'Need for Speed' emulates authentic car culture experience by integrating an immersive live-action narrative into its gamplay

(Official website) 'Need for Speed' visuals are impressive and life-like

EA Games' 2015 "Need for Speed" release will be a reboot of the iconic 20-year-old game franchise.

EA chose not to release a "Need for Speed" game last year and instead decided to devote an extra year on development. The developers focused on making a game that highlights what the "Need for Speed" game should be.

According to producer Leanne Lombe, "We've looked at the last 20 years and looked at what fans really want and just brought that to them."

The car racing franchise had always been known for its stunning racing visuals rather than a compelling storyline. However, in this year's reboot, the company wanted to develop a narrative that fully immerses the players into the game.

"Need for Speed" is said to have incorporated a powerful story into the game. Set in Ventura Bay, a fictional L.A., players will go on a journey in an attempt to enter the car culture scene.

Players choose among five game icons: Speed Icon Magnus Walker, Style Icon Ken Block, Crew Icon Risky Devil, Build Icon Nakai San or Outlaw Icon Morohosi San. Each icon gives a different gaming experience and players can choose to play one icon or swap between several icons.

Gameplay is set at nighttime in order to bring to life the car culture that comes to life at night.

Players also have their "entourage" to help them get into the car scene. The goal of the player will be to become the "Ultimate Icon."

In order to bring to life this narrative, EA decided to integrate live action film into gameplay. Actors will be performing alongside the player. The live action shots further enhance the realistic and authentic feel of the game.

The game features scenes and images that look extremely close to real-life. Game developers were able to seamlessly integrate live action and gameplay through their Frosbite engine.

"Our aim with this process was to make use of the Physically Based Rendering (PBR) capabilities of our Frostbite engine to create accurate real-world materials, surfaces and lighting to reach a life-like visual image," Bryan Alban, game's vehicle art director, said.

"Need for Speed" will also be made available to play in online mode only. According to EA, this is needed in order to deliver the innovative features of the game. Players can have their friends' gameplay integrated into their own narratives.

The All-Drive online mode also enables a seamless transition between the single-player and multi-player modes. Players can choose to interact with other players or play with the games AI.

For the new "Need for Speed" reboot, developers also wanted to give players deep customization options.

Every part of the players' car can be tweaked, including the body, rims, bumpers and even the windows' tint. Customization is available not just for the major car parts but also very fine details such as tire grip.

Through these innovative new features, EA aims to give players the authentic experience of customizing their cars and racing them in the streets.

"Need for Speed" will be released on Nov. 3 for the PC, Xbox One and PS4 consoles.

Copyright © 2015 Ecumenical News