Need for Speed™ Payback

in my opinion this game is overly hated sure it's got a lot of bad qualities (cough cough EA will be EA) I do have a bit of bias given that it was my first Need for Speed game but other than that I think it's great and would highly recommend it for other people

If I could I would give it a Mixed.

Not a bad game, but far from being great... more of a meh.

Story is cringy, but the driving is good.
To upgrade your car with better parts it's basically gambling, you get stuff from slot machines., or time limited f2p live service kind of shop that refreshes itself every so often.
Basic visuals are locked behind challenges.
The dedicated car for each type of race system, I actually like that, reminds me of Pro Street.
The map is great, and the arcade style off roading is fun too.

The overall vibe is decent, so I more leaning towards a positive review than negative.
But if you just want one modern NFS as a quick fix for your craving, just get heat, same price better game.

Achievement hunters, it was fairly easy to get them all.
Ignore my hours, as I had the game already, before I was an achievement hunter; bought it again for steam achievements.

İt is good until you finish the story. If there was a meh option i would do that. Worth for the price? Learn that your self.

Playing cards are mods on the cards and that says it all. It was also a really bad game up to that point and yeah, what happened to making good games that were fun?
They must have paid for most of the reviews.

What an absolute joke of a game.

Spend good time with this gamę it was fun
Good story, good map, nice cars
Weird steering,

Ever feel like playing a game and the game itself feel abit like a movie.

Than this is it, NFS payback feels like Fast&Furious , race with players ,run away from cop,and steal that mustang!!!!!!!!

I like the graphics and story but some of the game play controls don't make sense to me but overall a very good game in my top 5 need for speed favorites.

Need for Speed Payback has etched itself as a must-have title in the world of racing games. This game strikes a unique balance between adventure and relaxation, making it an evergreen choice for gamers.

From the moment you rev up your engine, you're thrust into a world teeming with excitement and unexpected thrills. The single-player mode offers an exhilarating experience, delivering a perfect mix of happy and adrenaline-filled moments. The narrative-driven missions, coupled with high-speed chases and daring heists, keep you on the edge of your seat. It's not just about racing; it's about being part of a story, one that keeps you coming back for more.

The multiplayer mode, on the other hand, adds a layer of fun and competitiveness that's hard to match. Whether you’re racing against friends or just showing off your skills and builds, the multiplayer aspect enhances the game's replayability. The camaraderie and rivalry it fosters is genuinely enjoyable and adds a dynamic twist to the gameplay.

Even after several years since its release, Need for Speed Payback remains a standout title. It’s a game I find myself returning to regularly, drawn by its engaging gameplay and the rush it provides. The well-designed maps, diverse car customization options, and the seamless transition between different types of races make it a comprehensive and satisfying racing game.

In conclusion, I wholeheartedly recommend Need for Speed Payback to anyone looking for an adventurous yet relaxing racing game. Its blend of captivating single-player missions and exciting multiplayer modes ensures that there's something for everyone. Don't miss out on this timeless gem!

Need for Speed: Payback was an exhilarating ride for me, despite the criticism it often receives. I thoroughly enjoyed the game, especially the drifting mechanics, which I fell in love with. The story, while considered boring by some, was entertaining for me. The game features three characters, each specializing in different disciplines: Mac for Offroad & Drift, Tyler for Race & Drag, and Jess for the Runner class, handling tasks like getaway driving and outrunning the cops.

Although the cops only appear during missions, I didn't feel the need for more cop chases. I generally dislike cops in games, and their presence in missions was still quite annoying. Playing on the highest difficulty required having a car with a level at least +10 over the recommended level to win races. The most challenging part was a few runner missions where the cops would ram, throw you off roads, and block you by surrounding you. I had to replay some of these missions over 10 times to succeed.

Despite these challenges, I enjoyed the driving experience, car customization options, and community-curated wraps and liveries. Coming from The Crew 2 and Forza Horizon 4, I had little to complain about regarding customizations. My second and only other complaint, apart from the cops, is the empty and mostly desert terrain. The world felt lifeless, resembling a wasteland, with city areas looking similar except for a few exceptions. However, the music did enhance the overall experience.

Overall, I would recommend Need for Speed: Payback to any racing fan or beginner looking to experience arcade drifting. It's a game worth trying, so stop hating on it and give it a chance.

