Need For Speed Hashtag - What Payback could have been?
Over on the Need For Speed Subreddit, news has emerged that Need For Speed Payback was in development using a different moniker: Need For Speed Hashtag. In addition to this, there is a concept art image (shown below) showcasing the theme the game could have taken.
On the face of it, it looks like a significant amount of things have changed about the game, but you can also see that some aspects of the artwork have carried over into Payback, so let's analyse the similarities and differences between what is portrayed in this concept art, and what we ended up with in the 2017 title.
Things that stayed the same
Environment
From the backdrop, it is clear to see the city is based on Las Vegas. Need For Speed Payback is set in a fictional rendition of Las Vegas, known as Fortune Valley. Ahead of the city, there is also a desert which ended up being Liberty Desert in the final game. A lot of the scenery you can drive on appears to be flat, so the elevation changes in the Silver Canyons and Mount Providence are not represented. However, there are only so many aspects of the environment you can squeeze into one image...
Car customisation
The car that takes centre stage in this photo is the Mazda RX-7 which appears to have a Time Attack aero package. This hints towards car customisation being a significant factor in the game, which is does end up being given how the majority of cars have a respectable number of visual customisation options, far more so that Need For Speed 2015.
Daytime
Following the criticism of Need For Speed 2015 being too dark and blurry, the Hashtag concept art has incorporated a daytime weather setting. This would point towards a 24 hour day and night cycle, also found in Need For Speed Payback.
Things that have changed
Car meets
The biggest difference in Hashtag is the community setting. The only aspect of Payback which sort of resembles this is the Outlaw's Rush, where the finest racers in Fortune Valley meet up for the ultimate race. However, that makes up only a fraction of the story, while the image suggests the community setting would be at the heart of the gameplay, much like a Forza Horizon title.
Closed circuit racing
Another thing that would have made Hashtag similar to Forza Horizon is the idea of closed circuit racing. inflatable banners and grid girls point towards racing on closed roads, akin to Need For Speed Pro Street. Post release, we have seen new content which makes use of driving on closed roads, including the Castrol Titanium Gamer Trials and SpeedCross expansion DLC.
Exotic car focus
Aside from the Mazda RX-7, the cars in this photo consist of high end performance cars, some of which are not present in the game thus far. There could be a reason why some of these vehicles are not in the game, such as licensing issues which is most probably why the Lexus LFA didn't make the cut.
Things that could have been omitted
Story
I'm not saying Hashtag would be completely devoid of a story, but there is nothing to suggest the story would be derived from a Hollywood action thriller. If anything, it looks to be more inspired by the "Race Wars" of the early Fast and Furious movies rather than the later ones centred around explosive driving missions.
Cops
Now here's the thing that would have caused the biggest controversy if it Hashtag was based solely on this image: The lack of a police presence. At release, police seemed like an afterthought beyond story missions given the lack of heat levels and growing intensity of chases. Still, better than having no police, right? Having police helps in terms of differentiating Need For Speed from the Forza Horizon series and a provides a sense of accomplishment when you takedown and escape your pursuers.
Conclusion
Based on a single image, I think Need For Speed Hashtag would have been an enjoyable title for the average Need For Speed fan. It has much of what is expected from a fun arcade racer with a significant human element to make the game feel more alive. It is hard to tell whether a complete version of Need For Speed Hashtag would be better than Payback, but since the latter's game post-release development is not over, there is still time to add some desirable features from the development title.
On the face of it, it looks like a significant amount of things have changed about the game, but you can also see that some aspects of the artwork have carried over into Payback, so let's analyse the similarities and differences between what is portrayed in this concept art, and what we ended up with in the 2017 title.
Things that stayed the same
Environment
From the backdrop, it is clear to see the city is based on Las Vegas. Need For Speed Payback is set in a fictional rendition of Las Vegas, known as Fortune Valley. Ahead of the city, there is also a desert which ended up being Liberty Desert in the final game. A lot of the scenery you can drive on appears to be flat, so the elevation changes in the Silver Canyons and Mount Providence are not represented. However, there are only so many aspects of the environment you can squeeze into one image...
Car customisation
The car that takes centre stage in this photo is the Mazda RX-7 which appears to have a Time Attack aero package. This hints towards car customisation being a significant factor in the game, which is does end up being given how the majority of cars have a respectable number of visual customisation options, far more so that Need For Speed 2015.
Daytime
Following the criticism of Need For Speed 2015 being too dark and blurry, the Hashtag concept art has incorporated a daytime weather setting. This would point towards a 24 hour day and night cycle, also found in Need For Speed Payback.
Things that have changed
Car meets
The biggest difference in Hashtag is the community setting. The only aspect of Payback which sort of resembles this is the Outlaw's Rush, where the finest racers in Fortune Valley meet up for the ultimate race. However, that makes up only a fraction of the story, while the image suggests the community setting would be at the heart of the gameplay, much like a Forza Horizon title.
Closed circuit racing
Another thing that would have made Hashtag similar to Forza Horizon is the idea of closed circuit racing. inflatable banners and grid girls point towards racing on closed roads, akin to Need For Speed Pro Street. Post release, we have seen new content which makes use of driving on closed roads, including the Castrol Titanium Gamer Trials and SpeedCross expansion DLC.
Exotic car focus
Aside from the Mazda RX-7, the cars in this photo consist of high end performance cars, some of which are not present in the game thus far. There could be a reason why some of these vehicles are not in the game, such as licensing issues which is most probably why the Lexus LFA didn't make the cut.
Things that could have been omitted
Story
I'm not saying Hashtag would be completely devoid of a story, but there is nothing to suggest the story would be derived from a Hollywood action thriller. If anything, it looks to be more inspired by the "Race Wars" of the early Fast and Furious movies rather than the later ones centred around explosive driving missions.
Cops
Now here's the thing that would have caused the biggest controversy if it Hashtag was based solely on this image: The lack of a police presence. At release, police seemed like an afterthought beyond story missions given the lack of heat levels and growing intensity of chases. Still, better than having no police, right? Having police helps in terms of differentiating Need For Speed from the Forza Horizon series and a provides a sense of accomplishment when you takedown and escape your pursuers.
Conclusion
Based on a single image, I think Need For Speed Hashtag would have been an enjoyable title for the average Need For Speed fan. It has much of what is expected from a fun arcade racer with a significant human element to make the game feel more alive. It is hard to tell whether a complete version of Need For Speed Hashtag would be better than Payback, but since the latter's game post-release development is not over, there is still time to add some desirable features from the development title.
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