Info about Need for Speed™:

Official game description:
Ready to own the streets? Get behind the wheel of iconic cars and floor it through Ventura Bay, a sprawling urban playground. Explore overlapping stories as you build your reputation – and your dream car – and become the ultimate racing icon. Play again and again because this time, you have 5 distinct ways to win.  
GET EXTRA IN-GAME CONTENT WHEN YOU GO WITH THE DELUXE EDITION.  
• Lifetime 10% discount on all items using in-game currency.  
• Tricked-out starter car.  
• Styling and Performance pack.  
• Exclusive wraps.  
• Unique Identifying Sticker.  
• VIP icon.  
GAME FEATURES:  
Optimized for PC. Get an unlocked frame rate and experience Need for Speed at 4K resolution, only on PC. Plus, feel the thrill of street racing with steering wheel and peripheral support from a range of manufacturers including Logitech, Thrustmaster and Fanatec.  
Rich authentic customization. Build a car to reflect your character with extensive visual and performance customization options. Because your ride should look as good as it handles.  
West Coast playground. Discover Ventura Bay. From the dense city streets to the winding roads that lead you to the harbor and through the canyons, this is your home turf.  
Play your way. Need for Speed returns with 5 unique ways to play: Speed, Style, Build, Crew and Outlaw, enabling you to earn reputation and ultimately win your way.  
Living Game. Take on Ventura Bay’s slickest street racers with free updates in Eddie’s challenge and become an expert photographer with Snapshot Pro. Plus, earn Ken Block’s Hoonicorn and Morohoshi-San’s Diablo.  
Be part of the story. Step into a richly created world and be part of an immersive story that takes you all over Ventura Bay.

Release date: Jun 4, 2020

Categories: Racing Simulation, Driving Simulation, Vehicle Customization, Open-World Exploration, Story-driven Gameplay, Multiplayer, Customization

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 10; verdict: Fair; summary: Reviews explicitly mention no microtransactions.
- Steam Deck: score 85; verdict: Broken; summary: The analysis of user feedback for the Steam Deck experience of the game reveals several significant issues. The most frequent and impactful complaints include the always-online requirement, poor controller support, lack of an offline mode, Proton compatibility issues, and problems with the EA App. These issues collectively contribute to a frustrating user experience, with many players expressing dissatisfaction with the game's technical barriers and stability problems.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $5.00 - $10.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence consistently points to the game being recommended only when purchased on sale. Users suggest that the game is enjoyable and worth the experience if bought at a discounted price, indicating that the community considers the fair base price to be lower than the current base game price. The repeated emphasis on purchasing the game during sales suggests a lower perceived value.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 25.0h
  - Story completion: 15.0h
  - Session length: 1.0h
  - Endgame: 50.0h
  - Reasoning: The evidence provided indicates several key points about the playtime metrics. The mention of replaying races in 'Prestige' mode and completing achievements suggests a significant amount of endgame content, implying that players can spend considerable time beyond the main story. The reference to getting around 10-20 hours of fun for casual players provides a clear estimate for story completion time. The complaints about server disconnections and maintenance every 30 minutes suggest that session lengths might be interrupted frequently, but players can still engage in multiple sessions. The detailed description of endgame activities like tuning cars and replaying races in harder difficulties supports the idea of extensive endgame content.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game initially presents challenges with controls and collisions, but becomes more enjoyable as players progress through the rewarding customization and progression systems, with multiplayer interactions adding to the fun.
  - Stance: Fun after initial friction
  - Anchor: Customization and progression
  - Time to anchor: 1h 0m
  - Friction: Difficult controls; Constant collisions; Distracting map
  - Unlock drivers: Progression system; Customization options; Multiplayer interactions
  - Conditions: Playing with friends; Customizing vehicles; Participating in events and races
- Player Archetypes:
  - Style-Focused Customizer (sale)
    - Motivation: Customization and visual appeal
    - Playstyle: Focuses on car customization and aesthetic modifications, enjoys the visual and stylistic elements of the game.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: car enthusiast; customization lover
    - Reference games: Need for Speed: Underground 2; Forza Horizon
  - Offline Purist (no buy)
    - Motivation: Offline single-player experience
    - Playstyle: Prefers playing offline, values a seamless and uninterrupted gaming experience.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: offline player; single-player enthusiast
    - Reference games: Need for Speed: Most Wanted; Gran Turismo
  - Completionist Grinder (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Achievement and completion
    - Playstyle: Focuses on completing all challenges and achieving high scores, enjoys the grind and mastery of game mechanics.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: completionist; achievement hunter
    - Reference games: Gran Turismo; Forza Motorsport
  - Casual Cruiser (sale)
    - Motivation: Relaxation and casual play
    - Playstyle: Enjoys casual driving and exploring the game world, values aesthetic and relaxed gameplay.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: casual gamer; relaxed player
    - Reference games: Forza Horizon; Euro Truck Simulator


