Info about Need for Speed™ Payback:

Official game description:
Set in the underworld of Fortune Valley, you and your crew were divided by betrayal and reunited by revenge to take down The House, a nefarious cartel that rules the city’s casinos, criminals and cops. In this corrupt gambler’s paradise, the stakes are high and The House always wins.  
Craft unique rides with deeper performance and visual customization than ever before. Push them to the limit when you narrowly escape the heat in epic cop battles. From insane heist missions to devastating car battles to jaw-dropping set piece moments, Need for Speed Payback delivers an edge-of-your-seat, adrenaline-fueled action-driving fantasy.  
**Key Features:**  
*   Scrap to stock to supercar. Your car is at the center of everything you do in Need for Speed Payback. Endlessly fine-tune your performance with each of the five distinct car classes (Race, Drift, Off-Road, Drag and Runner) to turn the tables on the competition in any race, mission or challenge.  
*   Live out an action-driving fantasy. Play as three distinct characters united by one common goal: revenge. Tyler, Mac and Jess team up to even the score against all odds, and enter the ultimate race to take down The House. Battle cops with ever-increasing intensity, race against rivals across the city and drive on and off-road through mountains, canyons and deserts.  
*   High stakes competition. Win big with all-new Risk vs Reward gameplay. Intense cop chases mean the stakes have never been higher. Challenge your friends or potential rivals via Autolog recommendations throughout the events or go head-to-head in classic online leaderboards.
The Need for Speed™ Payback - Deluxe Edition gives you an edge over the competition. Stand out from the crowd with exclusive customization items and receive in-game discounts, Rep bonuses and five shipments to get your adventure started.  
Also includes the upcoming Story Mission Pack and the Need for Speed™ Payback Platinum Car Pack with exclusive† Platinum Blue Underglow.  
**Deluxe Edition Content:**  
• Upcoming Story Mission Pack  
• Exclusive Deluxe Edition NOS color (Can be applied to 5 cars)  
• Exclusive Deluxe Edition License Plate  
• Exclusive Deluxe Edition Leaderboard icon  
• 5 Shipments  
• 5% Rep Bonus  
• 10% Discount on in-game content using earned in-game currency  
Platinum Car Pack Includes:  
• Exclusive Platinum Blue Underglow & Tire Smoke Vanity Items  
• Chevrolet Camaro SS 1967  
• Dodge Charger R/T 1969  
• Ford F-150 Raptor 2016  
• Nissan 350Z 2008  
• Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport 2016

Release date: Jun 18, 2020

Categories: Racing Simulation, Vehicle Customization, Single-player Story, Open-World Exploration, Action-Adventure, Arcade Racing, Car Combat

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 90; verdict: Predatory; summary: The game has a significant issue with predatory monetization practices, including paid gacha/lootboxes, pay-to-win mechanics, day-1 DLC, and currency obfuscation. These practices frustrate players and encourage excessive spending to progress in the game.
- Steam Deck: score 50; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The analysis of user feedback for the Steam Deck experience of the game reveals several key issues. The most significant barrier is the requirement to use the EA/Origin launcher, which users find frustrating and unnecessary. Additionally, there are notable problems with graphics settings, performance, and controller support. Despite these issues, some users have reported enjoyable experiences once they overcome the initial hurdles. The overall user experience is marred by these technical barriers, which require additional effort to resolve.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $3.00 - $8.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence shows that users frequently mention purchasing the game at significant discounts, often between 80-90% off the original price. This suggests that the community finds the game worthwhile only at heavily reduced prices. The repeated mentions of buying the game at around $3 to $8 indicate that the community considers this range to be a fair price for the base game.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 40.0h
  - Story completion: 20.0h
  - Session length: 2.0h
  - Endgame: 10.0h
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides multiple data points regarding the time players spent on the game. The first quote mentions completing the main story in 24 hours, indicating a typical playtime for the main campaign. The second quote supports this with a similar playtime of 16 hours for the story mode. The third quote suggests that the game can feel drawn out, implying longer play sessions. The fourth quote indicates that the career mode can be exhaustive, suggesting significant time investment. These quotes collectively help estimate the typical playtime hours for game completion, story completion, session length, and endgame content.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Players generally find Need for Speed Payback fun initially due to its story and customization options, but the fun drops over time because of a grindy progression system and repetitive missions.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: Initial start and story missions
  - Time to anchor: 0h 30m
  - Friction: Grindy progression system; Repetitive missions
  - Unlock drivers: Progressing through the story; Customizing cars
  - Conditions: Engaging with the story; Utilizing car customization features
- Player Archetypes:
  - Grind-Loving Builder (sale)
    - Motivation: Building and fine-tuning cars
    - Playstyle: Grinding for parts, detailed customization, and fine-tuning cars.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: patient player; car enthusiast
    - Reference games: Need for Speed: Heat; Need for Speed: Underground 2
  - Casual Story Enjoyer (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Enjoying the story and casual racing
    - Playstyle: Casual racing, enjoying the story, and creative car tuning.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: old-school player; casual gamer
    - Reference games: Need for Speed: Most Wanted; Need for Speed: Underground
  - Story-First Explorer (sale)
    - Motivation: Experiencing the story and interactive elements
    - Playstyle: Focused on single-player story mode, enjoying the narrative and interactive story elements.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: story enthusiast; single-player fan
    - Reference games: Need for Speed: Most Wanted; Need for Speed: Carbon


