New Need For Speed Update Means More Mods And Two Underground Characters Returning

We waited a long time for the Need For Speed of our dreams, but when it arrived we were left a little underwhelmed. The main issue was the handling, which is at best a bit too arcade-y, and at worst completely undriveable. One of the other issues we encountered was the fact that some cars just didn’t have very much customisation; for a game that sold itself on its extensive modification capability, it was a bit of a let down.

While there’s probably not a lot that can be done with the handling now, it looks like Ghost Games and EA have been listening to complaints about the lack of aftermarket parts. The latest update - which follows a patch last month that addressed AI ‘rubber-banding’ during races and some minor bug tweaks - provides a pretty comprehensive dump of content.

Download this update and you’ll be treated to 113 new parts for six cars which were severely lacking in mods - the Dodge Challenger SRT8, 1965 Ford Mustang, Honda Civic Type-R, Lotus Exige S, Volksagen Golf GTI and Volvo 242. I’m still waiting on more parts for my pretty-much-stock-looking Nissan Silvia…

For long-time Need For Speed fans, the most exciting part of this update comes in the form of ‘legends’ from the series returning. Most prominently, we see the return of Eddie and Melissa, who were originally seen in the Underground games. Apparently, Eddie has put together a list of the best street racers in Ventura Bay, and, guess what, you’re on it. Melissa will be in touch to invite you to street races, where you can earn the right to face-off with Eddie himself.

On the subject of being in touch, the phone call system has been reworked so you’re not constantly being buzzed by irritating characters repeating themselves over and over again. You can even mute phone calls altogether, should you desire. Also making a return are a bunch of songs from previous NFS games, including Most Wanted, Hot Pursuit and Underground 2, as well as pre-set wraps from legendary character cars featured in old games.

Those are the major updates you’ll notice, however EA also revealed that you can now customise brake discs and callipers, new decals have been added to the wrap editor, and the maximum REP level has increased from 50 to 60.

Here are the full patch notes:

• Brand new progression thread unlocked at Rep Level 25. Eddie and Melissa are back and ready for a new challenge in Ventura Bay. 15 new events with a great reward at the end
• Unlock Eddies Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec (1999)
• 12 new Donor car collectables hidden around Ventura Bay
• 10 Urbex spots – Collect interesting spots around Ventura Bay
• 113 New customisation items for a selection of cars
• New screens in My NFS to track new collectables and progression
• Rep Level has now been increased to 70, each level unlocking new decals for the Wrap editor
• 3 New Achievements & Trophies
• New Daily Challenges and new rewards
• Hundreds of new decals so you can make your favourite Need for Speed cars
• 20+ Pre-set Wraps from Most Wanted, Underground and Pro Street
• A selection of new music tracks to remind you of the old days
• Ability to mute new phone calls
• Phone call improvements
• You can now customize brake discs and calipers!
• Improvements to AI
• Various bug fixes and stability improvements

The patch will be made available for download on 9th December - what do you think of the changes? And is there anything else you’d like to see improved? Let us know in the comments.