'Need For Speed Payback' will focus on "car culture".
Need For Speed
The hotly-anticipated game is set for release in November, and Ghost Games' creative director, Will Ho, has given fans of the franchise an insight into what they can expect, rubbishing any comparison with 'Grand Theft Auto' en route.
Speaking to GameSpot.com, Will explained: "As soon as you take racing off closed circuits and put them on open-world streets, you easily draw comparison with other open-world games.
"But we're focused squarely on car culture and not on anything that takes you away from your favourite rides that you've bought, customised, and built. And you get the freedom of living in a giant open world. It's a nice space to be in, to challenge the assumptions of what a racing game should feel like.
"I think 'Need for Speed Underground 2' was the first to break the racing game mould. We're really just building on that legacy."
Will also hailed the new game's focus on time pressure, saying it provides another dimension to the challenge.
He shared: "I like how our cop chases in 'Need for Speed Payback' are much more about high speed and time pressure.
"When you see a movie car chase, it isn't just about getting busted or getting away, because the heroes almost always get away. Rather, it's about getting the job done on time.
"Cops will still happily bust you if you stand still. But cop chases are now more about linking heroic cop evasion moments to get to a destination before time runs out. I think it's more exciting this way."