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:
- High-quality graphics and visuals (weight 0.43): The game features impressive and realistic graphics, with detailed landscapes and visually appealing effects. Players appreciate the high-quality visuals and clean graphics, especially when using enhanced settings.
- Engaging and enjoyable gameplay (weight 0.34): The gameplay is described as fun and enjoyable, with a variety of modes and activities. Players find the arcade racing experience satisfying and entertaining.
- Extensive car customization (weight 0.29): The game offers a wide range of customization options for cars, including body kits and tuning. Players appreciate the depth of customization and the ability to improve and personalize their vehicles.
- Variety of missions and activities (weight 0.25): The game offers a diverse range of missions, races, and activities. Players enjoy the variety of challenges and the different racing disciplines available.
- Improved handling and physics (weight 0.22): The handling and physics, particularly for drifting, are praised for being responsive and satisfying. Players note the improved driving dynamics compared to previous versions.
- Worthy addition to NFS series (weight 0.13): The game is considered a worthy successor to legendary NFS titles and one of the best in the series. Players enjoy the nostalgic and enjoyable gameplay experience.
- Interesting open world (weight 0.11): The open world is praised for being vast and interesting, with cool locations and freedom for free roaming. Players appreciate the open-world concept and the variety of environments.
- Entertaining chases (weight 0.11): The game features intense and spectacular police chases, adding to the cinematic and dramatic narrative. Players find the high-speed pursuits and dramatic set pieces entertaining.

Common complaints:
- Poor car physics and handling (weight 0.44): Players frequently complain about the car physics, particularly in off-road races and drifting. The cars feel slow, fragile, and poorly optimized, with issues in handling and control.
- Frustrating upgrade system (weight 0.39): The upgrade system is widely criticized for being grindy, unrealistic, and frustrating. The card-based system for upgrades is particularly disliked.
- Weak and unengaging story (weight 0.37): The story is described as mediocre, childish, and unoriginal. It lacks depth and character development, making it skippable and forgettable.
- Poor off-road race design (weight 0.22): Off-road races are criticized for poor handling, lack of grip, and frustrating mechanics. The design and physics make these races difficult and uncontrolled.
- Lack of police in free roam (weight 0.16): Players note the absence of police in the open world, making free roam feel boring and less engaging.
- Presence of loot boxes (weight 0.14): The game includes loot boxes for car parts and customization, which players find frustrating and unnecessary.
- Uninteresting soundtrack (weight 0.14): The soundtrack is criticized for being mediocre, repetitive, and forgettable, with only a few memorable tracks.
- Repetitive tasks and collectibles (weight 0.11): The game includes many repetitive tasks and unnecessary collectibles, which can be tedious and lengthy.
- Different cars required for different race types (weight 0.1): The game requires different cars for different race types, which players find limiting and frustrating.
- Compares unfavorably to classic titles (weight 0.1): Players feel that the game does not live up to the quality of classic titles in the series, lacking essential elements of a Need for Speed experience.
- Grindy gameplay (weight 0.1): The game is criticized for being grindy, requiring extensive grinding for upgrades and events.
- Game feels bland and soulless (weight 0.1): The overall gameplay is described as bland, uninteresting, and soulless, with inadequate gameplay mechanics.
- Issues with the EA app (weight 0.09): Players criticize the requirement of the EA app and report issues with its functionality and support.
- Respawn issues (weight 0.07): Players report frequent and frustrating respawns triggered by minor collisions or interactions with the environment.
- Frequent crashes and performance issues (weight 0.07): The game suffers from frequent crashes and performance issues, affecting the overall experience.
- AI difficulty issues (weight 0.06): The AI in races is criticized for being too strong and cheating, making races unfair and difficult.

