All three titles are live from September 6th to October 3rd, and will also be available for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members. As for what to expect, Granblue Fantasy Versus is a fighting game by Arc System Works with a decent single-player mode, diverse character roster, and questionable netcode. Nevertheless, it looks good and has solid combat mechanics.

Need for Speed Heat is an open-world racing game by Ghost Games, and focuses on street racing, both legal and otherwise. If you’re looking for a more arcade-style racing game with plenty of jumps, frantic escapes from the cops, and more, it may be worth a look. Finally, those seeking a more chilled-out experience with a colorful art style can check out TOEM. It’s all about photography and puzzle solving with some intriguing characters.

Stay tuned for details shortly on the newest upcoming titles for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium subscribers.

Need for Speed Heat is Ghost Games’ last major title in the franchise, set in the open world of Palm City (styled after Miami). It focuses on racing events during the day, which awards cash and illegal street racing at night. Evading police in the latter provides REP which is necessary for upgrades.

Granblue Fantasy Versus is a 2.5D fighting game developed by Arc System Works and based on Cygames’ mobile gacha RPG. It offers an extensive roster and accessible combat, along with a story-focused RPG Mode. As for TOEM, it’s a photography-focused game with puzzle-solving and an adorable monochrome art style.

Along with PlayStation Plus Essential, all three games will be free for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium subscribers. Stay tuned for the official announcement from Sony in the meantime.

According to Henderson in a new tweet, Codemasters Cheshire is becoming a support studio for the next Need for Speed. The studio is perhaps best known for being the success to Evolution Studios, which developed Motorstorm and Driveclub before eventually releasing Onrush under Deep Silver. It would subsequently develop DiRT 5. While we advise taking this rumor with a grain of salt, Henderson has been fairly on the money with leaks and reports.

This doesn’t exactly narrow down the scope or level of realism that the next Need for Speed will have. Time will ultimately tell how it pans out and whether the studio serving as support was always the plan or a last-minute decision to meet deadlines. Stay tuned for an official announcement sometime in the coming months.

SCOOP – Codemasters Cheshire is to become a support studio for the next Need For Speed title. pic.twitter.com/yCFtLr2aji

— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) February 10, 2022

September came and went, and now it’s time once again for the offerings of Sony’s PS Plus to refresh. While the month of October is often reserved for more spooky affairs, it seems Sony decided to do a little bit of a half and half there with a good game for the horror-themed month and one that is a bit more quick.

As announced by the official Twitter, this month’s offering consists of Vampyr and Need for Speed: Payback. Vampyr is an action RPG from the folks at Dontnod and follows a doctor who finds himself as part of the undead and must choose between his oath to help people or to give in to his newfound bloodlust. Need for Speed: Payback is on a very opposite end of the spectrum. A racing title from earlier this gen from Ghost Games it sees you trying to pull off wild stunts in a Hollywood style.

Vampyr and Need for Speed: Payback will be free to all PS Plus subscribers starting October 6th. You can still redeem the current games, Street Fighter 5 and PUBG, until that time.

Need for Speed: Payback and Vampyr are your PS Plus games for October: https://t.co/kKNMxUDkCL pic.twitter.com/K1Kutlws67

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) September 30, 2020

Following the Need for Speed franchise going back to Criterion Games earlier this year, the developer has confirmed the next sequel to be in development. There was no information provided on platforms or a release window. However, general manager Matt Webster said in a blog post that there would be more announcements at EA Play Live 2020 on June 18th.

Players can also expect Steam-related announcements at the show, which likely pertains to EA Access. Speaking of which, Need for Speed Heat will be joining the Vault for EA Access and Origin Access Basic on June 16th. If that weren’t enough, cross-platform play will be coming tomorrow for all platforms.

Webster also noted that this would be the last update for Need for Speed Heat with Criterion focusing fully on the next game. “Since the launch of Need for Speed Heat and as players continue to tear it up in Palm City, we’re listening to what you love about this experience, and what you all believe could be even better. With these insights, we have a terrific foundation to create the most expressive, most socially connected, action-packed game yet for Need for Speed fans and beyond.”

