Need for Speed Heat was officially announced just last week after being teased (and subsequently leaked) by EA over the past few months. At Gamescom, the team put out a trailer showing off some the of the gameplay players can expect when the game launches later this year. Give the trailer a watch below.

Need for Speed Heat takes place in the beautiful Palm City. Players can race both day and night, though the races and obstacles will change based on when you hit the road. During the day, you can take part in sanctioned races that test your ability behind the wheel. Cops are around during the day, and will enforce the law if you get out of line; however, the cops are much more aggressive at night. Once the lights go out, you'll take part in different illicit races to boost your heat (rep) with the underground racing scene. Cops will be out in full force, trying to take you down as you gain more and more heat.

Regardless of when you race, every NFS fan knows that owning a good-looking car is almost as important as how well you drive. EA is giving you a ton of options to customize both your ride and your avatar. In the trailer, it's unclear if you'll be able to purchase new cosmetics with real-life money. But, would it really be a surprise if that turns out to be the case?

The team has said there won't be any loot boxes, which is a good sign. That said, the trailer is dripping with options that look easy to monetize, so I'm withholding judgment until I have the game in my hands. I am excited to try out the customization app they announced for iOS and Android though. It looks like a fun way to get an early start on creating a sick wrap for my car.

The trailer ended with a quick look at the crews you'll build up in the game. NFS seems to be leaning heavily into online play with Heat. They said your crew's rides will be visible in your garage. It's a neat edition for players with a group that's into NFS. However, I wonder how much someone without a real-life crew will get out of seeing some random player's car. They also said leaderboards and challenges are "tightly connected" with your crew. That makes me wary as someone with a friend group that doesn't play racers.

Need for Speed Heat releases November 8 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.