Gameplay feedback:
- Extensive car customization options (weight 0.31): The game offers a wide range of car customization options, including performance modifications, visual upgrades, and extensive tuning. Players can modify their cars to suit different racing disciplines and personal preferences.
- Engaging story and characters (weight 0.29): The game includes a character-driven story with engaging narratives and a variety of characters. The story is divided into different types of races and involves various race types and vehicles.
- Variety of gameplay modes (weight 0.27): The game features a diverse set of gameplay modes, including sprint, circular races, drift competitions, drag races, time trials, off-road races, and SpeedCross. This variety ensures that players have multiple ways to enjoy the game.
- Card-based upgrade system (weight 0.22): The game features a card-based upgrade system where performance upgrades are tied to a randomized card system. This mechanic adds a layer of strategy and chance to car customization and progression.
- Car categories and events (weight 0.2): Cars are categorized into different types such as Race, Drift, Drag, Offroad, and Runner, each suited for specific events. This separation adds depth to the gameplay, requiring players to use different cars for different race types.
- Open-world exploration (weight 0.16): The game offers an open-world environment set in Las Vegas, allowing players to explore and engage in various activities. This open-world concept enhances the overall gaming experience by providing freedom and numerous challenges.
- Arcade racing experience (weight 0.08): The game falls within the arcade racer genre, offering an arcade racing experience with high-octane, cinematic racing action. This appeals to fans of fast-paced and exciting racing games.
- Adjustable difficulty settings (weight 0.07): The game includes adjustable difficulty settings, allowing players to tailor the challenge level to their preferences. This feature makes the game accessible to a wider range of players.

Performance notes:
- High graphics requirements (weight 0.14): The game requires a good graphics card and has high system requirements.
- Optimization praised and criticized (weight 0.14): The game's optimization receives mixed feedback. Some players report good optimization and performance, while others experience issues.
- Stable frame rates (weight 0.1): The game rarely dips below 40fps and generally has stable performance.
- Overheating issues (weight 0.08): The game causes overheating issues on some PCs, leading to high temperatures and potential hardware damage.
- Long loading times (weight 0.07): Players report long loading times and performance issues, including a slow launcher.
- Camera and controller issues (weight 0.07): Players report issues with the camera and controllers, including joystick problems.
- Lightweight game (weight 0.07): The game is considered lightweight and runs well on older or less powerful PCs.
- Good graphics on low settings (weight 0.05): The game maintains good graphics quality even on low settings and on less powerful PCs.
- Mixed Steam Deck performance (weight 0.05): Performance on Steam Deck is inconsistent, with some players experiencing issues while others report it runs well.
- Graphical and texture issues (weight 0.05): There are reports of graphical optimization issues and problems with textures.
- High FPS on ultra settings (weight 0.05): Players report achieving high FPS, such as 140 FPS, on ultra settings.
- Runs well on specific hardware (weight 0.05): The game runs well on specific hardware configurations, such as a laptop with RTX 2060.
- Visually polished elements (weight 0.05): The game features visually polished car models and impressive lighting effects.
- CPU-bound performance (weight 0.03): The game's performance is reported to be CPU-bound, requiring a capable CPU.
- Save file corruption (weight 0.03): Players report issues with save file corruption.
- Animation drops (weight 0.03): Occasional drops in animation quality are reported by players.
- Non-smooth performance (weight 0.03): Some players experience non-smooth performance while playing the game.
- Sound issues (weight 0.03): Some players report experiencing no sound in the game.
- Compatibility with AMD Ryzen 7 (weight 0.03): The game does not work well on AMD Ryzen 7 processors.
- Upgrade delays (weight 0.03): There are delays in applying upgrades within the game.
- Pop-ups during launch (weight 0.03): Players encounter pop-ups during the game's launch.
- No problems reported (weight 0.03): Some players report experiencing no problems at all with the game.

Recommendations:
- Buy on sale (weight 0.28): Many players recommend purchasing the game when it is on sale, suggesting it offers good value for money at a discounted price.
- Recommended for racing fans (weight 0.17): The game is frequently recommended for fans of racing games, particularly those who enjoy the Need for Speed series and arcade-style racing.
- Worth trying despite flaws (weight 0.1): Several reviews suggest that the game is worth trying despite some flaws, indicating that it has redeeming qualities that make it enjoyable.
- Use a controller (weight 0.07): Players recommend using a controller for the best gaming experience, suggesting that it enhances gameplay significantly.
- Play on high difficulty (weight 0.05): For the best experience, some players recommend setting the game to high difficulty, except for certain missions.
- Consider other games (weight 0.04): Some reviews recommend considering other games like Forza Horizon 5 instead, indicating a preference for alternatives.
- Good for handheld gaming (weight 0.03): The game is noted to be perfect for handheld gaming, making it a good choice for gaming on the go.
- Avoid story mode (weight 0.03): Some reviews advise against playing the story mode, indicating it might not be as enjoyable as other aspects of the game.
- Buy Deluxe version (weight 0.03): Players suggest buying the Deluxe version to start with additional money for upgrading cars, enhancing the gameplay experience.
- Recommended for relaxation (weight 0.03): The game is recommended for relaxation and open-world racing, suggesting it is enjoyable in a laid-back setting.

