Need for Speed Heat’s November 8 release date has come around faster than a turbo-charged Ferrari on a race track.
The PS4, Xbox One and PC racing game takes place in the fictional location of Palm City, which is loosely based on Miami.
It features over 120 cars, lots of customisation, a 24 hour day/night cycle, and a ton of racing events.
But the big question on everybody’s lips is whether or not it’s any good.
Unfortunately it’s hard to say, because despite the game having a November 8 release date, Need for Speed Heat reviews are yet to go live.
Instead, fans are relying on early gameplay impressions and reviews-in-progress from EA Access subscribers.
Thankfully it’s not all bad news, because the early reviews have been mixed to positive.
In an informative early impressions piece over on Autoblog, the reviewer praises the game’s visual style and sound.
“In the ‘pro’ column, though, the graphics and audio are very good,” the post reads. “I really like the visual style of the game a lot.
“It’s a cool city to drive around in, in both day and nighttime, and the soundtrack is fantastic.
“The first song you hear is A$AP Ferg’s “Redlight,” which is maybe the hypest way to start a video game of all time.”
The story is also singled out for praise, as are the game’s companions Ana and Lucas.
“I’m also really enjoying the story and characters so far. Your companions Ana and Lucas are both super likable and well-acted. I’m looking forward to seeing the story progress.”
Elsewhere, a review-in-progress over on Stevivor mentions occasional frame rate issues and choppy cutscenes.
“Even playing on Xbox One X, I’ve noticed that most cutscenes are choppy and come with with noticeable frame rate drops,” the post reads.
“So far, the game’s crashed on me three times in a little more than four hours.”
Fortunately, however, the racing experience is said to be smooth as silk with solid driving.
“When that’s not happening though, things have been smooth as silk where it counts — in races — though transitions into and out of daytime events are fairly choppy too,” the post continues. “Impressively, transitions out of nighttime races are almost flawless, letting you head straight back into the open world.
“As for driving? It seems solid so far, though the two cars I’ve been switching back and forth between seem pretty heavy.”
Check back soon for more from Need for Speed Heat.
