Need for Speed™ Payback
Fair · Action · 2020
Steam Deck UnsupportedThe verdict
WAIT.
Fair today. The Winter Sale opens Dec 17, and it was discounted in 8 of its last 8 seasonal sales; 85% in the Winter Sale 2025.
Today
$29.99Fair
Typical seasonal cut
$4.4985% offFair
- Cost per hour▼
- $1.60/hr
- Reviews▼
- 85% of 32,695
- Critics
- 62 players 23 higher
- Genre rank
- Top 11% Action
Holding it back: Monetization, DRM
Watch this gameOne alert at $4.49 or less.
Time and effort
- Main story
- 18.8h
- To 100%
- 47h 2.5x the story
- Achievements
- 57
Price and sales
- Sales
- 49 on record
- Typical cut
- 75% off
- Steam low
- $2.99 September 2022
- Sale every
- 43d last October 2026
Players and genre
- Online
- 234 now
- Recent reviews
- 85% 30 days
- Cheaper than
- 2% of its genre
- Better reviewed
- 91% of its genre
Price and player charts
The drop-off
81% start to 2% rarestThis site could not identify an ending achievement for this game, so there is no finish rate. Steam global achievements
The value story
The value story
Across all 49 discounts in the 6 years tracked, the median cut is 75 percent, about 6 weeks apart. Today it is at full price, and its last discount ended about 4 weeks ago.
Its score sits in the top 11 percent of its genre. It is pricier than 98 percent of its genre, and better reviewed than 91 percent. It outscores the games it most resembles, including Need for Speed™ Heat ($69.99, scores 38) and Need for Speed™ Rivals ($19.99, scores 35).
More about Need for Speed™ Payback
The press gave it 62; the people who bought it give it 85 percent. A 23-point gap in the buyer's favour.
This site sampled 800 of its Steam-purchase reviews; 9 were written by buyers who refunded it, sampled from reviews written September 2025 to October 2026. Inside the two-hour refund window, 48 percent of the 2,174 reviews written there were positive, against 85 percent overall, and those are 8 percent of everything written about it. It carries the aggressive kind of in-app purchases, and the score already docks it for that. The sticker price is where the spending starts.
Finishing takes 18.8 hours; clearing it takes 47, which is 2.5 times the campaign.
Buy now or wait
Buy now or wait
Last discount ended 31 days ago.
Sources: IsThereAnyDeal, Valve.
What drives the score
Grades: S best, D weakest
S is the best grade and D the weakest, judged as a buyer. ▲ raises the score, ▼ lowers it, ? is an input we do not have, • is a fact this genre's score does not use. How the grades work
What players say
✅ Pros: Diverse world map with varied environments, satisfying drifting & high-speed driving mechanics, action-packed cinematic heist missions, deep vehicle customization options. ❌ Cons: Frustrating Speedcard upgrade system based on RNG loot boxes, heavy monetization model, cringe-worthy dialogue and weak story, rigid car class system restricting vehicle flexibility. 🏆 Rating: 6.5/ 10
2 more reviews
This game is decent despite it's initial reputation with the gambling mechanics for upgrading cars however there are some really interesting and nostalgic mechanics added to this game (slow mo kill cameras, finding parts of relic cars that you can actually use during a treasure hunt etc). There is the typical EA interface that is required to install unfortunately but other than that it's still pretty good. Really...
Need for Speed Payback delivers a genuinely fun, action-packed arcade driving experience that captures the high-octane spirit of a blockbuster action movie. Here is what makes it well worth playing: Thrilling Cinematic Campaign: The story-driven focus gives every heist and mission a strong sense of momentum. Building a crew to take down "The House" adds a satisfying narrative push that keeps you engaged beyond...
Steam reviews, mixed to its ratio and rotated daily. Opinions are theirs.
About the game
Set in the underworld of Fortune Valley, you and your crew were divided by betrayal and reunited by revenge to take down The House, a nefarious cartel that rules the city’s casinos, criminals and cops. In this corrupt gambler’s paradise, the stakes are high and The House always wins.
Minimum specs
Minimum on the Steam store: 6 GB of memory, 30 GB of storage. Windows only.
Cite this score
Need for Speed™ Payback scores 52/100 on the BANG Score (fair value) as of Nov 8, 2026. The BANG Score rates what a game is worth for the money. Via Steam BANGERS. https://steambangers.com/game/1262580/need-for-speed-paybackReviews set the ceiling, and price against real length moves the BANG Score inside it. How it works, and where it is weak → Steam reviews as of Nov 8, price as of Nov 7. A number here look wrong? Tell me and I will check the inputs.