Other player notes:
- Very Positive community rating (weight 0.03): The game has received a 'Very Positive' rating from the community, indicating that a large majority of players have had a favorable experience with the game.
- EA app requirement (weight 0.03): The game requires the use of the EA app, which is a notable point for players who prefer other launchers or have had issues with EA's platform in the past.
- Steam controller support note (weight 0.03): There is an important note about the controls for wireless controllers specifically on Steam. This could impact players who use Steam's wireless controller functionality.
- Rumors addressed (weight 0.03): The developers have addressed various rumors including those about activation codes, graphic downgrades, pay-to-win mechanics, repetitive grinding, and the difficulty of AI-controlled cops.
- Disclaimer on game length and language (weight 0.03): There is a disclaimer mentioning that the game has relatively short hours of gameplay and may contain some English language errors.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.26): Players are frustrated by a range of technical and gameplay issues. These include repetitive tasks, grinding for upgrades, and an unbalanced upgrade system that relies heavily on speed cards. Additionally, technical problems such as long loading times, frequent crashes, and game save issues contribute to the frustration. The game's mechanics, including poor car handling, difficult off-road races, and inadequate physics, further exacerbate the experience.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.16): Players enjoy the game for its engaging storyline, diverse missions, and fun gameplay mechanics. The open-world concept, variety of cars, and driving mechanics are particularly appreciated. The game's graphics, story, setting, music, and voice acting also contribute to a positive experience, making it an enjoyable and stylish arcade racing game.
- Disappointment (weight 0.15): Players express disappointment due to several aspects of the game not meeting their expectations. These include a lackluster storyline, poor driving model and physics, and missing features that were present in classic NFS games. The upgrade and tuning systems, as well as the lack of police presence and chases, also contribute to the disappointment. Additionally, the game's handling system and progression mechanics are criticized for not living up to the standards set by previous titles.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.12): Players are satisfied with the game's visual aspects, gameplay mechanics, and overall quality. The variety of cars, good graphics, and enjoyable gameplay contribute to a positive experience. The game's performance on different platforms, car customization options, and interesting gameplay mechanics are also highlighted as satisfying features.
- Excitement (weight 0.08): Players are excited about the game's engaging storyline, diverse missions, and adrenaline-focused gameplay. The realistic sound effects, drag races, and boss defeat system add to the excitement. The game's graphics, car customization, and high-stakes missions provide an entertaining and epic experience.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.04): Players feel nostalgic as the game reminds them of classic Need for Speed titles, particularly Most Wanted 2005. The narrative and gameplay elements evoke memories of older NFS games, making players reminisce about their first experiences with the series.
- Anger (weight 0.03): Players are angry due to poor gameplay experiences, including horrible drifting mechanics, unfun handling, and restricted open-world design. Issues such as the deletion of local save files, account hacking, and banning problems further contribute to their anger.
- Joy (weight 0.03): Players experience joy from the game's varied modes, good graphics, and enjoyable gameplay. The beautiful landscapes, good campaign, and fun drifting mechanics contribute to a positive and dramatic cinematic experience.
- Mixed feelings (weight 0.02): Players have mixed feelings due to a combination of positive and negative aspects. While they appreciate the gameplay feel, drifting mechanics, and visual customization, they criticize the upgrade system, off-road driving, and storyline. The game's graphics and customization are praised, but the Speed card upgrade system is criticized.
- Frustrated (weight 0.02): Players are frustrated with the card-based modification system, the EA app, and the racing mechanics. Issues with settings, controls, and designated car types for races add to their frustration.
- Love (weight 0.01): Players love the game for its car handling and overall gameplay experience. The game itself is appreciated for its engaging and enjoyable features.
- Positive (weight 0.01): Players have a positive experience with the game's story, map, zones, and graphics. The overall enjoyment and fun gameplay contribute to a positive sentiment.
- Excited (weight 0.01): Players are excited about the positive experience with the game, particularly its engaging storyline, diverse missions, and adrenaline-focused gameplay.
- Satisfied (weight 0.01): Players are satisfied with the car modification aspect and the story and gameplay. The game's performance, customization options, and interesting gameplay mechanics contribute to their satisfaction.
- Disappointed (weight 0.01): Players are disappointed due to a negative experience with the game, including lack of fun elements and specific issues that detract from the overall enjoyment.
- Angry (weight 0.01): Players are angry due to multiple negative experiences with the game, including poor gameplay mechanics, design flaws, and technical issues.
- Hopeful (weight 0.01): Players are hopeful for a new installment in the series, looking forward to future releases such as the 2026 version of Need for Speed.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Players experience boredom due to repetitive gameplay and slow progression, making the game less engaging after extended playtime.
- Indifference (weight 0.01): Players feel indifferent towards the game's story and car handling, finding these aspects unremarkable or just existing without significant impact.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Players are enthusiastic about the game's action-rich story, variety of modes, and detailed analysis, leading to positive recommendations.}