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Stunning graphics and visuals (weight 0.34): The game features breathtaking graphics, stunning visuals, and impressive lighting effects. Players appreciate the photorealistic quality and the overall visual vibe.
- Great night racing atmosphere (weight 0.19): The night racing atmosphere is highly praised for its unique and immersive feel. Players enjoy the visuals and the overall ambiance of nighttime racing.
- Realistic car customization (weight 0.19): The car customization is noted for being realistic and in-depth. Players appreciate the detailed options for both appearance and performance.
- Satisfying drifting mechanics (weight 0.11): The drifting mechanics are highly praised for being satisfying and fun. Players enjoy the physics and the overall feel of drifting in the game.
- Enjoyable and extensive tuning (weight 0.11): The game offers a variety of tuning options that are enjoyable and detailed. Players can spend hours improving the appearance and performance of their cars.
- Best modern Need for Speed (weight 0.09): Many players consider this the best modern Need for Speed title. It is praised for its graphics, gameplay, and overall quality.
- Respectful to car culture (weight 0.07): The game is respectful to real-world car culture and includes iconic cars and tuning culture figures. Players appreciate the attention to detail in this area.

Common complaints:
- Always online requirement (weight 0.2): The game mandates a constant internet connection, even for single-player modes, which players find restrictive and annoying.
- Controller input issues (weight 0.16): Players report various issues with controller inputs, including connection problems and unresponsive controls.
- Uninteresting story (weight 0.13): The game's story mode is widely criticized for being boring, weak, and unengaging.
- Car handling problems (weight 0.12): The game's car handling and physics are often criticized as bad, unnatural, and difficult to control.
- Drift mechanics issues (weight 0.11): Players find the drift mechanics difficult to control, unnatural, and janky, detracting from the gameplay experience.
- Frustrating AI behavior (weight 0.11): The AI in the game is often seen as unrealistic, sticky, and cheating, leading to a frustrating experience.
- Limited car selection (weight 0.1): The game offers a limited variety of cars and tuning parts, which restricts player choice and customization.
- Control mapping issues (weight 0.1): The game's controls are often criticized for being poorly configured, uncustomizable, and glitchy.
- Poor police AI (weight 0.08): The police AI is considered too easy and non-challenging, making police chases less engaging.
- Server issues and lags (weight 0.07): Players experience server-related issues, including lags, disconnections, and poor performance.
- Lack of players and cars (weight 0.06): The game suffers from a lack of players and a limited selection of cars, affecting the overall experience.
- Poor game systems (weight 0.06): Various systems in the game, including navigation, control mapping, music selection, and level design, are criticized for being poor.

Gameplay feedback:
- Story-driven gameplay with FMV cutscenes (weight 0.17): The game includes story-driven gameplay with a strong focus on FMV cutscenes and live-action scenes, enhancing immersion.
- Physics and handling mechanics (weight 0.15): The game features physics-based racing with a focus on handling mechanics, though some reviews mention handling and physics issues.
- Online requirements and features (weight 0.11): The game has online requirements and features, including always-online connectivity and multiplayer modes.
- Variety of races and challenges (weight 0.1): The game provides a variety of races, tutorials, and different racing disciplines, offering diverse gameplay.
- Progression and difficulty (weight 0.05): The game includes a progression system with mission-based and level progression, adding depth to the gameplay.
- Police chase system (weight 0.05): The game features a police chase system, though some reviews mention that the cop AI is weak.

Performance notes:
- Rich content variety (weight 0.1): The game offers a diverse range of features including customization, multiplayer, story mode, cut-scenes, dialogue, racing threads, collectibles, and drag racing.
- Game crashes and disconnections (weight 0.08): Players report occasional crashes, sudden disconnections, and crashes on launch, which disrupt the gaming experience.
- Police AI and mechanics (weight 0.07): The game has a strong focus on police AI and rubber band AI, but players criticize the lack of deep police mechanics and bad police AI.
- Graphical and audio shortcomings (weight 0.06): The game has been criticized for its lack of good graphics and soundtrack, as well as minor visual glitches and lack of variety.
- Detailed graphics and ray tracing (weight 0.06): The game is praised for its detailed graphics and graphical fidelity, including the use of ray tracing.
- Performance and optimization issues (weight 0.06): Players experience slow performance, poor optimization, game crashes, and long load times, indicating significant technical problems.
- Story and gameplay criticism (weight 0.05): The game has been criticized for its bad story and gameplay, with players expressing a lack of exciting and good story elements.
- Map loading issues (weight 0.03): Players report map loading issues, particularly at high speeds, which affect the gameplay experience.
- Connection and compatibility problems (weight 0.03): Players experience various compatibility and connection issues, affecting the overall gaming experience.
- EA client issues (weight 0.03): The EA client has been reported to have issues and crashes, causing disruptions for players.
- Optimization concerns (weight 0.03): The game has been criticized for its mediocre optimization, affecting performance and player experience.
- Bad multiplayer and rubberbanding (weight 0.03): The game has been criticized for its bad multiplayer experience and rubberbanding issues, affecting competitive gameplay.
- Steam Deck compatibility (weight 0.03): The game is compatible with Steam Deck, running on Proton 9.0-4, which is a positive aspect for players using this platform.
- Game volume and launching issues (weight 0.03): Players report issues with game volume and launching, which can disrupt the gaming experience.
- Focus on JDMs and tuner cars (weight 0.03): The game has a strong focus on JDMs and tuner car enthusiasts, which is a positive aspect for fans of these car types.