It remains to be seen just how the social aspect will play into the next game. But regardless, a new Need for Speed game is coming and may even arrive for Xbox Series X and PS5. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.

You could argue that in the pursuit of market dominance, Need for Speed had lost its identity a bit, many have, but the truth is no series lasts as long as Need for Speed has without undergoing major shifts here and there. One of the largest shifts of all for the series was going from their developer of many years, Criterion Games, who oversaw development of several of some of the most highly regarded titles in the series, to Ghost Games, who had really nothing of note beforehand, and was more-or-less just a Frankenstein dev team put together by EA with folks from DICE, Black Box, and other studios.

After collaborating with Criterion on Need for Speed Rivals back in 2013, Ghost Games would go on to carry the mantle on their own and they would make many of the less-than-stellar Need for Speed games of the last several years, like 2017’s reboot, Need for Speed Payback, and eventually, Need for Speed Heat, which actually turned out pretty good. Despite this, it does seem that, after years of perhaps being in less than ideal hands, the Need for Speed torch is being handed back to Criterion. For anybody who was in love with the older games in the series, or any of Criterion’s other masterpieces, this is outstanding news. Here’s why:

Firstly, let’s just talk about Criterion for a second. This is a developer who has certainly had their ups and downs, but let’s be real here; any studio that has been able to bring the unmitigated classics like the Burnout series into the world, deserves your attention. The original few Burnout games are still regarded as some of the finest examples of arcade racing at its best, and odds are, with Criterion perhaps back behind the wheel of the Need for Speed series, we’ll see some of that flair and creativity return to a series that certainly needs it at this point. That by no means indicates that Need for Speed needs to be as wacky and crazy as Burnout, and I don’t think we should expect that necessarily, but surely taking the series a few notches back in that direction could be just what the doctor ordered.

It’s arguable that the praise that NFS Heat has gotten is largely a result of that game taking a couple baby steps towards that mentality, and setting itself further apart from games like Forza and Gran Turismo, who unquestionably have that ultra-realistic driving game market cornered at this point. There’s certainly no point in trying to compete with that, and it looks like Heat was Ghost Games’ best attempt to reflect that truth. However, nobody knows that truth more than Criterion. The Burnout games, as well as the few Need for Speed games they did work on were all very much in their own space between the super arcade-y and the super realistic, and that was a good space for the NFS games to plant their flag in.

On top of the sheer acumen of the team as it currently exists, more good news about this development has come out. We now know that, according to EA, many of the lead designers and engineers that have worked on the last few Need for Speed games will be transferring to Criterion to help with future titles, while Criterion remains in the leadership position. This is a fantastic decision on EA’s part. While the last few NFS games might have failed to live up to many gamers’ standards in some ways, they have all looked and sounded great.

So many of those who were responsible for actual asset building, sound engineering, and other artistic elements will be going over to help and be led by Criterion, who could use the extra hands at this point as they have been rather small over the last several years. In any case, if this transfer of talent goes well, Criterion could be set up perfectly to deliver one of the best Need for Speed games of all time with the design talent of some of the best folks from Ghost, and the creative minds that brought us Burnout and Black leading the project and calling the shots.

On top of just having a great team and a great arrangement of circumstances in Criterion’s favor at the moment, there’s another, less measurable aspect about this that could be cause for excitement here; pent up creative energy. What exactly has Criterion been working on for the last few years? Have they been up to anything interesting since EA took Need for Speed away from them, downsized them, and left them behind? Well, not really. After wrapping up their small part of helping with Need for Speed Rivals, Criterion went straight into helping DICE with Star Wars Battlefront by working on a standalone X-Wing VR mission for the game. This was by no means a waste of time, as the VR mission was pretty cool, but indeed a far cry from what the studio had been working on just a year or so before.

