Need For Speed Payback looks like the unofficial Burnout sequel we’ve always wanted

Need For Speed made its grand return at the E3 2017 EA Play press conference today, with an explosive gameplay reveal that brought to mind the like of Burnout: Paradise and the Driver franchise, not to mention the Fast and Furious movies.

Marcus Nilsson, an executive producer on the game, hopped on stage to pitch Need for Speed: Payback as primarily a revenge story, with a fully-fledged campaign boasting three playable characters known as Tyler, Jess and Mac. The brief gameplay demo, in which one of the protagonists attempted to hijack a moving truck along a desert highway while pursued by dozens of cops and muscle cars – almost felt the return of Burnout in all but name, though it looks like Payback also takes a lot of inspiration from one of its franchise predecessors - Need For Speed: The Run.

Nilson also promised “the most diverse open-world ever made for a Need For Speed game”, and Payback will feature a rich amount of customization options, including the ability to take in old stock cars and turn them into super-powered motors.