Tech: Need For Speed

This big city racing game features a garage stuffed with 127 delectable vehicles. Before you leave the pit, pimp your ride with a body kit, painting the rims and dimming the windows. Gameplay takes place in Palm City, a fictional take on Miami, and the scenic route takes in streets, beaches, and the occasional close up of brick walls.

During the day, take part in sanctioned races. At night, stay one step ahead of the law as a participant in an underground racing scene. Cop chases are a thrill – often starting mid-race and continuing when you cross the finish line – although prepare to lose your winnings if you get busted. There’s an intricate vehicle-tuning system, but driving your wonder wagon is arcade-easy. Drifting is a bit like trying to play badminton while rat-arsed, sadly.

But you have to love the brightly-coloured ’80s aesthetic, which pulls up to the bumper of Outrun, an arcade racing game from that era. Heat could have used a synth soundtrack, like the movie Drive. Instead, we’re tortured with 58 unappetising hip-hop and EDM tracks.

• 6/10