The game is pretty good so far, but the drifting aspect of the controls is ABSOLUTELY DIABOLICAL. You have to simply steer. Literally, just have your stick shift completely to the left and the car will be drifting. That makes for off-road races where most of the time you restart because there was a loss of speed so major, that you're in last place, cause every time you try to straighten out your car, it will start drifting to the other side. In the end, you just spend a huge amount of straights with your car wiggling Left, Right, Left, Right, Left, Right and so on, because you just can't straighten it. If your driving style is to hard steer at the start and ease off the steering angle after that, you will hate it.

Edit: Just beat the game. It's pretty rad, and just like in any other racing game, you get used to the controls. In drifts, handbrake and nitro were my best friends. The left right wobble is still an issue, that persists even after maximizing the "rear grip" tuning on off-roaders. A really huge tip, is to maximize the Nitro you can get for drifting and just fast machines in general. Don't use it at the starting line, but opt out to accelerate to about 2/5 of your top speed, then nitro. It will get you to your top speed, when your rivals are still far from it. And if you want to perlong a drift, nitro is again, a great way to do so.

Better than Heat and Unbound, haven't played the others, but the fact that this was nostalgic to me when I came back to it says something. The voice acting is terrible, but if you get past that, the game is very good.

Game is great in the beginning, but damn, around chapter 4 some of the races get obnoxious with the AI programmed with hyper nitro or something, the Roaming Racers are the absolute worst. Literal unlimited nitro on those cars. You can only win those races by knocking the racer off course at the start, and then praying to the car gods of old and new that they won't catch up, but hot damn, how are those cars going 0-200 in 3 seconds. Yeah, I hit a wall with some of the programming in this thing.

Music is okay. A lot of screamo, rap crap going on. Tho some of the tunes are catchy.

Control is pretty good, but there are some odd instances where you lose a bit of control at higher speeds and no amount of nudging or boosting will get the vehicle straightened out, so you might get frustrated at that.

Story and characters and voice acting are top-notch considering the genre.

Upgrade system kinda blows. Like I have 2 million dollars, and I can't buy higher leveled parts b/c they only offer parts to buy at certain level. Actually, I havent figured out the formula on why I am restricted to set level of parts. Like just let me spend this money yo!

Overall, I'm pissed off at some bullcrap I experienced over the last few hours. Self-induced I suppose as I am trying to beat the harder content, could probably just turn down the difficulty a notch and loosen up the OP AI.

Performance tuning is like playing casino slots (totally NOT an NFS experience), but otherwise it's somehow more fun than Heat.

Got this game on sale after playing it on PS$ at launch. Still a favorite of mine. Fun cars, easter eggs, and stunts galore. Definitely plays better with a controller in my opinion.

Its a good storyline i recommend a chill gameplay enjoyers. It has some decent sweaty moments as well. It is sad it cant be played in a multiplayer mode type NFS: Heat. I downloaded it to play it specifically with my wife, turned out it cant. The only multiplayer it has is some type of ranked races. Not really street race type. It is nonetheless enjoyable to play solo.

This game has the best map ( except it was way to restricted for an open world game ) and best handling model compared to recent NFS games. Use *Unite* mod for better experience. 5/10

i finally finish this game and the experience is so amazinggg, i like itt

Lame forced story for the first like hour or two and a lot of technical issues, which is just commonplace for EA. Worked for one session, next one shit don't even load and keeps force minimizing and I already played it too fucking long for a refund. Horrible game, not even worth it on sale. Thanks for robbing me of 5 dollars EA

Very good game i finished it on ps4 and it was really good and then played a bit on pc. in my opinion its the best Need For Speed game EA has made. Great story and fun cars.

Till now I have played for 41 hours. overall gaming experience was very good. My suggestion for the developer community would be include more racing cars in between each earlier missions.

cant purchase any vehicles in the game other than the free DLC cars. dont waste your money for a currupt game

Do yourself a favor, and play it with the Unite 1.2 mod. It makes the handling much better, the drifting more engaging, and the cops more ruthless. It also removes the random speed cards and allows you to buy the ones you want directly from the store, just like you'd buy parts in any other game. As soon as that speed card system is out, the game becomes much more enjoyable. Definitely worth it when on sale.

