Need for Speed: Payback

Presentation

Need for Speed: Payback is an open-world racing and action game developed by Ghost Games and published by Electronic Arts. It takes place in Fortune Valley, a fictional region inspired by Las Vegas and its surroundings, combining a brightly lit metropolis, deserts, canyons and mountain roads.

The story follows Tyler Morgan, a talented driver involved in the underground street racing scene alongside his companions. After a betrayal orchestrated by Lina Navarro, his crew seeks revenge against the House, a cartel that controls casinos, criminal activities and racing throughout the region. With the support of Marcus Weir, known as the Gambler, their objective is to enter the Outlaw's Rush, a competition bringing together Fortune Valley's best drivers.

Unlike several previous installments, the game features three playable characters, each associated with particular driving disciplines. Tyler specializes in road racing and drag events, Sean "Mac" MacAllister focuses on drifting and off-road driving, while Jessica "Jess" Miller primarily handles high-risk driving missions and pursuits. Ravindra "Rav" Chaudhry, the crew's mechanic, supports their progression from his workshop.

The campaign is structured around different racing leagues, automotive events and story-driven missions. Traditional races are accompanied by more spectacular action sequences, including vehicle recovery operations and confrontations with the police. This structure brings certain missions closer to the chase sequences found in action films.

Vehicles are divided into five classes: Race, Drift, Drag, Off-Road and Runner. Each serves a specific purpose, from asphalt racing and drifting to straight-line acceleration, off-road competitions and escape missions. This specialization influences how cars are selected and prepared for different events.

Vehicle progression relies on performance cards known as Speed Cards, obtained through competitions or specialized shops. These improve the mechanical characteristics of vehicles, with additional bonuses linked to individual parts and their brands. Visual customization also offers numerous modifications, including bodywork, wheels, paintwork and liveries.

Exploring Fortune Valley also allows players to discover Derelicts, abandoned vehicles whose components are scattered throughout the open world. Once their parts have been collected, these cars can be restored, modified and transformed into extensively customized builds through Super Builds.

Beyond the campaign, the region offers various driving activities and exploration challenges. Multiplayer allows players to explore Fortune Valley alongside other drivers through AllDrive, while Speedlists bring players together for online competitions.

Key points

• An open-world racing and action game.
• An adventure set in Fortune Valley, a region inspired by Las Vegas.
• A revenge story against the House, a cartel controlling the region's underground activities.
• Three playable characters: Tyler Morgan, Sean MacAllister and Jessica Miller.
• A campaign structured around racing leagues and story-driven missions.
• The Outlaw's Rush serves as the crew's central objective.
• Five vehicle classes: Race, Drift, Drag, Off-Road and Runner.
• Road racing, drifting, off-road competitions and drag events.
• Action missions involving police pursuits and automotive operations.
• A mechanical progression system based on Speed Cards.
• Extensive visual customization options.
• Derelicts to discover, restore and transform into Super Builds.
• Activities and challenges scattered throughout the open world.
• Multiplayer featuring AllDrive and Speedlists.

Conclusion

Need for Speed: Payback combines the series' traditional automotive competitions with a campaign centered on Tyler Morgan and his crew's revenge against the House.

Its three playable drivers, different racing disciplines and action missions structure progression throughout Fortune Valley. The Speed Cards system, Derelict restoration and vehicle customization extend this development beyond racing alone.

The overall experience builds on street racing, spectacular pursuits and vehicle tuning, with the Outlaw's Rush serving as the main narrative objective.

Good to know

Need for Speed: Payback was developed by Ghost Games and published by Electronic Arts.

The game was released on November 10, 2017, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

It uses the Frostbite 3 game engine.

Fortune Valley features several distinct environments, including the city of Silver Rock, the desert landscapes of Liberty Desert and the mountain roads of Mount Providence.

The campaign features Tyler Morgan, Sean MacAllister and Jessica Miller as playable characters, while Ravindra Chaudhry serves as the crew's mechanic.

Vehicles are divided into five specialized classes. A car's class determines which types of events it can enter.

Speed Cards represent mechanical upgrades. They have different levels and can provide additional bonuses when certain parts from the same brand are combined.

Derelicts are vehicles reconstructed from parts hidden throughout Fortune Valley. Once restored and sufficiently upgraded, they can receive advanced visual transformations known as Super Builds.

Police pursuits mainly occur during story-driven missions and certain activities, including Bait Crates, which trigger a pursuit when players collect their contents.

Unlike Need for Speed (2015), Payback's single-player campaign can be played offline.

Multiplayer includes AllDrive, designed for free-roam exploration with other players, and Speedlists, dedicated to online competitions.

This entry focuses on Fortune Valley, the three drivers, progression toward the Outlaw's Rush, the five vehicle classes, Speed Cards, Derelicts and game modes, without detailing every car, racing league or secondary activity.