With fast cars, silly stunts, and a seemingly endless string of sequels, Need for Speed already had a claim to be the gaming world's Fast and the Furious, even going so far as to lend its name to a markedly similar movie. But new game in the series — Need for Speed: Payback, announced today — makes that connection even clearer. Payback promises the kind of car fetishizing that previous Need for Speeds have delivered, but also adds a more significant story element, with the "blockbuster" plot apparently "fueled by a gripping story of betrayal and revenge." Rather than taking the wheel as unnamed racers, players of the new Need For Speed will squirm their hands into the driving gloves of three characters: Tyler, Mac, or Jess. (Or, "the Racer," "the Showman," and "the Wheelman," to give them their proper honorifics.) This trio are up against "The House," a cartel that controls everything in the city of Fortune Valley, including its cops and casinos. The Fast and Furious link goes even deeper than just following a ragtag bunch of racers as they whizz through underground street races, though — Payback also has a renewed focus on car customization that EA says will let players "truly craft a personalized and unique ride," and turn an old banger into a supercar. Need for Speed: Payback is due out on Xbox One, PS4, and PC on November 10th, but EA Access and Origin Access subscribers will get a headstart, with 10 hours of the game becoming available through the services on November 2nd. Source: TheVerge.com
