Rebooting a 20-year old racing franchise, especially one that has been a bit all over the place throughout the years, is no easy task. But that's what Ghost Games have been up to since Need for Speed: Rivals was released in 2013.

Back in November of 2005, when the Xbox 360 launched, I was working at Blockbuster. I made sure to work the midnight launch so I could get Microsoft's new shiny console back to my apartment right away.

Live Action Cinematics; Soundtrack; Open World with Plenty to Do

Single Player is Online Only; Framerate Issues; Repetitive Gameplay; Limited Multiplayer Options

After a 21-year run Electronic Arts deemed it was time to reboot the Need for Speed franchise. The racing series has been immensely successful but recent releases have proved somewhat disappointing.

looks the part, sounds the part, and is surprisingly reverent to real-world car culture. I like the direction Ghost has taken here, and I think it's the right one, but beneath its flashy exterior it's not quite firing on all cylinders.

Great visuals and sound; Drifting feels satisfying

Story is brief; multiplayer underdelivers; Rubber band AI; daft time-of-night effects; No drag racing; and no pause button

The Need For Speed series has always been something of a chameleon. At various points, it's been a police chase simulator , a realistic track racer , and even a Cannonball Run-style action movie on wheels .

Visually stunning city; Deep; rewarding progression; Genuinely customizable handling; Nail-biting sense of speed

Rubber-banding AI; Draconian drift scoring system; Always-online means never pausing

EA and Ghost Games are bringing Need for Speed back, boasting it as the definitive arcade racing experience, and in many ways they have succeeded. The newest installment is a spiritual successor to the Underground series, which many fans have been begging for.

Five ways to play; Terrific sound effects and visuals; Tuning is simple yet highly effective

Writing is mediocre; Could use more visual mods; Only five garage slots

Need for Speed takes driving into a gorgeous world with a modern edge, but its pesky attitude and strict online-only requirement make you yearn for the good old days.

Ventura Bay lays out a gorgeous; rain-slick city; Car customization is rich and fulfilling; Drifts take time to tune and master

Completely unplayable offline; Pestering story mode; Parts of the world are a lifeless sprawl

Welcome to Ventura Bay, the featured city in the latest Need For Speed where the sun never shines and it rarely stops raining! Everyone here absolutely loves to race - except the cops, but they're total squares who don't get the streets like the kids do.

A great sense of speed and lovely visuals

The braindead; cheating; rubber-banding opponent AI

All of us in the house adore gaming and it shows when you look at the consoles cluttering up the living room and bedrooms, not to mention when you include the PC's. The PS4 is one of the consoles that are shared between us and we all have games on it and fight over it when it when more than one of...

Plays well; entertaining; looks brilliant and varied play

Lack of a decent multiplayer