Very enjoyable game, better than Heat imo. Whoever got the idea to do sprint race with a drag race car needs to be fired.
Customization is OK. Not a lot of body kits.
Get it on sale.

So, I recently went back to **Need for Speed Payback** (yeah, the one from 2017), and honestly? It still holds up pretty well in 2025. Here's my take:

### The Good Stuff:
- **The Cars, Bro!** The car lineup is solid. From exotic hypercars to classic muscle machines, there's a sweet ride for everyone. Plus, the customization? Chef's kiss. You can turn your car into a beast with mods, crazy liveries, and glowing neon underglows.
- **Storyline Vibes**: The whole revenge heist thing screams *Fast & Furious*. Sure, it's cheesy at times, but that's kinda the point, right? It's like living out your action-movie fantasies.
- **Variety in Racing**: Street racing, off-road, drag—there’s never a dull moment. Drifting down a canyon in a souped-up RX-7 or blasting across the desert in a rugged F-150 feels sooo satisfying.
- **Cinematic Action**: The set-piece missions are adrenaline-fueled chaos. Jumping cars onto moving trucks or outrunning insane cop chases gets your heart racing for sure.

### The Meh:
- **Progression Grind**: Early-game progression can feel slow. If you’re like me, you want all the fast cars NOW, but Payback makes you earn them... slowly. At least it’s better than the mess at launch (thankfully, they reworked all that microtransaction nonsense).
- **AI Rubberbanding**: Listen, I know rubberbanding AI keeps things competitive, but sometimes it feels like the other cars are straight-up defying physics. How’s that Civic catching my Porsche in the final stretch?
- **Too Much Cinematic Control**: Don’t get me wrong, the cinematic stuff is cool, but I wish I had more control during those scripted sequences. It can feel like the game’s playing itself sometimes.

### Final Verdict:
NFS Payback is still a fun, arcade-style racer that delivers high-octane thrills. Sure, it’s not perfect, but if you’re into customizing rides and pulling off epic stunts, it’s a great time. Just be ready to grind a bit to unlock the good stuff.

Need for Speed Payback delivers fun arcade racing with a decent open world, but it’s held back by a predictable story and an overreliance on grindy progression. The car customization is solid, and the heist-style missions add excitement, but the loot box-style upgrade system feels frustrating. It’s an enjoyable ride, but not the best in the series.