You probably remember the drama. Back in 2017, when Ghost Games dropped Need for Speed Payback, the internet basically imploded over loot boxes. It was a messy time for Electronic Arts. Between this and Star Wars Battlefront II, fans were ready to grab pitchforks. Honestly, it was a shame because, beneath the controversy of the "Speed Cards" and the grind, there was a genuinely fun arcade racer trying to get out.
It wasn't perfect. Not even close.
But looking back at it now? Payback has a certain charm that the newer entries like Unbound or Heat sometimes lack. It felt like a playable version of a Fast & Furious movie from the Justin Lin era. You had the high-stakes heists, the desert vibes of Fortune Valley, and a trio of protagonists that—while a bit cheesy—actually gave the world some much-needed context.
The Fortune Valley Map and Why It Works
Fortune Valley is basically a caricature of Las Vegas and the surrounding Nevada desert. It’s huge. If you’ve played Need for Speed (2015), you know how claustrophobic those wet, nighttime streets felt. Payback blew the doors off that. You have the city lights of Silver Rock, but you also have Liberty Desert, Mount Providence, and Silver Canyon.
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The diversity matters.
Drifting down a narrow mountain pass feels fundamentally different from redlining a supercar on a desert highway. The game introduced a day-night cycle that finally let us see the cars in the sunlight. In the previous game, everything was perpetually 3:00 AM and raining. Payback let the paint jobs pop.
One of the coolest things they added were the "Derelicts." This was clearly inspired by Forza Horizon’s Barn Finds, but with a twist. You don't just find a car; you find a chassis and then have to hunt down four specific parts hidden across the map. It turned the game into a bit of an exploration puzzler. Bringing a rusted-out 1965 Ford Mustang back to life and eventually turning it into a "Super Build" is easily the most rewarding progression loop in the game.
Let’s Talk About Those Speed Cards
We have to address the elephant in the room. The progression system in Need for Speed Payback was, frankly, weird. Instead of buying a turbocharger or a new camshaft, you equipped "Speed Cards." These cards had levels, brands (like Outlaw, NexTech, or Carbon), and bonuses for things like jump airtime or nitrous capacity.
It felt like a mobile game.
If you wanted to max out your Nissan Skyline, you had to hope the Tune-Up Shop had the right card in stock, or you had to use the "Rolling Lab" to gamble your way to a better part. It was a transparent attempt to keep people playing—or paying. Thankfully, after the massive backlash at launch, Ghost Games patched the rewards system to be way more generous. If you play it today, you’ll find that you earn enough currency and parts just by racing that the "grind" isn't the wall it used to be.
Still, the lack of a traditional garage-style upgrade system remains a baffling design choice. It disconnected the player from the mechanical reality of the car. You weren't a mechanic; you were a deck-builder.
The Action Movie Vibe
The story follows Tyler, Mac, and Jess. They’re a crew looking for revenge against "The House," a cartel that controls the city’s underworld and its races.
Tyler is your standard "I want to be the best" racer.
Mac is the comic relief who handles off-road and drifting.
Jess is the professional "runner" who does the high-stakes getaway driving.
The "Highway Heist" missions are the standout moments. You're weaving through traffic, dodging Rhino armored trucks, and performing scripted takedowns to jump onto a moving semi-truck. It’s pure spectacle. While some hardcore fans hated that the most "epic" moments were often cutscenes or scripted events, you can’t deny the adrenaline. Most racing games are just "go from A to B." Payback tried to make you feel like a cinematic outlaw.
Why the Off-Roading Matters
Off-roading was a huge focus here. It wasn't just an afterthought.
Before Payback, Need for Speed was strictly about the pavement. Adding dirt tracks, massive jumps, and rally-style events changed the tempo. You could take a Bel Air and turn it into a desert-shredding monster. The physics for off-roading were surprisingly bouncy and forgiving, which fits the arcade style.
The Cops: A Mixed Bag
Cops in Need for Speed Payback are polarizing. In the open world, they barely exist. You can blast through a speed trap at 200 mph right in front of a patrol car and they won't blink. This was a major step back from the legendary chases in Most Wanted (2005).
Police only show up during specific missions or "Bait Crates." When they do show up, they are aggressive. They use killswitches to shut down your engine and heavy Rhinos to ram you head-on. The problem? The chases are mostly linear. You have to reach a series of checkpoints before a timer runs out. Once you hit the final gate, the cops just vanish. It feels artificial. It lacks the "cat and mouse" tension of hiding in an alleyway while a helicopter circles overhead.
Customization is Still King
If there is one thing Ghost Games got right, it’s the visual customization. The "Wrap Editor" is deep. You can spend hours—literally hours—placing decals, adjusting metallic flakes, and perfecting the stance of your car.
The community-shared wraps are insane. You can find everything from accurate replicas of famous movie cars to original art pieces. The game also introduced "Vanity Items" like colored tire smoke, underglow, and air suspension. While these were originally tied to shipments (loot boxes), they added a layer of personality that became a staple for the franchise moving forward.
Is It Worth Playing in 2026?
Honestly? Yeah.
If you can get past the card-based upgrading, there is a massive amount of content here. The world is beautiful, the car list is solid (though missing Toyota, as was the trend back then), and the sheer variety of race types keeps things fresh. It’s often on sale for less than five dollars on digital storefronts. For the price of a coffee, you get a 20-hour campaign and a world that’s actually fun to drive around in.
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Getting the Most Out of Fortune Valley
If you’re jumping in for the first time, don’t ignore the side activities. The "Roamers" are AI racers driving around the world that you can challenge to an instant race just by pulling up behind them. Beating them is the key to unlocking better parts and moving up the ranks.
Also, focus on the Derelicts early. Finding the 1965 Mustang or the Nissan 240ZG early in the game gives you a "forever car" that you can keep upgrading until the final credits roll.
Key Actions for New Players
- Don't Buy Every Car: Focus on one car per class (Race, Drift, Off-Road, Drag, Runner). Spreading your money too thin makes the Speed Card grind much worse.
- Brand Synergy: Always try to equip cards from the same brand. Getting a 3-piece or 6-piece set bonus (like Americana for Nitrous and Air) is way more important than the individual level of the card.
- Check the Tune-Up Shop Every 10 Minutes: The inventory rotates on a timer. If you’re looking for a specific part, keep checking back between races.
- Finish the Campaign First: A lot of the best performance parts and visual mods are locked behind story progression. Don't spend too much time grinding for the "perfect look" until you’ve cleared the main chapters.
Need for Speed Payback isn't the best in the series, but it's far from the worst. It’s a loud, fast, and slightly flawed tribute to action-movie car culture. If you go in expecting a fun time rather than a technical simulation, you’ll find plenty to love in the dust of Fortune Valley.
Next Steps for Your Fortune Valley Journey
To truly master the streets, your first goal should be locating the five Derelict chassis. These cars are the only ones capable of reaching Level 399, the highest performance tier in the game. Start with the Ford Mustang 1965—its parts are clustered in the central desert area, making it the easiest "Super Build" to complete early on. Once you have a Super Build, the "Speed Card" level requirements for late-game races become much easier to manage.