I have been gaming for as long as I can remember. I've played 1000's of games and genuinely, and I mean this wholeheartedly, this is one of the worst games I've ever had the displeasure of playing.
I could spend a full day explaining everything wrong with this game but I'll try and keep it as short and sweet as I can:
Gameplay: The gameplay is simply horrific. Some of the worst feeling cars in Need for speed history and racing games in general. Arcadey doesn't even begin to explain the driving mechanics. Slidey, non responsive cars that can't even brake and steer at the same time. You press brake and try to steer left or right but it takes the car about 2-3 seconds of braking in a straight line to finally begin steering and then you get massive oversteer swinging you into a wild drift, out of control all together or into a barrier. Trying all 3 starter cars, Changing settings such as traction control on/off or steering settings doesn't help whatsoever. Again one of the worst feeling Need for Speed games ever.
Story: it's insulting to even use the word Story to describe this horrifying mash of cringey, over the top and ear bleedingly bad writing. The characters are of legal driving age but act like 10 year olds who high five when they do cool tricks on their skateboards. At several points they actually high five, im being serious. They also talk like 10 year old kids who exclusively watch twitch. At one point the garage owner describes a car like this: "she sounds pretty, smells nice too" while sniffing and smiling. I genuinely thought it was going to cut to an X-rated scene of him having intercourse with the car exhaust. The reason I gave this game a 2/10 and not a 1 is because I genuinely laughed when I remembered that while listening to the dialogue I physically gritted my teeth in utter cringe at what was being said. I tried to find the most insulting thing to describe the writing and characters and I think it would be this: Need for speeds writing make Saints Rows characters look and sound like the greatest, most interesting and intelligent scholars of our time. The writing is horrifyingly cringey. Close your ears and look away.
Graphics: At best PS4 year one level graphics. I Played on a PS5 and my god does it look so bland. Even with their wild attempt at combining "realistic" looking cars with cartoon anime characters and effects it still looks so mediocre and goofy as hell. I can just picture the team sitting round a table trying to think what gamers like and one guy shouting "they all love anime" and they decided to roll with that idea till the cows came home. Style wise just as cringe as the writing, and so out of place to combine realistic graphics with cartoon people. Awful.
Overall I would't recommend this game to my worst enemy, normally I would say if you like something that others don't, then good for you and keep enjoying it, but if you like this dumpster fire of a game, then you seriously need to reevaluate your gaming library. Stay FAR away from Need for Speed, do not buy full price, do not buy when it's on sale. I wouldn't play this game if they paid me to do so. Every day I wake up I will do so with a smile on my face knowing I never need to play this game again.
