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Need for Speed Unbound is the latest entry in the Need for Speed franchise. Despite being the latest addition, the game still carried over some iconic mechanics from the previous games. One of these iconic mechanics would be the Heat system. The Heat system was first introduced way back in their previous games and it was what made the Need for Speed series unique compared to other games in the same genre.
In Need for Speed Unbound, the Heat level dictates how hard the cops are going to give the player a chase. This means that there are levels of notoriety that a player can accumulate until the whole police force is ready to just throw everything at the player. Despite this, there are also benefits to having accumulated heat. Accumulating heat allows the player to participate in other kinds of races and gain more reward. As such, the heat level also provides an aspect of having a higher reward in return for a greater risk of having a run in with the police. However, should the player wish to play it safe and try to remain at the minimum heat, the player will find it difficult as well. This is because every gameplay aspect that the player participates in increases the heat level of the player by a certain degree and as such, gaining heat is completely unavoidable. The best course of action would be to put it at a manageable level where the risk is not too great but does not get too difficult.
Heat Levels
To gain an understanding of what heat levels are manageable, we listed down the different heat levels and what these entail. As the player, it is your choice to pick which among these heat levels are the most comfortable spot to maintain. They are as follows:
Heat Level One: The cops will not give pursuit to the player but are aware of the presence of the player. Provocation can lead to an immediate chase and increase in heat level. A single police car may give chase to the player but these police cars can easily be outrun.
Heat Level Two: The cops are on the hunt for the player. They are consciously searching for the player. When cops spot the player, they are now easily provoked. Police cars will give chase as well as a police SUV that can ram the player off of the road. Fortunately, these are still not fast enough and they can easily be outrun.
Heat Level Three: The cops are actively searching for the player. The cops are easily provoked with just a quick glance needed for them to start chasing the player. The number of police cars giving chase to the player will also increase. Aside from that, their speed will also increase and as such, it will become much more difficult to outrun them. At heat level 3, the heat level can now easily increase to level 4 with the amount of police cars on that chase for the player.
Heat Level Four: At this heat level, cops will be actively searching for the player. Different types of police vehicles will be deployed to try and apprehend the player. Aside from the police vehicles on the road, the player now has to worry about police vehicles in the air. Police helicopters will be deployed to try and find the player. In addition, there are also undercover cops that will give chase to the player in race cars. With the amount of police on the hunt for the player, it will be extremely difficult to outrun them considering that they have eyes in the sky, on the ground and even underground with their undercover police.
Heat Level Five: At this heat level, the police have their eyeball on the player and it is impossible to go outside without them giving chase. They are constantly on high alert for the presence of the player and will immediately react to their presence. The police at this heat level also get a significant upgrade to all their vehicles. The police cars, trucks and SUVs will be impossible to outrun because of how fast they are and the bigger type of vehicles can easily wreck the player when they ram the car of the player. Outsmarting them on the streets is possible but it will prove difficult considering their massive number giving chase to the player. Escaping these cops may seem impossible.
Managing Heat Levels
When it comes to the heat levels, there are different ways to manage them. Heat level one is simple as the police vehicles giving chase are too slow so simply outrunning them will do.
Heat level two is similar to heat level one but with an extra type of police vehicle giving chase. As such, outrunning them as well is the best course of action. However, be careful as these new police SUVs may also wreck the player should they come in contact.
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The police get a significant speed boost at heat level three as they are now significantly harder to outrun. At this heat level, outsmarting these police vehicles is the easier method for getting rid of them. This is difficult as well due to the number of police vehicles chasing the player, but it is more advisable as these police vehicles are almost impossible to outrun.
When the player is at heat level four, both the sky and streets are filled with police on the hunt for the player. Tunnels can be used to cut the line of sight of the helicopters while the previous method of outsmarting these police vehicles is also the best course of action. Aside from this, there will also be undercover police giving chase in civilian looking vehicles. These undercover cops can also arrest the player so they must be much more careful on the streets.
Upon reaching heat level five, outrunning the police at this heat level is an impossible task. Because of the upgrades to the police vehicles giving chase, they tend to be faster than the player. At this point, it is more advisable for the player to make a run for the safe house as these police vehicles are many in number, faster and can even wreck the car of the player easily.
Reducing Heat Levels and Escaping
There are several methods to getting rid of the police and escaping them. The first method would be to wreak havoc on the streets. This is done through using the environment to put obstacles in the way of the cops. Bumping other cars in their way and going through counterflow traffic can give cops a more difficult time chasing the player.
The second method is through the use of stealth. Finding a hidden alley or a dark area can reduce the player’s heat level. As long as the player has not been detected, this can be done to prevent the police giving further chase. Turning off the engine of the car is also advised as it reduces the time needed to escape from the police.
The final method mostly applies to when the heat levels have reached very high levels such as heat level 4 and 5. However, this can also be done at the lower level. When the player finds themselves constantly chased down by the police, it is advised to head for the safe house directly. This is because any sort of detection from any cop will immediately initiate a chase. By escaping directly to the safe house, the police are easily escaped and the escape timer automatically resolves instead of slowly counting down.
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