After that, more work on Battlefront 2, which was mostly still lead by DICE, so odds are that wasn’t particularly fulfilling to their creative minds. After that, Criterion was given yet another odd job of creating the Firestorm battle royale mode for Battlefield 5. Despite the fact that Battlefield 5 was getting mixed reviews and a fair amount of backlash from poor marketing decisions, Firestorm actually turned out pretty well and was able to grasp the chaos of battlefield games and transfer it nicely into the battle royale format for the most part. Even still, the completion of this mode would mark nearly a decade of not really having any major role in the creation or completion of their own games. Let alone a racing game or any sort of unique IP.

The talented minds left at Criterion had only been allowed to operate in the exceedingly small box of small tasks for other games that were already made by other teams, and that is not the natural function of creativity. Now, with Need for Speed finally being in the capable hands of Criterion, and that team having more autonomy and creative responsibility than they have had in many years, it’s fair to suspect an explosion of creative ideas and fresh takes are on the way for the series. Who knows, maybe the series will get the exact breath of fresh air that it has needed for so long.

Ghost Games may be off of the Need for Speed franchise but their work in Need for Speed Heat wasn’t half-bad. The game’s customization is leagues better than previous efforts and allows for personalization in a number of different ways. Upgrading one’s car usually falls into three different cores – Engine, Chassis and Auxiliary.

Let’s go over the engine first. You’ll generally have 7 to 10 available engines for each vehicle, barring some exceptions. You can have several different types of Forced Induction in an engine, which can change the overall performance depending on your set-up. Then there’s Nitrous, which will provide a nice speed boost but having more requires a higher capacity system. Going with several small Nitrous bottles allows for more opportunities to use each at the cost of overall power. If you’re interested in one large boost and know exactly where it will be needed, install a large Nitrous bottle instead.

The Chassis consists of the different suspension, brakes and tires used in a vehicle, which in turn impacts the overall handling. Depending on a part’s level, the overall handling will be impacted that much more. For example, upgrading tires will provide much more grip while also increasing acceleration. Different tires, suspension and differentials can be used for racing, drifting, off-road racing and so on.

Auxiliary allows you to have an active item, which is triggered by the player – like refilling Nitrous bottles instantly or a repair kit – and a passive item, which is always active. The latter includes more Nitrous gained when performing certain moves like drafting, dealing more damage to cop cars and so on. Think of these as perks that can further compliment your play-style or get you out of a pinch.

How do you go about acquiring new parts? Leveling up is a good reliable method since shops will stock new parts each time. There are different events which dole out parts as well though some, like High Heat events, may involve having to run from the police upon completing the race. Keep in mind that you need to partake in night activities to increase your Rep level – currency aka Bank alone will not be enough to buy new parts.

On a separate note, if you want to tune the exact sounds coming from your car’s exhaust, then Need for Speed Heat offers plenty of options here as well. Numerous sliders are available for pipe resonance, tone, and so on, and they can also change depending on performance level. It’s just another extra detail for better personalizing a car to be your own.

EA have announced (via GamesIndustry) that the development of the Need for Speed franchise is being handed back to Burnout developers Criterion Games. After having spent the majority of their time on Burnout, Criterion worked on two Need for Speed games – Hot Pursuit in 2010 and Most Wanted in 2012.

Following that, the reins were handed to Ghost Games, who worked on four Need for Speed games in total- Need for Speed Rivals (which Criterion also worked on in a supporting capacity), the 2015 reboot, Need for Speed Payback, and last year’s Need for Speed Heat. For the better part of the decade, Criterion have functioned as a support studio (most recently having developed Battlefield 5’s battle royale mode, Firestorm).

EA has confirmed that Ghost Games will be renamed to EA Gothenburg, and will nor provide engineering aid as a company-wide support hub for EA.

“The engineering expertise in our Gothenburg team, some of whom are architects of the Frostbite engine, is vital to a number of our ongoing projects, and they would remain in that location,” says EA.

