First Need For Speed 2017 details: Ghost Games confirms offline single player and more

Ghost Games and EA have officially announced that the next Need for Speed title will be released before the end of 2017. The first gameplay details were also revealed, with a highlight being the inclusion of an offline single player campaign in response to criticisms of the previous entry in the series.

A blog post on the Need for Speed website includes artwork (above), showing a motel sign and offering just a hint of a car, teases that more information and potentially the first look at gameplay will arrive on Friday 2 June.

The post itself goes into some detail about what to expect from the first game in the series since 2015's Need for Speed, which was envisioned as a soft reboot. That game fell short in the estimation of fans and critics.

One criticism of the game was that it required an active internet connection to play, which in turn meant games couldn't be paused.

"When release day rolls around for the next Need for Speed, you will be able to play through a single player experience completely offline," read the post. "Before you ask, and we know you will, this does mean you will be able to pause the game."

Ghost Games also revealed that two staples of the series will also return: car customisation and police chases.

"Customisation, we love it, you love it, everyone loves it," Ghost Games says. "Rest assured that we're committed to customisation having a home within the Need for Speed series. It's not going away and it will play as strong a role as ever as we move forward into the next game and beyond.

"There's nothing more satisfying than getting into a cop chase and feeling the heat on your tail as you tear it up through the city. Cops in pursuit, racers up ahead and then out of nowhere BAM! They bring a Rhino to a street race. You got this?"

The post also touches on the setting of the next Need for Speed.

"Whether you're checking out your freshly customised ride or smoking the competition in an event up in the canyons, you're going to want a world that not only looks beautiful, but offers you the space in which to do the things you want.

"We're dialing up the action and allowing you to tear up the tarmac, and dirt, to your heart's content. Burn rubber as you throw a car around a corner sideways and floor it as you hit an epic jump away from the cops. We're building the world, but what you do in it is the aspect that excites us most."

Further announcements regarding the new Need for Speed will apparently be made on 2 June. The game will also appear at EA's E3-adjacent EA Play event, which takes place on Saturday, 10 June.

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