I have mixed feelings in this installment of Need For Speed series. It is surely an upgrade and also a downgrade from the previous game. The map is definitely bigger and the graphics is better than NFS 2015. Only one of the major downside for me is probably the car upgrades. I don't like it and it feels more like a grind and lottery. For me, this game is 6.5/10.

Honestly, like the story, loved the colors of the game, good customization, you have to buy different cars for sprint, drift, etc. is a good thing, and the same time its not, because you have to buy a whole new car and get the cards for it, THAT SUCKS
didn't like the only way to level up the car is with cards, the off-road is not that good too Honestly.

This is probably one of the best NFS Games i've every played in terms of plot

the plot are pretty action-packed, it gave me a little bit of "Fast and Furious" feels since there are few action involved.
the plot was pretty solid, consistent and also easy to digest

in terms of gameplay, it was pretty unique considering a different class for each of your car and only be used for that specific event

like race cars are only for race, drag car are only for drag, and so on


the customization: similar as previous NFS, but this time you'll need to do stuff instead of leveling up your rep to unlock it

PLOT
3 people worked together stealing Hypercar from a gambler ended up getting tricked by another person, then decide to work with the gambler to settle for a revenge to the person who tricked them

9.5 / 10, highly recommend for those who love racing with

T H I C C

Cars are nice, the mods for them are plentiful. Casino style upgrades are annoying. It's less about being good at the game, and more about having the right or better parts for the level.

I was enjoying the missions until I get forced into having to do different place styles, not a fan of drifting, especially on a PC with a keyboard. It's also very fetch questie when it comes to getting the Derrick rides. The police only seem to show up in missions, which kind of ruins the fun to free roaming.

If it's on sale you could put some hours in driving some nice cars and hitting some fun lines, but it's not my favourite by any stretch.

Very good game! Interesting and can be some times difficult but 100% worth it . Recommend it with both of my hands.

very good game, its probably worth only when its on sale.

It's like a worse version of NFS Heat.

I don't think I've ever cared less for a story in a game.
Driving is fun (apart from drag races - they fu*king suck di*k).
Highest difficulty is extremely easy (unless you're an IGN journalist).
Tuning is cool.
Music is neither great nor terrible.
Collecting derelict parts was a cool concept but it was super shallow and lackluster - a lot of untapped potential.
The "open world" is often annoying - there are a lot of places where you could jump from mountains/high roads onto the road beneath but the game does not let you do it and resets the car (Heat had the same problem iirc).
It probably had the worst automatic transmission I've ever seen in a racing game - random upshifting to 6th gear when you should be on 3rd gear (especially when using nitro at low speeds offroad).
The police is only present in story and dedicated events where you are always on timer and the chases are super boring.

Overall it's allright if you get it on a big discount.

When I first picked up NFS:Payback, I felt like that excited kid all over again, the one who saw it on store shelves years ago but couldn’t get it due to financial reasons. Finally, after all that time, I could play it, and I was beyond stoked. I had been waiting for what felt like forever, so you can imagine my excitement. But, to be honest, as I started playing, I quickly realized that this game didn’t quite live up to my expectations. The story, which I thought would hook me in, ended up feeling pretty flat. It didn’t capture my attention the way I hoped it would. The plot just didn’t have that “wow” factor, and the missions felt repetitive after a while.

It’s not that the game is inherently bad; it’s got its moments, especially if you love racing and customization, but the experience just didn’t keep me hooked. I expected something more immersive, something that would make me want to keep coming back for more. Instead, it felt like I was just checking off boxes. The driving mechanics are solid, the car customization is fun, but the story? Meh.

All in all, the excitement I felt as a kid finally getting this game was quickly replaced with disappointment. It’s a decent game, don’t get me wrong, but after all that time spent dreaming of playing it, I was left feeling a little let down. Maybe it’s just that the hype didn’t match the reality, but for me, this wasn’t the game I thought it would be.

Overall it's good besides the card system gacha that sometimes can be a bit meh

My third time playing and it's the best one from the more recent ones.
Story is engaging.
Only drawback is that it becomes a little bit overwhelming in cop chases in the late game. (too many cops)

The game is literally unplayable even with above the minimum requirements.

