Need for Speed Unbound

 PC
Need for Speed Unbound Image
Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
5.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 278 Ratings

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  • Summary: START AT THE BOTTOM, RACE TO THE TOP. The world is your canvas in Need for Speed™ Unbound. Prove you have what it takes to win The Grand, Lakeshore’s ultimate street racing challenge. Across four intense weeks of racing, earn enough cash to enter weekly qualifiers, beat the competition, andSTART AT THE BOTTOM, RACE TO THE TOP. The world is your canvas in Need for Speed™ Unbound. Prove you have what it takes to win The Grand, Lakeshore’s ultimate street racing challenge. Across four intense weeks of racing, earn enough cash to enter weekly qualifiers, beat the competition, and make your mark on the street racing scene while outdriving and outsmarting the cops. Pack your garage with precision-tuned, custom rides and light up the streets with your unique style, exclusive fits, and a vibrant global soundtrack led by A$AP Rocky and AWGE that bumps in every corner of the world. Express yourself to the fullest with the freshest new art styles and signature tags that represent what you're all about. With separate single and multiplayer campaigns, this latest edition in the Need for Speed™ franchise from Criterion Games™ delivers hours of electric, adrenaline-pumping action.

    • Graffiti comes to life in Need for Speed™ Unbound with an all-new, unique visual style that blends elements of the freshest street art with the most realistic looking cars in Need for Speed™ history. Access a brand-new toolkit of high-energy visual and sound effects to express your driving skills, including Burst Nitrous, a new boost tactic that delivers a dizzying rush of speed.

    • To get to the top, you gotta take risks. Choose how and when to put it all on the line, pulling huge drifts on the street, outdriving the cops, or placing side bets with your own earnings against rival racers. Time is money, so find the fastest way to earn enough cash to enter the weekly qualifiers and make it to Lakeshore’s ultimate race, The Grand.

    • The more you race, the more you build heat. While the cops pile on the pressure, you gotta make tactical decisions using new escape mechanics to take control of the chase. Do you outrun the cops, battle them head on, or hide out in Lakeshore's underground? Run these streets and you’ll reap the rewards.

    • Pull up to a Meetup and show off your unique style with hundreds of cosmetic items to choose from, including exclusive gear from some of the world’s most pioneering fashion innovators. Extend that look to your ride, transforming your cars with unique wraps and cutaways for the ultimate legendary custom. And when you take first, don't forget to stunt on the competition with your own personal win poses.    … Expand

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Need for Speed Unbound - Risk & Reward Gameplay Trailer

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 21
  3. Negative: 1 out of 21
  1. Player 2
    Dec 8, 2022
    83
    NFS Unbound is another step in the right direction for the veteran racing franchise. Always challenging, always intense and always fun, Unbound is a big return to form.
  2. Launcher (The Washington Post)
    Dec 5, 2022
    82
    Need for Speed Unbound handily straddles the line between realism and fun, making it one of the best racing experiences of the year.
  3. Worth Playing
    Jan 3, 2023
    80
    Need for Speed Unbound is a solid comeback for the series, provided you can deal with some potential annoyances. The risk/reward system functions well in creating tension during all parts of a race, but the grind is an annoyance until you get better cars or parts for your initial ride. The presence of elements borrowed from other racing titles is done well enough, but the story can be a chore to sit through if you aren't already using this slang every day. Overall, Unbound is a solid racing title that should hopefully start bringing the series back to prominence.
  4. Jeuxvideo.com
    Dec 11, 2022
    75
    Unbound succeeds where NFS Heat had failed, namely to give a little life and flavor to the discovery of the open world called Lakeshore City.
  5. Edge Magazine
    Dec 29, 2022
    70
    Unbound is ultimately and encouraging statement of intent, demonstrating that Criterion is not afraid to tinker with established formula. [Issue#380, p.114]
    All this publication's reviews
  6. Inverse
    Dec 13, 2022
    70
    Despite its flaws, I found myself always craving one more race; I could drive faster, customize my car better, and drift in even cooler ways than before. While not perfect, Need for Speed Unbound is the best the franchise has been and years — and hopefully a sign of even better things to come.
  7. GamingTrend
    Dec 12, 2022
    45
    Need for Speed Unbound is an arduous experience, and not one I’d recommend if you’re looking for an arcade racer. The only good aspects are the refined handling system and the aesthetic customization of your cars, which is really brought to light via community creations. However, this experience is quickly overshadowed by the boring open-world, a meaningless collect-a-thon, unbalanced AI, and some of the cringiest story and dialogue I’ve experienced. It’s The Room of racing games.

