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visit FEATURE GAMES
068 NOVEMBER 2015
H aving had a year off
from production, the
company came at the
revamp with all pistons firing.
"The game is built on entirely
new foundations so really
everything is new or reworked",
notes Craig Sullivan. “We’ve improved on things
like AllDrive, gone much deeper on visual
customisation and performance tuning, and then
added huge new features such as Five Ways to
Play, the five separate storylines, real-time
compositing that allows us to blend real actors
with your CG car, new cars, more players in
AllDrive, a new garage, and a new messaging
system."
There has been no chassis unturned in
bringing this generation of Need for Speed fans
the best game possible. “This is Need for Speed
– this is what it stands for – this is the game we
and the fans want."
The NFS series is notorious for its borderless
customisation and the freedom of drivers, and
Ghost wanted to ensure that remained in the
latest game. “People are used to expressing
themselves and making something unique...
It’s important in NFS because we live in a world
where pretty much everything we own can be
customised," he says. “I expect to put my stamp
on the things I own today.
“A game about customised street cars is a
perfect fit for modern players, so we had to go
deep on customisation and performance tuning
options in the game, as well as adding a great
wrap editor that allows anyone of any skill level
to make something completely bespoke to them
in seconds."
That is an important element of the appeal of
the NFS series; its ability to be picked up and
played by almost anyone has been a cornerstone
of the franchise since its launch back in 1996.
“We’ve been listening to the fans and we
want to make something they really want
because we’re fans too."
Sullivan explains how important it is to get
in touch with the NFS community, and have
them as heavily involved in
the game’s production as
possible. “It’s clear what the
core components should be, let’s
make it awesome."
A part of this was the implementation of a
strong narrative. “We knew we were going to
do narrative in the next game before we finished
the last game. We dipped a toe in the water with
Need for Speed: Rivals, but knew we were going
to go much deeper on everything."
Once the team sorted out where they wanted
the narrative to go, they went into production. “It
has turned out pretty cool and something that I
think is a great fit for Need for Speed."
With the refuelled Need for Speed racing into
stores this month, Sullivan is anticipating a new
fan-favourite in the series. “We’re really looking
forward to getting the game in people’s hands
and sharing the experience with them because at
the end of day, we took on those challenges to
give players something fun, fresh and new."
Need For Speed
Refuelled
It’s been two years since we saw the release of Need for Speed: Rivals. Now, Ghost Games
are jumpstarting their engines and returning with the revamped Need for Speed.We caught
up with creative director Craig Sullivan to chat about what’s involved in supercharging their
beloved franchise.
...this is the
game we and
the fans want