vibe, Payback can be a guilty pleasure. For long-time NFS fans hoping for the magic of Most Wanted or Underground, it’s unfortunately another disappointment weighed down by poor design choices.