The Forza franchise is one of the most popular racing franchises in gaming today. Between its two sub-franchises – Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon – the Forza franchise has plenty to offer for fans of racing games. Alongside non-racing franchises such as Halo and Gears of War, the series has become one of the biggest staples for Microsoft and their Xbox platform and has remained an in-demand game since its first entry in 2005.
Recently, Microsoft announced that the franchise’s 2021 entry, Forza Horizon 5, will be released on its competitor’s platform, the PlayStation 5. This is one of the most notable indicators of Microsoft’s change in approach to the Xbox ecosystem, as while previous Xbox titles have made it to PlayStation and Nintendo systems, this is the first time the publisher has shown a willingness to bring one of its hallmark IPs to competition systems. Forza’s arrival on PlayStation should motivate one more racing game franchise to get a new entry: Need For Speed.
Related
Now Would Be a Great Time For PlayStation to Revisit Its Need For Speed Competitor
One now-defunct PlayStation-exclusive racing game deserves a second chance, as it could give Need for Speed a run for its money.
Forza’s Move To PlayStation Should Be The Return Of Need for Speed Too
With Forza On PlayStation, Need For Speed Should Race Back
Now that Forza is making its way to PlayStation, the Need for Speed series should get a new entry. One of the most popular franchises in its genre, Need for Speed celebrated its 30th anniversary last year but 2024 came and went with no major announcements. While it’s had plenty of critical and commercial success, the franchise has been passed around numerous developers which contributed to the more mixed reception of its recent entries.
The latest entry, Need for Speed Unbound, was handed back to developer Criterion Games and was seen as a return to form for the franchise, although sales numbers were down 64% compared to 2019’s Need for Speed Heat. Since then, Criterion has been focused on an upcoming Battlefield game, though publisher EA has confirmed that the Need for Speed franchise will continue. It may take a while for the next game to come along, but it may be a good idea for EA to fast-track the franchise’s return.
Need For Speed Would Distinguish Itself From Forza and Gran Turismo
As Forza makes its way to PlayStation, a new Need for Speed game would fit right alongside it. After all, Forza’s arrival already means that, for the first time, it will exist on the same platform as Sony’s iconic racing game series, Gran Turismo. Bringing out a new Need for Speed game with all the bells and whistles means that three of the most iconic racing franchises will get to sit on the PlayStation 5 together.
A new Need for Speed game would also give the PlayStation 5 a little fresh form from Forza and Gran Turismo. As those games are known for their realistic gameplay, Need for Speed leans harder on the arcade racing style, with an emphasis on illegal street races. Given its greater sense of bombast compared to Microsoft and Sony’s racing games, it fills a different niche and offers a unique angle on these other titles.
As Forza makes its way to PlayStation, a new Need for Speed game would fit right alongside it.
Need For Speed’s Return May Take A Long Time
If Need for Speed is to come back, it may have to take a while for its return. Again, developer Criterion Games is focusing on developing the next Battlefield game, where they will be handling the next title’s single-player campaign. Thus, if a brand-new Need for Speed game is to enter full development, fans may have to wait until the beginning of the next decade to play it.
Still, EA has a great opportunity to bring Need for Speed back with Forza’s arrival on PlayStation. As Sony’s platform is now set to have two noteworthy realistic racing game franchises, a new Need for Speed game would give fans an arcade twist to set itself apart from other racing games. It may take a long time to get it, but EA’s iconic franchise deserves another chance with a brand-new game.
- Released
-
November 9, 2021
- ESRB
-
E for Everyone
- Publisher(s)
-
Xbox Game Studios