Recommendations:
- Best value during sales (weight 0.14): Many reviews suggest buying the game only when it is on sale, indicating that it offers good value for money at a discounted price.
- Comprehensive focus areas (weight 0.1): The game strongly focuses on customization, multiplayer, story mode, cut-scenes, dialogue, racing threads, collectibles, and drag racing. It offers extensive customization options.
- Ideal for customization and racing fans (weight 0.08): The game is recommended for those who enjoy customizing car controls, drifting, street racing, and tuning. It is particularly suited for tuner car enthusiasts and fans of racing games with online features.
- Positive recommendations despite issues (weight 0.05): The game is generally recommended by players, even though some issues are acknowledged. It is suggested to give the game a chance.
- Nostalgic appeal for Underground fans (weight 0.04): The game is recommended for nostalgic fans of the Underground/Most Wanted era and the original Underground series.
- Balanced difficulty and gameplay time (weight 0.04): The game offers a good difficulty level and gameplay time, providing a balanced and engaging experience.
- Consider trying other games (weight 0.03): Some reviews suggest skipping to NFS Heat or trying Need for Speed: Heat instead, indicating mixed feelings about the game.

Other player notes:
- Controller issues need workarounds (weight 0.03): Players are experiencing controller issues that require workarounds such as using AutoHotKey to resolve control problems.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.36): Players are frustrated primarily due to persistent technical issues such as server lags, frequent crashes, and controller problems. The always-online requirement, poor handling mechanics, and various bugs also contribute significantly to this frustration, making the game difficult to enjoy smoothly.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.11): Players express satisfaction with the game's graphics, car customization, and overall gameplay experience. Many appreciate the realistic car mechanics, detailed tuning options, and the immersive atmosphere, which contribute to a positive experience despite some minor issues.
- Disappointment (weight 0.1): Disappointment stems from the game's technical issues, uninteresting story, and poor handling mechanics. Players also express dissatisfaction with the always-online requirement, lack of content updates, and various gameplay flaws that detract from the overall experience.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.09): Enjoyment is derived from the game's beautiful graphics, engaging handling mechanics, and the variety of missions and customization options. Players appreciate the immersive atmosphere, realistic car handling, and the overall fun gameplay experience.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.06): Nostalgia is evoked by the game's atmosphere and vibe, which remind players of classic Need for Speed Underground games. The connection to older titles, reminiscent gameplay elements, and the revival of the spirit of the franchise's golden era contribute to this sentiment.
- Joy (weight 0.05): Joy comes from the game's beautiful graphics, immersive story, and enjoyable drifting and chasing mechanics. Players also find happiness in the game's atmosphere, music, and the overall fun and engaging gameplay experience.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.03): Enthusiasm is driven by the game's beautiful graphics, enjoyable gameplay, and the extensive customization options. Players appreciate the visual modifications, engaging story missions, and the overall positive experience the game offers.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Appreciation is shown for the game's artistic style, visuals, and atmospheric gameplay. Players value the garage system, customization options, and the overall high-quality graphics and sound design.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Anger is primarily caused by technical difficulties, including game crashes, poor control mapping, and controller issues. Players are also frustrated with the always-online requirement and the game's broken physics, which significantly hinder the gameplay experience.
- Frustrated (weight 0.02): Players are frustrated due to handling issues, wonky car physics, and the mandatory online connection. These issues make the game less enjoyable and more challenging to play smoothly.
- Excitement (weight 0.01): Excitement is generated by the game's immersive gameplay, impressive graphics, and engaging atmosphere. The adrenaline rush from racing and the inclusion of legendary cars also contribute to the players' excitement.
- Concern (weight 0.01): Concern arises from the always-online requirement and the uncertainty about server longevity. Players worry about the potential server shutdown and the impact it may have on their ability to play the game in the future.
- Love (weight 0.01): Love for the game is expressed due to its nostalgia-inducing elements, uniqueness, and the inclusion of beloved car brands like Toyota. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke fond memories and its distinct features.
- Angry (weight 0.01): Players are angry due to online connectivity issues and problems with the physics engine. These technical problems significantly disrupt the gameplay experience and cause frustration.}