Free-Roam Cops
Need for Speed has been known for its intense races against AI and other players, but one of the most exciting aspects of the franchise are the chases you would get in with police in the open-world setting.
These high-speed chases against cops gave the moment to moment gameplay a massive boost and helped increase replayability due to the random encounters that would take place between you and the authorities.
Need for Speed Payback disappointed fans with its complete lack of police in free-roam mode. Rather than having the cops patrol random areas of the map as you and your friends raced around the streets of Fortune Valley, they instead opted to have them be more instance-based and found in various missions.
The police in Payback were far too simple to avoid, too easy to outrun, and were too limited to become a challenge for players.
Although the cops were vastly improved over Need for Speed 2015, they were severely limited due to only appearing in missions and when going for the collectible Bait Crates scattered around the map.
However, there is good news for NFS fans looking to test their engines by outrunning the police once again. Not only is the title Need for Speed Heat a direct reference to the police, but the brief trailer we got shows a heavy presence of cops which could hint that free-roaming police may be back for good.
If EA can strike a balance between free-roam cops, improved police AI, and give players a risk versus reward mechanic for outrunning the police, Need for Speed Heat may just fix the problems that plagued its predecessor.
