Street racing and an emphasis on heavily modifying cars has once again graced the franchise.

This year’s “Need for Speed” might just have some of the most extensive customization options ever found in a racing game.

All new customization features including a vinyl wrap editor and stance modifications allow players to make each car a unique creation.

Mechanical tuning also returns with a few tweaks. A car’s handling can be tuned to a more drift or grip focus depending on play style.

This allows players to have a car take corners in a more arcade drift feel or a simulation racing grip style.

The focus on car culture and icons play a huge role in reigniting the brand.  EA studio Ghost was given the task of doing this by introducing real world icons to make the game more appealing.

These icons are portrayed in live-action cut scenes that help progress a single player story. This story encourages the player character to rise in the ranks by increasing reputation with these icons.

While the customization and cars make this game a must for a car enthusiast, the cheesy story characters and always online requirement slow the game’s pace.

Cut scenes introduce the player to multiple to characters who seek to gain fame with the icons. These various characters however, only slow the pace of the game by forcing the player to listen to their uninteresting banter amongst themselves.

The requirement to keep a constant internet connection also hampers the games accessibility to some players.

Even with an ample selection of cars and a rich customization feature, Need for Speed comes up short of first place in the race for driving game dominance.