Meanwhile, creative talent in Ghost Games will be relocated to various other studios- however, as many as 30 employees are still at risk of losing their jobs.

“Outside of the engineers and those that we plan to transfer to other positions, there would be 30 additional staff in Gothenburg, and we would hope to place as many of them as possible into other roles in the company,” EA said.

The publisher has also explained why this change is being made. Quite simply, Ghost Games’ location – Gothenburg, Sweden – hasn’t suited their needs for attracting talent to work on major AAA productions. As such, EA is moving development of Need for Speed back to Criterion.

“With a strong history and passion for racing games and vision for what we can create, the Criterion team is going to take Need for Speed into the next-generation,” EA said.

“Ghost Games have helped to bring some great Need for Speed experiences to our players,” the publisher stated. Consistently delivering that at AAA levels means we need teams with diverse skills in locations where we can continually support them and bring in new team members to join. Despite our best efforts to establish an independent development group in Gothenburg over several years, it’s become clear that the breadth of talent we need to maintain a full AAA studio is just not available to us there. Criterion can also provide the consistent leadership that we need to continue creating and delivering new Need for Speed experiences for a long time to come.

“Criterion is a fantastic studio, and we’re looking forward to adding to their talented team and building a great future for Need for Speed.  The engineering teams in Gothenburg are also vital to our ongoing plans across EA.”

The NPD Group has released data for video game software and hardware sales in the United States during the month of November 2019 (via GamesBeat), and it was a big month in terms of new releases. On top, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare remains unmoved, retaining the pole position from last month, and maintaining its position as the best-selling game of the year.

Meanwhile, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order occupies the second spot, enjoying the second biggest launch month for a Star Wars games in terms of dollar sales, trailing only behind 2015’s Star Wars: Battlefront. It has also instantly become the ninth best-selling game of the year, while also becoming Respawn Entertainment’s biggest launch in the US ever.

The next three positions are all dominated by Pokemon, which has performed just as well in the US as it has in other areas of the world, including the likes of Japan and the UK. Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield are in at No. 3 and No. 5 respectively, sandwiching Pokemon Sword and Shield Double Pack in fourth place.

Notably, this is the series’ best ever launch month in the US, which is really saying something, outperforming Pokemon Sun and Moon. In fact, if the three separate packages were counted as a single game, Pokemon Sword and Shield would be placed 2nd in the charts.

Death Stranding, meanwhile, is in seventh place, while fellow new release Need for Speed Heat is No. 9. Additionally, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, placed 17th, has become the best-selling fighting game in US history, outselling the previous holder of the record, Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

You can check out the full NPD software charts for November 2019 below.

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019
2. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order^
3. Pokémon Sword*
4. Pokémon Sword and Pokemon Shield Double Pack*
5. Pokémon Shield*
6. Madden NFL 20
7. Death Stranding
8. NBA 2K20
9. Need for Speed: Heat
10. Luigi’s Mansion 3*
11. FIFA 20
12. Borderlands 3
13. The Outer Worlds
14. Just Dance 2020
15. Mario Kart 8*
16. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
17. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
18. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint
19. Grand Theft Auto V
20. Mortal Kombat 11

* Digital sales not included
^ Steam sales not included

Need for Speed Heat is one of the better Need for Speed games we’ve had in years. Instead of focusing on forced online-only play, or a ham-fisted story, or loot boxes and microtransactions, Heat instead devotes its energies to thrilling cop chases, fun racing, and tons of customization. Though it’s still a game with plenty of issues, it feels like a step in the right direction for the series.

Critics have largely been of the same opinion, and to highlight some of the praise the open world racer has received, EA have released an accolades trailer. There’s plenty of gameplay footage in there as well, so if you’re interested in the game, you might want to take a look. Check it out below.

Need for Speed Heat is out now for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and has enjoyed a solid launch. In our own review of the game, we called it “the best and most enjoyable Need for Speed game in years” and “a great comeback for the franchise.” Read our full review through here.