Cops and Need for Speed go hand in hand and if there’s one thing we’ve been hearing during the development of Need for Speed Payback, it’s that you want cops. You want the high speed, adrenaline filled pursuits that the Need for Speed series has been known for. So that’s exactly what we’re going to give you.

We’re not talking about your everyday, super chilled out cops that cruise around at 50km/h without a care in the world. We’re talking about cops that have one thing on their mind, taking you down.

In Need for Speed Payback the local Police Department doesn’t hold back, and should you get into a pursuit you’re going to have to watch your tail. Cops will match your speed, sticking with you as much as possible, becoming an ever-present threat in the process.

They’ll also work as a team, using manoeuvres in tandem, all while adapting their behaviour based on your speed. They’ll be doing everything they can as a unit to position themselves around you, box you in and go for the bust. Think you’ve got the cop behind you under control? Perhaps it’s the one to your left that you need to be worrying about.

You’ll encounter a number of different types of cops in Need for Speed Payback:

• Crown Victoria – The standard and most commonly seen cop car across Fortune Valley. Can execute a variety of different manoeuvres and will likely be the first on the scene of any pursuit.
• Dodge Charger SRT8 – Similar to the Crown Victoria but has a higher top speed and has much more muscle, proving it to be a worthy adversary.
• Corvette GS – The fastest cop car currently residing in Fortune Valley and provides the police department with something that can keep up with the most powerful of super cars.
• Rhino – What the Rhino lacks in speed it makes up for in brute strength and there’s nothing quite as frightening as an approaching Rhino, lining up a shunt. The weight that it carries will also make it considerably tougher to get away from during a pinned-in situation, making the Rhino a massive threat all round.
• Helicopter – The eye in the sky provides an extra level of drama in the highest intensity cop chases.

Cops don’t just rely on positioning and a little persuasion of the ramming kind to bust you, they’ve also got a few tricks up their sleeves.

Road Blocks may be simple but they provide cops with an effective way of re-routing you and an even better way of slowing you down. There’s nothing worse than being forced to make a turn you’d otherwise not be taking.

Alongside Road Blocks, cops will also strategically place Spike Strips. Avoid these at all costs as they will immobilize your car and all but put an end to your pursuit as a result. Drive over a Spike Strip and watch the cops swarm around you, pinning you in and making you an easy target for a bust.

You better hope that you don’t find yourself being targeted by a Killswitch. If you do, you better shake it off by any means necessary. You’re going to need to physically shunt the cops targeting you in order to break the lock.

Should the Killswitch be successful in landing a hit you’ll find your engine shut off temporarily. Not good!

While the cops will be doing everything they can to bring you in, you’ll also be able to take a little frustration out on them. Wreck cops to gain an edge, providing you with a little bit of breathing room - you’re going to need it.

If you find yourself in a situation where you fancy a bit of cop action, locate a bait crate and away you go. Bait crates can be found within the open world and once triggered will immediately start a cop chase. Escape the chase and win big, find yourself busted or run out of time? You take home nothing.

The stakes are always high.