Need for Speed Heat sets you loose on the blazing hot streets of Palm City. But before you climb behind the wheel and hit the gas, you should get to know the different districts that make up this street racer’s paradise and get the inside scoop on the best spots to lose a tail or do a little off-roading.
The Urban Vibe
Let’s start in the heart of the city – Downtown. Skyscrapers tower above, creating the ideal urban setting to burn all limits. If you’re looking for some classic Need for Speed racing, this is the place. Oh, a word of advice: you might want to give the monorail a nice close look.
Eden Shores is a gorgeous beachfront strip. Its highrise hotels cater to the tourist crowd who want to soak up the nightlife here in Palm City. When the sun sets, though, it turns into a glowing neon-drenched playground. The area also includes a killer racing circuit around the nearby island.
Sticking close to the waterfront brings you to the dockyard at Port Murphy. It’s the place to explore for collectibles or lose the cops in the complex scenery, like the huge container loading area.
The ‘Burbs
Want to take your wheels onto streets a little more upscale? Head to Westside where the houses are lavish and the water filtration plant offers a great place to practice your jumps or shake the law. Sometimes both!
Speeding north of the city you’ll reach Bayview Park. The well-to-do spend the day soaking up the sun and playing a few rounds at the golf course. But you might find a way to make better use of all that open space – like tearing up the greens in a Nissan GT-R, maybe.
Palm City Raceway is just outside city limits. This abandoned track is a hot spot to try out new cars and performance customizations – or lose rogue cops looking to take what you’ve got. Located right next to your garage and the dealership, you can’t miss it.
The mall in Edgewood Valley used to be bustling with shoppers; now it’s just another empty retail space. Capitalism’s loss is your gain. When you get done playing in the parking lot, why not see if you can access the roof? The view’s probably pretty awesome up there. It might give you a clue where you can find a small, hidden offroad circuit, too. You can find Blackwood Heights with its two incredible descending race routes in the forest section up above the mall as well.
Keep an eye out for an abandoned prison tucked away to the west, and you’ll find the small town of Fort Callahan. Does the name sound a little familiar?
The Scenic Route
Discover Cloudbank on the peak of the hills overlooking Palm City. Head to the observatory complex to locate a hidden safehouse, and take on some of the most spectacular racing routes here, including Qubit, Tachyon, Shinkansen, and an epic offroad descent!
Want another vast view of the city? Add scenic Sandpiper Forest to your itinerary. It includes a classic circuit named Apollo 10, and a large area destroyed in a previous forest fire. Looking for a mix of drift sequences and high-speed straightaways? Sandino Ranches is the place for you. It boasts killer views from the city all the way to the launch pad at Cape Castille on a clear day.
Rockville’s terraced rock quarries are cool to play in and the Fairview Fields includes the summit of the southern ridge and a massive bridge spanning over a landmark known only as the Cake Factory.
If your mood swings into serious off-roading, point your ride to the Frontera Hills, overlooking the Rust Valley Industrial region. Keep eyes open for the route along the beach and the radio station with a huge drop-off behind it. Or apply some bug spray and hit the swamps in the Grenada Wetlands. There’s lots to explore, including a small airstrip that’s sweet for testing your straight-line acceleration, and a hidden rocket test site with some air-lifting jumps (if you can find it).
The Mendoza Keys are a must-visit. They claim a gigantic suspension bridge, modest village, and lighthouse – plus some of the most intense high-speed driving you’ll experience anywhere in the game!
And finally, there’s Cape Castille, a rocket launch site and space center. This huge landmark gives you plenty to explore, including a secret railway tunnel entrance. Where does it lead? Only one way to find out.
Want to learn more about how you’ll own the dark and chase the light in Need for Speed Heat? Drive into our Car Customization, Achievements and Trophies, and full Car List articles to make sure you are tuned tight from day one.
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