Games
As the new story trailer is released, the game's director tells us why it will make you feel like a driving hero.
In most racing games you are trying to beat your rivals on the track, setting up your car perfectly to nail your lap times and win a championship. But Need For Speed Payback has a bigger story to tell, one that promises to make you feel like a driving hero from the movies as you get stuck into street races and cop chases in a tale of betrayal and revenge.
The new Need For Speed Payback trailer focuses on the game's gripping story, which stars Tyler Morgan, a rising star on the street racing scene. After being double-crossed and forced into exile Tyler and his crew attempt to take down The House who control Fortune Valley’s underworld.
You can check out the trailer below. We also have an exclusive interview with the game's director, Will Ho, who told us more about Tyler and his crew, and revealed his favourite cars and missions in the game.
Can you tell us anything more about the betrayal and how Tyler plans to take down the House?
The House have corrupted the street racing in the city of Silver Rock. They fix races by planting paid drivers and rigging outcomes. The result is massive profits for The House. So, if Tyler wants to bring them down, he has to ruin their business plan by winning these rigged races. Simple, right?
There are lots of great racing games out this year. Is it the strong story and the characters that sets it apart from other racers? What was the most important thing for you and your team to get right?
We’ve listened to our fans. We know they want compelling stories and characters, but also want to stay in the free flow of an open-world driving game.
We transitioned from full-motion video to in-engine cutscenes so that you can stay immersed in the world – you don’t feel like you’re jumping over to a TV show and then jumping back to the game. We also paced our character banter more smartly. We want you to feel like our three heroes are talking each other through their challenges instead of interrupting each other. I’m really happy with the result.
The DNA is very much its own: iconic licensed cars, deep customisation, beautiful open worlds, battling against rivals and cops, and over-the-top action driving.
There is a lot of talk about the Fast and Furious films, but with its huge open world featuring a big city, desert and mountains, plus plenty of car chases with the cops, is it fair to say it has a GTA feel too?
Need for Speed is one of the longest running video game franchises, so there is more than enough of our own heritage to refer to. We’ve spent a lot of time crunching feedback from fans of all eras of Need for Speed. What we found is the DNA is very much its own: iconic licensed cars, deep customisation, beautiful open worlds, battling against rivals and cops, and over-the-top action driving. We’ve never felt more convicted in our own identity.
I want players to know upfront that there’s more gameplay variety in Need for Speed than ever before
What are the characters like? Do you have any touchstones in film, television or games whom you could compare them to? Do they have distinct driving styles or is it all about the cars?
I really wanted our new cast to represent the breadth of driving fantasies we have. Tyler the Racer is the classic aspiring street racer, Mac is the extreme stunt and style, taking on drifting and our new off-road events. And Jess is the professional wheelman, getting the job done right for the right dollars. I want players to know upfront that there’s more gameplay variety in Need for Speed than ever before, so we have these three characters – and their iconic cars – to personify that variety.
So you play as Tyler in street races, Jess when getting away from the cops, but what are the extreme driving situations Mac finds himself in?
I think Mac’s signature driving style is that he’s always driving sideways or off the ground. That’s why he takes the style and offroad events. But we also have some special 'extreme' driving moments in the Action Blockbuster Missions that I don’t want to spoil.
One of the things that a lot of racing games have in common this year is their realism. Is this more of a fun arcade experience where you can throw your car around?
I think our fans love that Need for Speed has always been and always will be a pick-up-and-play experience. We want new and old fans to feel like driving heroes at all times. It’s what makes Need for Speed Payback stand out this year or any other year.
We want new and old fans to feel like driving heroes at all times
What are your favourite cars to drive in the game?
I absolute love the vintage cars we call Derelicts. What’s great about them is they are the most customisable cars in the game, but that freedom doesn’t come for free. As you progress through the story, characters offer you clues about where to find Derelict chassis and parts. Then you have to explore the world and figure out how to reach these collectibles. Then you can build a Derelict into whatever class of car you want. I find that the time and effort put into building a Derelict makes it feel all that more rewarding to show off when it’s built.
Do you have any favourite missions that you could tell us about?
Earlier this year, we revealed the Highway Heist. It’s a white-knuckle experience in which you have to race through traffic and battle with rivals to highjack a moving 18-wheeler. I think this mission really embodies the excitement level that we aimed for throughout the single-player campaign.
Also, I love some of the new event types. Our new offroad races have lots of elevation changes and discoverable shortcuts between checkpoints. You really get a sense of freedom and reward. Also, I’m a big fan of our new Courier Missions in which Jess must hit multiple destinations in a short amount of time. These scenarios really test your knowledge of the city map.
You also have to get away from the cops – what sort of car is the best to outrun them and are there any sneaky tricks or tactics you should use?
You’ll find the cops on your tail often in the story. All three characters will have to escape at various times. But Jess’ cars, the Runner class, are specifically modified for battling pursuers.
Here’s a tip: use Runner cars to find Bait Crates in the open world. If you escape in time, you’ll earn bonus upgrades!
You get rewarded for risky driving, but how far should you push it?
Driving dangerously during races and missions is natural, right? The better you drive, the more REP you earn. And when you level up, you earn a Speed Card, which upgrades your car on the spot. But you can also rack up massive REP when you’re free roaming. So, it pays to constantly drift, jump, play chicken with traffic, and to chain massive combos all the time.
You have hinted that there’s more to taking risks than just driving, saying that you’ll reveal how you’ll be able to raise the stakes in Need For Speed Payback. Can you tell us?!
We’ve added secondary objectives to every mission. We call them Side Bets. Going in, you’re given a challenge. Say, chaining a super-long drift or causing a certain amount of destruction. If you win the race and the Side Bet, you can make a lot of extra bank quickly. If not, you lose your stake.
A lot of focus has been on the story, but what happens when you’ve completed it? A lot of racing games are about competing against your mates to get the fastest times. Is there any of that?
Competition between friends has always been a part of Need for Speed. Most story missions and all open world activities (Jumps, Drift Zones, Speed Runs, Speed Traps) have Autolog leaderboards attached to them. So even when you play through the single-player campaign the first time, you’re trying to beat your friends.
Need For Speed has been rebooted a few times, but do you hope that Payback is the beginning of a franchise? Have you planned more Payback?
I’ve really grown to love the characters in Need for Speed Payback, and they have lots of room to grow and evolve in the future. As with any story, there are many ideas and scenes that were left on the cutting room floor. I really hope to bring some of those lost moments to our fans someday.
Need For Speed Payback is out on PS4, Xbox One and PC on November 10