Definitely much better than the prior title!
Yet, it starts implementing some shitty features... Such as card based car improvements, like WTF!?
Now cars are locked per race mode, no longer letting you experiment that much with car settings.
Also tried to make some story, problem is that's only around 4 missions story based, rest are just regular races with a very clear pattern.

BUT racing and customs are awesome, which is the most important! Totally worth it.

Not the best game in the saga, but I loved a lot of the well presented, rethought and newly introduced elements that make a game about driving cars fun and enjoyable.

Unlike previous editions, Payback offers you a wide range of options when it comes to, not only cars and characters, but also different ways of driving and progressing through the game.

The story is interesting, as interesting as a racing game premise can get.
Nothing fancy. It is simple yet impactful, and worth chasing over: your fixer scammed you and you want revenge, which you'll get by ruining her underground status through winning races that shouldn't be winnable. Simple, but realistic in this setting. Just like in Fast & Furious.

The performance is good, the controls are good, the tutorials are good, the missions and side missions are good, the world is vast enough for you to drive around for HOURS with no real aim, just driving around feels good and entertaining enough.

Now, it's not all shine and rainbows - though it actually kinda is - (pun intended): DEI.

Jesus Christ. I won't deny that women drive cars, they do. But I've never seen one in underground racing. Street racing takes something your average gal doesn't have: BALLS. You can die, you can go to jail, you can ruin your +$50k car leaving you bankrupt... and yet, women are well over 50% of the entire cast: the main antagonist, the bosses... How? Anyway, I did like Jess, she's one of the three co-protagonists and has her well earned place, she feels like she belongs to the streets (in the good way!) - I did more missions with Jess than I did with Tyler or Mac, I liked hearing her puns while driving, I liked her missions, I liked her cars. But every other girl in the game feels SO out place.

Name me a single black queer lesbian woman who is the queen of underground racing in any country or location.
Yeah, right.

Let's go back to when car games where about cars.

Just started NFS Payback, and wow, the adrenaline is real! Speed, style, and chaos, this game is everything a racing fanatic could ask for. 🏎️🔥 #RacingVibes #NFSPayback"

Plot is bullshit
Graphics is bullshit
Gameplay is bullshit
Map design is bullshit

In a world without other racing games, it might not be a bad option. However, it comes across as a poor imitation of Forza Horizon, but with the addition of police and crime elements.

While Payback is probably the best NFS in the last 10 years since the reboot of NFS 2015, I don't think this game fare any better like others said.

The physics feels weird. Every races have this kind of weird rubber banding that made AI catch up with you in last 500m like they have speedhack or something. This bs have plagued NFS since this game to Unbound.

While I don't think the card upgrade system feels too grind-y, I get that they had that idea from No limits (mobile game), but with the BS rubberbanding it made a vicious cycle that force people to over-upgrading their cars, leading to unnecessary grinding, then that BS rubberbanding still a thing, people are, again, upgrading their cars. That's why people said this game is way too grindy.

And the "class" system. I think they overdone it. They can simplified it to just Speed-Drift-Offroad and refine it.
Because for the whole 2.5 hrs of the playtime, I only played the offroad and it's way worse than FH4. Again, the physics is weird. An offroad car shouldn't feel like a low-rider that's jumpy every single time you went offroad.

Overall, I think this game has "better" storytelling than Heat. But with the grinding, BS rubberbanding, poor physics, I couldn't recommend this game. Unless you have plenty of time to spend and didn't care much about getting pass by a rubberbanded AI that'll pass you within the last 500 m of the races

I enjoyed the game a lot despite the amount of hate that it gets. It is a great arcade style racing game that is a bit more laid back and visually impressive. Is the game worth $30? no. But for $4 I am having a blast with this title

Last good NFS game probably....even better than heat and unbound ('my opinion) the story is also very engaging

You could easily speed run the main missions and finish the whole entire game in 12 hours 💀

Good game for a discounted price. Can't say it has very engaging story since characters don't really have that wow factor and the voice acting sounds cheap so it doesn't help either but I am enjoying the game's progression style. Feels like the old NFS games that I used to like and customization is also very good.

It's a pretty cool solid game overall. It has a corny storyline and the physics are a bit wonky at times but it is at least a cohesive experience.

The inauguration of Heat. Literally the same gas station sound and billboard and a lot more. I think that it has the same layout as Heat. Pretty fun, I like how you can get xp by doing various things like drifting, jumping, or racing.

