Gamescom 2019: Need For Speed Heat Gameplay Revealed, Other Details Showcased

The week before this year’s annual Gamescom event hosted in Germany, Developer Ghost Games officially announced Need for Speed: Heat to showoff what the team has been working on in celebration of the series’ 25^th anniversary since the debuting title back in 1994. Revealed after the game’s announcement, the studio shared that a gameplay trailer for the title will be shown at the current event held in Germany.

During the first annual Gamescom Opening Night Live presentation, Electronic Arts got a few minutes on stage to reveal how the game will look behind a controller as well as disclosing how the game will play in contrast to 2017’s Need for Speed: Payback. Revealing that progress will differ depending on racing either during the day or at night.

While the sun is up, players will participate in the Speedhunter Showdown which earns you money that can be used towards performance adjustments and cosmetic customization. And alike driving in real-time, the police will be on the look out for vehicles speeding or breaking the laws of the road. Primarily, day is for where players grind towards their progress on rides and other bragging rights.

Then flipping to night changes the game as you will still race, but rather than racing for cash, you compete to better your reputation in Palm City. As your rep rises, you paint a target on your back and police will hunt you down with more hostility than compared to the day shift. Driving at night is a gamble with a high rep, so it’s suggested that you find a place to lay low when escaping the cops or all you worked for will be for nothing.

Excitingly, Ghost Games shared that Speed Cards from preceding title Payback have been removed and upgrades will be earned through your ventures on the streets. Higher upgrades will be unlocked through your rep level from the night and purchasing said upgrades will be done with the cash you earned during the day. This time around, players will also be able to customize their own character with brands like Adidas and Marcelo Burlon.

Launching alongside the gameplay trailer is NFS Heat Studio: a mobile app that allows players to modify their own cars before the game is even out. Ghost clarifies that there will be weekly car drops and other additional parts that will make its way to the app in the coming weeks upon the game’s launch. And of course, you will be able to transfer your creations to the game later this November.

What truly excites me is that Ghost Games shows to have learned from the issues that Payback was plagued with and reverting to aspects of previous titles Heat. Especially with the 25 year celebration, looking at familiar mechanic returning does help us reflect on what truly defines the Need for Speed franchise.

Need for Speed: Heat is coming to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on November 2, 2019.