The newest Need for Speed game, Payback, is now out, and… well, it actually isn’t all that good by most accounts. It seems to have a misguided focus on storytelling, and throw in some abusive microtransactions, and you can see why the newest entry in the once mighty and annual racing game franchise is struggling.
Nevertheless, if you were to pick up the game for yourself, you would find that it is replete with content- there’s a lot to unwrap here, and we’re here to help you with it. In this guide, we cover the fastest car in the game, the easiest ways to farm XP, all billboard locations, derelict car part locations, drifting guide, customization, car classes, tips and tricks for multiplayer, some neat cheats, and some Achievements and Trophies.
So let’s get started.
THE FASTEST CAR IN THE GAME
This is a racing video game- so it goes without saying that you want to go fast. Ergo, by extension, you want the fastest car possible in the game. That’s this one- the Koenigsegg Regera. Check it out in action for yourself below.
REP AND XP FARMING
Apart from actual in game currency, what gates your progression in the world of Need for Speed Payback‘s illegal street racing is how much ‘rep’ you have; obviously, you also want XP in addition. You will generally gain a lot of both of these as you play the game- but if you want some easy tips and methods to farm them (albeit via mindless and inane busywork), then we’ve got you covered.
BILLBOARD LOCATIONS
There are 30 billboards for you to drive through in Need for Speed Payback‘s open world, in a move that seems to recall Criterion’s excellent Burnout Paradise (RIP that franchise). The video below shows you where to find all of them.
DERELICT CAR PART LOCATIONS ((Ford Mustang 1965, Nissan Fairlady 240ZG 1971, Volkswagen Beetle 1963, Chevrolet C10 Stepside Pickup 1965 and Chevrolet Bel Air 1955)
Need for Speed Payback may be a racing game, but it is an open world racing game- so, you know, there are tons of collectibles strewn around the world for you to pick up. These include the derelict car parts- which, the videos below will show you where to find.
Does anyone remember drifting in Need for Speed Underground, and how satisfying it was to pull off? We’re a long way away from those days, sadly- but drifting remains as essential and core a component of the Need for Speed games as it has ever been, if not even more so- especially since you can get some very high point multipliers if you chain your rifts together.
So, we’ve gathered some tips so you can nail it every single time you try:
- Tune your cars for drifts. Remember, how you customize your car can have an impact on how well (or not) it drifts
- Use your NOS boost- but sparingly. A boost can greatly assist your drift, but if you overuse it, you will ruin the drift by losing your angular momentum and gaining linear momentum instead, which breaks your multiplier.
- Don’t use the handbrake to initiate drifts- use the actual brake instead.
CUSTOMIZATION
Customization has been a big part of the Need for Speed franchise ever since, you guessed it, Underground– and, in Payback, again, it is heavily featured. Customization can either be visual, or actually mechanical, with a real impact on how your car performs. Plus, you can even collect the derelict cars found in the world, and the have that scrap turned into something actually meaningful. Doesn’t that sound intriguing…?
In Payback, the customization includes:
- Body Kits
- Stance Tuning
- Derelict Restoration
- Car Specialization
- Car Class Customization
Regardless, if customization is what you want, then these videos below will walk you through the options that are available to you in game.
CAR CLASSES
It’s not an RPG, but just like in real life, there are different cars that are good at doing different things- and in this section, we help you figure out what class does what (even though, I have to be honest, it’s all mostly really self explanatory).
- Race: The all round class, they’re good at jut about everything, but not exceptionally great at anything
- Off-Road: If you know your race will be going off the tarmac, these cars are the ones you want to be on the lookout for
- Drag: Straight line racing demons, go for these if you know you won’t need to round very many corners
- Drift: The exact opposite of Drag- these are the cars you want to chain your drifts in to get that multiplier up
SOME GENERAL TIPS AND TRICKS FOR MULTIPLAYER
- Remember- your loadout decides who you race against. You will be matched with players racing with similar cars
- You can vote for the next event- and if you are on the bottom half of the table, your votes carry more weight. Woot.
