
Need for Speed™ Payback — Genres, rating & game data
Need for Speed Payback is an action-driving racing game and the twenty-third part of the NFS franchise. ###Gameplay Despite the trend made by NFS' before Payback features an offline mode. The game is set in a fictional city named Fortune Valley. The player can choose between the three individuals
Need for Speed™ Payback is a racing game developed by Ghost Games, 2017. It stands out for narrative-driven gameplay and melee combat. Available in multiplayer and single-player mode. With an NextGameLike Score of 67/100, it ranks as a well received title in our catalog.
About Need for Speed™ Payback
Need for Speed Payback is an action-driving racing game and the twenty-third part of the NFS franchise.
###Gameplay Despite the trend made by NFS' before Payback features an offline mode. The game is set in a fictional city named Fortune Valley. The player can choose between the three individuals to represent. The title features a real car — a total of 74 ones, and crafting system — many car parts can be tuned according to the player's liking. There is a total of five challenges types: Race, Drift, Off-Road, Drag, and Runner. All the modes share the goal — to reach the finish. However, the initial purpose is altered depending on the race — sometimes one has to drift his way to the finish line, somewhere the manual transmission turns one, and the gear switching comes to be mandatory.
###Plot Payback is one of few NFS' to feature ongoing narrative — the story of this one emphasizes the revenge theme. Three characters — Tyler, Mac, and Jess — are trying to avenge Lina who betrayed the crew from the very start. Each member of the gang has its unique abilities — Jess, for instance, is professional intel gatherer, so she plays a role of inside agent all the time. Guys, on the other hand, are more into races, so they do the dirty job in the trio.
How Need for Speed™ Payback was received
Of the 31,390 Steam player reviews, 85% are positive. Critics score it 61/100 on Metacritic, reflecting a mixed-to-positive reception.
Players
- Steam players31,390 reviews85%Very positive
Critics
- Metacritic61/100
- OpenCritic110 reviews60/100
Aggregated from public ratings on Steam, IGDB, Metacritic and OpenCritic. NextGameLike does not host its own reviews.
NextGameLike Score
67/100 ↗Rating
👍 43%
741 votes
Type
Racing, Sports, Sandbox
Released
2017
Updated May 2026
Developer
Ghost Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Avg. playtime
~4h
Platforms
PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Official trailer for Need for Speed™ Payback
Screenshots of Need for Speed™ Payback





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