EA has officially unveiled Need for Speed Payback, the latest installment in the venerable racing series. Rumors have been circulating that the game would be set in Las Vegas, but it’s now been revealed that it will actually take place in a fictionalized version of the city dubbed Fortune Valley.
Players will step into the shoes of three characters, who are reunited by a common goal — gaining a measure of revenge against a powerful cartel known as The House. The organization controls the city’s casinos, criminals, and cops, so Fortune Valley can be a very dangerous place for anyone that isn’t on good terms with its top brass.
The three protagonists of Need for Speed Payback seem to offer a hint at its diverse gameplay. Tyler is described as a racer, Mac is billed as a showman, and Jess takes on the role of wheelman, which suggests that players will be tasked with driving with style, and serving as a getaway driver, as well as competing in standard racers.
“Need for Speed returns this year to challenge what players expect from racing games,” said Marcus Nilsson, the game’s executive producer. “We’re still delivering everything our fans love about the franchise — the deepest customization, an impressive roster of cars, intense races and open world pursuits — but with Need for Speed Payback, we’re bringing together all those elements in an all-new blockbuster driving experience.”
It certainly seems that Ghost Games is attempting to steer Need for Speed in a slightly different direction. The increased focus on a “blockbuster” narrative is likely inspired by the enormous popularity of the Fast & Furious movies.
However, these changes won’t resonate with fans unless the gameplay stands up to the series’ best. Nilsson’s reference to in-depth car customization bodes well, but strong driving mechanics and a large amount of content are imperative.
Need for Speed Payback launches across PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on November 10.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.