I'll recommend this because, despite the many usual NFS issues, and a few issues that are unique to this game, the writing is surprisingly good.

It's not all perfect, it's frequently corny, but it works where it counts. It's not about... idk, winning races for the prestige, or to TAKE BACK THE STREETS or because this race is JUST SO IMPORTANT.

The story is happening because sports makes money and some people do bad things for money, they hurt people. That's real stakes, there's a real story here, and you never meet anyone who's just a 1-dimensional douchebag like in so many other titles where they want you to just hate your opponents because they think toxic banter and pure resentment is going to make the races better somehow.

The world isn't full of sore losers whose enormous egos shatter because they lost one race. Your rivals seem like they're going to just be annoying, then you have conversations with them and you find out their story, and why they hate The House, and then you respect each other after the races are over. There are some surprisingly nice moments.

The Gambler is an ambiguous character who's really well written, acted and animated, and I'm curious to see what he's going to do.

Your main characters - you drive as three different people - are likeable too. They care about each other, and they talk about it. You want them to succeed.

There are a bunch of mechanical problems with the game. The upgrading system is silly - apparently a different engine head can improve your *checks notes* braking and jumping ability. It's clearly just there to tie into the weird roulette system that also ties into the microtransation crap. I know there's a whole gambling subplot but there's nothing that ties them together, I think it was just an excuse to use all the gambling knowledge that you gain working on modern microtransaction hell. Also some of the open world activities are shallow, like police chases where you have to hit all the checkpoints like it's a timed race, and the cops magically keep respawning until you reach the end where they magically disappear. It's literally just a checkpoint race where the cops are also there.

And the driving? It's okay, it's a NFS game, it's arcadey. It's okay.

But I'm pushing through all that junk because I actually care about the story.

Great game i like the modifications you can do to your car and i also like the surroundings .
The handeling is alright not so realistic but OK. Other then that great game like 7.5/10

My Fav NFS game. Driving around the map is very fun and easy fro your pc to run. I play at 165fps and the game looks amazing. Wait for it to drop to $2-$3

Po czterokrotnym ograniu stwierdzam że NFS Payback jest grą dla fanów serii i dwustastolatków w 100%...pomimo plusów są też minusy które ciągle irytują po 7 latach od premiery
Plusy:
- Grafika ciągle ładna pomimo 7 lat na karku
- Dużo samochodów
- 5 rodzajów wyścigów
- dużo aktywności pobocznych
- karty speed odskocznią od zwykłego tuningu
- w jednej misji fabularnej przez chwilę jeździ się ciężarówką
- model jazdy ujdzie ale do modelu jazdy w forzie mu daleko
- Mirosław Zbrojewicz (Rusek z diamentowego bloku), Waldemar Barwiński (czarnoskóry protagonista Sean McAlister aka Mac) i świętej pamięci Wojciech Paszkowski (Mechanik Rav) najlepsi z całej polskiej obsady
Minusy
- fabuła prosta jak drut ze standardowym motywem zemsty
- taki sobie scenariusz
- reszta polskiej obsady nie ma podjazdu do trzech wymienionych panów powyżej
-trzeba grindowac hajs co jest męczące fest
- debilne rozmowy między protagonistami w trakcie fabuły
- niepotrzebne gatki głównych bohaterów w trakcie zawodów i po zawodach (typu "ja wygrałem a wy nie" tekst Tylera...cringe stuprocentowy)
- nijaka antagonistka
- protagonistów ciężko polubić bo Tyler ma obsesję na byciu zawsze pierwszym a Jess jest do bólu ponura....jedynie Mac jest nie irytujący (ma kilka dobrych tekstów i można go polubić)
Payback jest odsłoną w stuprocentach dla fanów...plusy są solidne ale minusy przyćmiewają ogólną opinię na temat tej gry
Nie żałuję że grałem w to cztery razy ale raczej to tej gry nie wrócę
Porównując tą odsłonę z takim NFS Hot Pursuit to bez dwóch zdań Hot Pursuit bije Paybacka na głowę pod każdym względem
7/10

---{ Gameplay }---

---{ Graphics }---

---{ Audio }---

---{ Game Time }---

---{ ? / 10 }---