In 1994, Electronic Arts publishedTheNeed for Speed, a 3DO game that would launch the racing genre’s most successful franchise, at least in terms of consistency and mainstream popularity. Over the next three decades, the series would unleash a new game at an almost yearly rate, producing 25 entries that range from mild disappointments to some of the greatest racing titles of all time. ThebestNeed for Speedgamesare all-time masterpieces that combine accessible controls, gorgeous visuals, great track design,enjoyable sandboxes (sometimes), and, naturally, ridiculous speed.
When an IP becomes so ubiquitous, exhaustion can begin to set in, especially once the latest releases start to lack that “WOW” factor that defines their predecessors. Let’s just be clear,Need for Speedhas very few genuinely bad games under its belt, but that does not mean every release was a triumph or is looked upon fondly in hindsight. There is a relative pecking order when it comes to the franchise’s projects. Let’s highlight thegreatestNFSgames, along with everything else.
Updated on July 14, 2025, by Mark Sammut:We have covered all the main Need for Speed games already, but there are a few titles that are difficult to come by in 2025 and outside certain regions. While they cannot be ranked normally, we’ve added NFS: Top Speed, Assemble, and Edge at the end of the article, just to highlight them.
All Need For Speed Games (Release Order)
Focusing solely on mainline entries, there have been 25Need For Speedgames over the decades, nearly amounting to a new release every year. That number jumps up to 27 ifV-Rallyis taken into consideration. That is a ridiculous return rate for any IP, but EA’s series has generally managed to make it work. Except for a couple of titles, mostNFSgamesare good, or at least were so for their era.
All theNFSgamesare listed below in release order. Click on a game to jump directly to its entry.
Need for Speed: Top Speedhas been added for historical and completionist reasons, as theweb browser gameis no longer accessible, so I cannot personally speak about its quality. That said, it was essentially a sampler ofPorsche Unleashedand hype-building material for the upcomingHot Pursuit 2, and it came with the novelty of being available only online. That said, its bigger brother was and still is one of thebestNFSgames, soTop Speedshould have been a pretty decent slice of entertainment.
So, what did it include? Well,Top Speedhas three tracks and three cars fromPorsche Unleashed, and you would need to complete time trials to unlock them. There were no traditional races, and the content would probably only keep you entertained for an hour or so. That said, internet speeds in 2001 were not great, so maybeTop Speedcould have kept you coming back for months.
28Need For Speed: Assemble (Or Mobile)
A 2024 Mobile NFS Game That Has Yet To Announce A Global Release
Need for Speedis no stranger tomobile games, but quite a few of them have opted not to come to Western nations.Duelwas the Chinese version ofNo Limits, with the latter being the only noteworthy mobileNFSgame to come to North America. Finally, there isNeed for Speed: AssembleorMobile, EA and Tencent’s latest attempt to grab a chunk of the Asian market.
The project debuted in 2024 in China, before eventually spreading to Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. At this point, there is nothing to suggest that a Western expansion is on the horizon, although weirder things have happened. I don’t have access toAssemble, so I cannot in good conscience give a proper ranking. Consequently, I’ve included the game just because it warrants a mention, and there is always a chance that it could eventually make the jump and earn an international debut.
No LimitsisNeed for Speed’s main mobile game, and it has been around for more than a decade by this point. The game has never been ported to consoles or PC; to be exact, it has yet to make the transition in Western countries. In Korea and China,No Limitsdid kind of receive a PC version, albeit one that did change enough things to be a singular experience.
Known asNFS Onlinein China,NFS Edgeonly lasted for about two years before it was shut down for good. Nowadays, there are some ways to play the game offline, but it is no longer available in its original iteration. As I cannot playEdge(orOnline) in the way it was meant to be played, I’m just adding it here to give it a shout-out.
Unfortunately, it has not been long enough since the release ofNeed For Speed: Paybackto forget about it. The game is the worst-ever entry in theNeed For Speedfranchise, thanks to a grindy progression system that was seemingly designed to force players to buy XP boosters to level up faster.
Even when putting the progression system aside,Paybackwas still disappointing in terms of gameplay mechanics, particularly when it comes tocar handlingand customization options. The game was trying to tell a compelling story about a criminal cartel, but the narrative was heavily rushed. Furthermore, the free roam is arguably the worst in the franchise, with the world being lifeless and just not fun to explore due to almost nothing happening. Even cops are largely absent.
Is NFS Payback Worth Playing In 2025?
Honestly, no, at least not the vanilla version without any mods that reduce the progression system’s frustrating nature. That said, the story is pretty decent forNFS, andPaybackis still playable.
The originalNeed for Speedis aclassic racing gamethat set the stage for a franchise that would come to define the genre. The title that started it all was considered quite the leap forward for its time, offering players some amazingly entertaining arcade-style racing, with interesting tracks, and great visuals (from a 1994 standpoint).