- Playing Speedlists will earn you actual, tangible rewards. You always have a chance of winning a reward, no matter how you do- but doing better increases your chances of winning a reward, too.
CHEATS AND CHEAT CODES (Unlimited Money And Infinite Payback Cards):
If you are playing the PC version of the game, then yes, you can use cheats to earn more money and cards. However use them at your own discretion as we are merely reporting on them.
ACHIEVEMENTS/TROPHIES
The Ultimate Payback
Collect all trophies
Training Wheels Off
Reach REP level 2
Top Dog
Reach REP level 50
One Man’s Trash
Assemble a Derelict car
Another Man’s Treasure
Get a Derelict car to 399 Performance Level
The Artist
Unlock all Visual Customization points
The Mogul
Buy all available Garage spaces
The Strategist
Grind a previously won narrative event for Speed Cards
Hope and Glory
Equip a full setup with the Americana brand
Outlaws on the Rise
Equip a full setup with the Outlaw brand
Tech Mate
Equip a full setup with the NexTech brand
Carbon Cartel
Equip a full setup with the Carbon brand
Under the Hood
Equip a full setup with the Chidori brand
First Strike is Deadly
Complete all 5 events in a single Speedlist
The Climb
Complete 10 events in Ranked Speedlists
Friendly Competition
Beat your first Autolog Recommendation
A Daily a Day
Complete your first Daily Challenge
You’ve Got the Need
Complete all Speed Traps
Flat-Out
Complete all Speed Runs
Sideways Style
Complete all Drift Zones
Aces High
Complete all Jumps
Wherever I May Roam
Beat all 4 Roaming Racer bosses
Does Not Obey
Smash your way through all the Billboards
Tinker, Tailor, Racer, Fly
Win a Race Event with a modified live tuning setup
Scrappy Racer
Win an event using a Derelict car
Comeback is Real
Be last during the final lap of a race and still win
1500 bhp… Easy
Win a race in the Koenigsegg Regera without damaging it
Perfect Shift
Win a Drag Race round by performing only perfect shifts
Still Not Lovin Police
Take down 100 cop vehicles
Active Lifestyle
Get a 3 Star Rating on all the Activities in the game
Who Runs this Town?
Win all the events and beat all the Roaming Racers in the game
Cover Stars
Own the BMW M5 2017, NISSAN Skyline GT-R (1999) and Chevrolet Bel Air
Driving the Incredible
Get a score of over 350,000 points with the BMW M5 2017 during a Drift Trial event
Supercars for Breakfast
Beat all the members of the 1% Club roaming racers league in the Nissan GT-R
Welcome to Fortune Valley
Complete the Prologue
Back in the Game
Reassemble the crew
We Got This
Complete the Highway Heist
I Fought the Law
Escape the Skyhammer
Double or Nothing
Steal two gold-plated cars
Against All Odds
Bring down The House
Spread the Word
Win your first event against a Street League
La Catrina
Defeat Graveyard Shift league boss La Catrina
Udo Roth
Defeat League 73 league boss Udo Roth
Big Sister
Defeat Riot Club league boss Big Sister
Underground Soldier
Defeat Shift-Lock league boss The Underground Soldier
Gallo Rivera
Defeat Silver Six league boss ‘Gallo’ Rivera
Faith Jones
Defeat Free Ember Militia league boss Faith Jones
Aki Kimura
Defeat Noise Bomb league boss Aki Kimura
Natalia Nova
Defeat One Percent Club league boss Natalia Nova
Mitko Vasilev
Defeat Diamond Block league boss Mitko Vasilev
Holtzman
Defeat Hazard Company league boss Holtzman
All In
Collect all of the Gambler’s Chips
Hyperspeed
Hit 240 mph using any car
Pranked
Beat Jesse Wellens in an Outrun Race
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