The police are on my tail. I'm fifth in a race that had six drivers to start with, but saw one skip out when they felt the pressure of the authorities was too much. I go hurtling into a huge expanse of open water, before respawning straight back on the track. I use my nitro to try and close the gap between me and the other racers, but the police car remains right next to me no matter how fast I go. I finish in fifth, but it doesn't matter. These are just the opening moments of Ghost Games' latest release, Need For Speed Heat.
So, I failed on every level in my first grapple with racing in Heat, but the cinematic narrative delivered following that opening experience quickly brought my attention to something much greater. The High-Speed Task Force in Palm City - our location for this game - is being headed by a ruthless leader, who wants to leave a lasting impression on those racing illegally throughout the city, in the night. So much so, that he considers murdering a racer he catches up with, to send a message other racers won't ever forget.
A genuinely confronting and chaotic storyline has been put together behind-the-scenes here, and it delivers throughout, ensuring an emotional and intense experience from start to finish. Sure, there's the opportunity here for those gamers who just want a fun racing title to compete against friends and strangers online, but there's also the chance to delve into perhaps the best narrative to have worked its way into a NFS video game.
The only problem I had with the Campaign was the fact you had to rank up to access certain areas, and progress further. This wouldn't happen as quickly as you would make it through the story, so you'd feel a little stunted from time to time.
Controls are, on the whole, easy to master. The default use of the right analog stick however, can prove to be a bit of a pain. In many games of this sort, moving it slowly in one direction or another will move the in-game camera slowly alongside your movement. Here though, it jumps from either side of the car, as well as behind the vehicle, with each movement.
When it comes to the roster of vehicles available, there are a wide array of cars to choose from, with some brilliant customisation options. Upgrades and new cars can be purchased with your accumulated cash, which rises as you progress, but you won't be able to immediately jump to the best vehicles available; you've gotta rank up first.
Stunning in its character design, location artistry and car rendering, this is the best a NFS game has ever looked.
In a month that has been packed full of big name releases, Need For Speed Heat may have found itself lost in the shuffle. Following on from the mediocre offerings in the series both in 2015 and 2017, developers Ghost Games have now found their stride and struck gold with their third NFS release, so it would be a real shame if gamers miss out this time round. You'd be forgiven for comparing it to the Forza Horizon series - what, with the entire game taking place in an online shared universe if you so desire - but that doesn't mean it's not worth a try. Give it a chance, and let us know what you think.
Need For Speed Heat is available now on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows. A code for the game on Xbox One was given to Female First in exchange for a fair and honest review.