By today’s standards,TheNeed for Speedseems like an incredibly lackluster release that features a handful of cars and tracks. Its “ranking” is by no means meant to be a criticism, but it’s simply an acknowledgment thatNFShas evolved by leaps and bounds in the modern age. These impressive titles should be thankful for their origins, which helped elevate them into a series that’s still ongoing almost 30 years later.
Is The Need For Speed Worth Playing In 2025?
As a historical artifact to see the franchise’s origins? Sure,The Need for Speedwarrants a boot up and a couple of races. As an actual game that can be enjoyed indefinitely, there are simply too many better options out there.
Although police chases are still a significant part of thisNeed For SpeedInstallment, players play the part of an undercover police officer inUndercover. To infiltrate a crime syndicate, players compete in street races and drive stolen cars. The speeds players can reach in this game are absurd. This heart-pounding adventure can be a ton of fun, at least depending on what players crave.
Need For Speed: Undercovereven has role-playing elements that allow players to improve their licensed real-world cars. However, this game is arguably too easy, and its somewhat repetitive nature and lack of racing variety make it feel like a title that should’ve had more time in the oven.
For all its issues,Undercoveris still a solid option. The story is fine and shines through the campaign missions more seamlessly than in some of the more recent entries. The track design and map are both pretty good, and Highway Battle is among the best one-off modes.
Is NFS Undercover Worth Playing In 2025?
Unless you have nostalgia for it, I cannot recommendUndercoverat this point. Not only are there many, many betterNFSgames, but there are also plenty of 2000s racing titles that deserve to be remembered beforeUndercover. Just playBurnout 3.
Need for Speed(2015) is weird. Arguably the most hyped entry of the franchise’s modern era, the self-titled game launched to a notably mixed reception, way more than was typical for the series at the time. One could argue thatNeed for Speedmarked a turning point for the license as a whole, one that saw it receive a new reputation for mediocrity rather than brilliance.
The underwhelming reception is not unwarranted either, as the controls are probably the most polarizing in the entire franchise. If they don’t click with someone, they can just downright make the game unpleasant to play, undermining any other positives. The thing is,Need for Speedhas quite a few strengths. The night-only setting gives a strong sense of atmosphere, and the story is entertainingly corny rather than just boring.
Is NFS 2015 Worth Playing In 2025?
Here comes a bit of a surprise: Yes, I recommendNFS 2015. Do I love the game? Not really, but plenty of other people have found a new appreciation for this entry. Give it a go, especially since it is so cheap to pick up nowadays.
In 2011, theNeed for Speedfranchise took a stab at creating a story-based adventure, unlike anything they’d created in the past. Most traditionalNFStitles saw players starting as newbie racers and had them competing to gain “respect” to rise through the ranks and become the best of the best.Need for Speed: The Run, tosses this premise in favor of something far more compelling: a literal race across the country with the player character’s very life at stake.
The Runspans the countryside and forces players to outrun opponents, police, and even the mob, all for a taste of freedom. It’s an experience that fans are not used to seeing from the series, and the overall story and gameplay mechanics work well. It’s a cult classic for many but, unfortunately, it’s incredibly short and doesn’t offer much in terms of replayability.
Is NFS The Run Worth Playing In 2025?
Yes, to an extent.The Runis still a one-of-a-kindNFSexperience that has moments of brilliance. The driving is generally fun, even if races are somewhat undermined by disappointing AI.
Need For Speed Worldno longer exists as Electronic Arts decided to shut it down back in 2015; however, it was a hotly anticipated game for racing enthusiasts back in 2010. It was the first-everNeed For Speedgame with an MMO premise, where players could compete with each other and AI-driven rivals in a shared universe.
The gameplay ofNeed For Speed Worldwas quite close to that ofMost Wanted, where players would mainly take the role of illegal street racers, but they also had to run away from law enforcement units. The idea behindWorldwas quite ahead of its time, and the game managed to reach 1 million players only a few months after its release, but the lack of content support in the following years forced players to leaveWorld.
Worldis kind of difficult to rank since it isn’t that accessible nowadays. However, fan servers are available for anyone who wants to give this entry a try.
Is NFS World Worth Playing In 2025?
Mostly just for die-hards who have been playing the game for a long time. Still, the servers are around if you want to tryNFS World.
Need For Speed: Nitrowas a bit of an experiment for the franchise. The title was released exclusively on Nintendo consoles (the Wii and DS specifically) in 2009 and aimed to make theNeed for Speedbrand “even more exciting” by elevating the racing experience and cutting out unnecessary fluff. The result was supposed to be a game that played and felt better for younger audiences while still appealing to longtime fans of the series.
Unfortunately, developers missed the mark when it came to the overall vision forNitro. The gameplay was solid, but many of the features that fans had come to know and love felt “forced” or were straight-up missing. It also felt “watered-down” compared to the rest of the franchise, with fewer cars and tracks than its predecessors. If viewed as anNFSspin-off rather than a traditional entry,Nitrofares much better, and its stylized presentation is pretty cool.
Is NFS Nitro Worth Playing In 2025?
The Wii version is worth a spin if you have the console around. The game is not great enough to warrant picking up a new copy for anything more than a few bucks, though.
