The Need for Speed series has struggled to find an identity for years, despite takes by numerous developers. Between the forgotten titles, we've had the Fast and the Furious-inspired Underground, the cops vs racers of Hot Pursuit (twice), the straight-faced track racer Shift and the open-world...

Appearance customisation options are good; Looks incredible...

...but turns and dangers are hard to pick out; Car rotation is poor; Events are rarely fun; Story scenes and phone calls are horrendous

Not only does the game look great it also plays fantastically. It runs smoothly and feels rewarding as you pile up successful shots and fine-tune your skills. In a matter of hours it feels as though you really are a pool pro.

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

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.

There isn't another arcade racing series on video game consoles with the reputation Need For Speed has achieved. For over 20 years the Need For Speed franchise has been a cornerstone of the EA portfolio.

For car enthusiasts, finding a proper racing arcade game can be difficult. To that end, every so often, a game series attempts to reinvent itself, almost beginning completely from scratch.

Customization still relevant; Car tuning at an all-time high; Solid visually and audibly

...poor online multiplayer; Subpar plot; Tags

Whether you look at music, movies, toys, or even video games, everything old is new again. There are a lot of ideas and concepts being revisited with the hopes that they will catch on again.

Need for Speed on the PS4 goes backs to basics and delivers a sturdy racing game on this console

The Need for Speed series has had it's ups and downs over the years, from the highs of Most Wanted and Hot Pursuit to the lows like The Run and Nitro. This one doesn't have a fancy name or a sequel number attached, it's just purely "Need for Speed.

Game disc provided by the publisher This year the Need for Speed series gets the reboot treatment, with this year's entry simply titled Need for Speed, which is the second game to appear on the current generation of consoles after 2013's Need for Speed Rivals.