Every Need For Speed Game, Ranked

The Need for Speed series isn’t as popular as it was over a decade ago, but it’s still the first game you think of when🦹 considering the racing genre in video games. In its heyday, the series offered wonderful games that would take up days out children’s childh🌱ood.

The series has attempted to get back on track in recent years and this has been met with considerable success. Due to this, we’re here to rank the best and worst games of the Need for Speed series. The following eliminates re-re꧟leases and games that are differ from ꦜone platform to another.

18 Need For Speed: Payback 🦂

The latest Need For Speed game is also the worst one yet. With a score of 61 on Metacritic, the new range of Need For Speed games are certainly not living up to the standards the originals left us with. Payback is hardly worth a mention as it doesn’t deliver anything of note and only is here because of the Need For Speed name.

17 ♍ Need For Speed (2015)

In 2015, a reboot began for the Need For Speed series that aimed to revitalize fan interest. Unfortunately, it did the opposite as the titular Need For Speed had many issues critics hated. The most cited were having only dusk to dawn racing, listless AI, one-dimensional viewing systeꦦm, and the always-online requireme♔nt. You couldn’t even pause the game!

16 ♔ The Need For Speed

Just because a game was the first in the series, doesn’t mean it’s the best one in it. The Need for Speed was fun for its time, but the game hasn’t aged well. It doesn’t feel like a Need for Speed game ꧑and its graphics aren't really acceptable for today’s players.

15 Need For Speed: Undercover 🌼

Back at the height of the series’ popularity, Need for Speed: Undercover was the black sheep of the recent entries. It was a gimmick-based game that rode high on having stars like Maggie Q feature in it. Other than that, Undercover under-delivered in both story and gameplay execution. Its reviews were on par with the substandard Need for Speed games of today.

14 🧸 Need For Speed: ProStreet

The nadir for the series began with Need for Speed: ProStreet as the game didn’t have any of the flash needed to sell itself. While the brand name ensured fans did purchase it, ProStreet lacked th𝓰e punch you want for it to be memorable. Its only good reviews came for the PS3 and, since then, the series has languished.

13 🌃 Need For Spe🌊ed: Carbon

While Need for Speed: Carbon was nothing revolutionary, it was still a solid outing for the series. The game incorporated the “In” thing of the time: Nitros. It featured a lot of high-octane racing that catered to fans. Carbon’s drifting mechanism also was a nice touch to accommodate the nitrous aspect of the game. It’s still remembered fondly🃏 by fans.

12 Need For Speed: High 🐲Stakes💯

Back in 1999, the very idea of damage visuals to cars was something unheard; this is what made Need for Speed: High Stakes so revolutionary. The vehicle♕s had more realism added to them and looked more than just bricks racing on roads.

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High Stakes added an exciting police chasing f꧃eature that ensured thꦇe game did live up to its title.

11 Need ღFor Speed: Rivals

A game could only be good if it sought to emulate Need for Speed: High Stakes successfully and Need for Speed Rivals did just that. It was refreshꦑing to 🔜see a game in the series that wasn’t a mediocre outing after years of having just that.

The game was noted for its superb visuals which added to the experience of the fast🐠-paced gameplay.

10 ꦚ Need For Speed: Shift

Gran Turismo and Forza always were a cut above Need for Speed due to their realism as driving simulators. Need for Speed: Shift sought to rival these games in this regard and cam💙e out looking pretty good.

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It was noted for its ability to give a driving experience rather than aiming for all flash like the previous games. Itꦛ was a shot worth taking by the dᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚevelopers.

9 ཧ Need For Speed: Shift 2 - Unleashed ♑

After the success of Shift, Shift 2 – Unleashed was commissioned by the developers in order to cash in further on the success of their venture into simulation driving experience. This game also delivered as it brought more of the same, yet expanded on the best parts of Shift.

It was simply enjoyable to have extra cont🐎ent of what we’d like the firs🍬t time around.