See all 21 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 53 out of 153
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 153
  3. Negative: 84 out of 153
  1. JudasWick
    Dec 4, 2022
    10
    Gooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
  2. bvwbfjwvjh
    Jan 3, 2023
    10
    Es ist ein sehr sehr guter Schritt in die richtige Richtung, die letzten Teile seit Most Wanted U waren grausam schlecht hier macht es endlichEs ist ein sehr sehr guter Schritt in die richtige Richtung, die letzten Teile seit Most Wanted U waren grausam schlecht hier macht es endlich wieder Spaß zu driften, Geld zu sammeln und das Fahrgefühl ist sehr gut. Meiner Meinung nach sollte ein Nfs Teil jedoch neben den Rennen natürlich auch den Fokus auf epischen Polizeiverfolgungen legen das klappt hier nicht sehr gut man crasht viel zu schnell man nehme sich doch ein Beispiel an Most Wantet U das war ein Perfektes Spiel aber gute Arbeit!(Wäre cool diese Animeanimationen ausschalten zu können)… Expand
  4. LostDragon5
    Dec 14, 2022
    9
    This is a very refreshing take on the Need For Speed formula per say, and is the first NFS game in a while that captures all the reasons IThis is a very refreshing take on the Need For Speed formula per say, and is the first NFS game in a while that captures all the reasons I started playing these games in the first place. That being said, this game is definitely not for everyone. Though it feels like a NFS game under the hood, the changes it makes in it's style and progression can make it feel like a drastically different game, for better and for worse.

    Pros:
    - The art style is truly unique, a nice blend of realism and graffiti/graphic novel's.

    - The racing feels nice and many of the low points in a race is made interesting through various graffiti style graphics (which can be toned down in settings in case your photosensitive) and nice use of camera shake and field of view.

    - You have a fairly large range of control over how the cars handle, similar to heat but integrated better. Some of this control is achieved through upgrades, some in a "live tuning" menu, while others are in the game's settings.

    - The cops offer a lot of pressure while your racing, trying to get to a safehouse to bank in your earnings, or even roaming the city. They can feel intense at first, but it's fairly easy to shake them at lower heat levels. Your heat only ever truly rises from completing races as well, and though it can go up one level during a chase, it goes back down after escaping them. Challenging but never feels unfair.

    Cons:
    - The story is a tad bit generic, or rather, it's very predictable. Outside of one not so surprising twist, it kinda just... exists, and dialogue isn't much worth listening to either (though definitely not as distracting as it is in heat). If you're looking for a deep and immersive story, this ain't the racing game for you.

    - Though I enjoyed them, I also recognize that the graphics can be a bit distracting for some players, between the different art styles and the frequent flashes and popups of different graphics.

    - At the beginning racing can feel slow and the pressure of the cops makes earning any significant amount of money a challenge. Though the pacing of the game definitely has this in mind, it can still feel frustrating during those first few days.    … Expand
  5. Crydt
    Dec 11, 2022
    3
    I hate the comic art style its so insanely cringe.
    Graphics and cars are looking very nice.
    The driving experience is like a 4/10. But im    I hate the comic art style its so insanely cringe.
    Graphics and cars are looking very nice.
    The driving experience is like a 4/10.
    But im in mental pain when i see this cringy comic effects and characters.    … Expand
  6. Unicorling
    Dec 17, 2022
    1
    Это просто ужасно, даже сказать нечего, лучше посмотрите обзор двух белорусов
  7. Comodore01
    Jun 23, 2023
    0
    Handling in this game is soooooooo BAD, i literally slammed to my desk and i made this brand new metacritic account to **** to the game. AlsoHandling in this game is soooooooo BAD, i literally slammed to my desk and i made this brand new metacritic account to **** to the game. Also AI is another problem as last ones has a **** two brain cells but the first is litteraly sweating like a **** MOBA player in ranked. Not the **** mention to soundtrack. My fart probably sounding better. As a old NFS fan this game is disgusting and made me **** furious. Also give us a real hair style options rather than that ****s.(Sorry for spelling mistakes btw, i didn't check everything as i wrote this fast.)… Expand
  8. Mambo_MaN
    Dec 4, 2022
    0
    Анимэ!!!1!! Как можно было испоганить проект, который все так любили. Я просто не знаю как это все описать: как им только ума хватило добавитьАнимэ!!!1!! Как можно было испоганить проект, который все так любили. Я просто не знаю как это все описать: как им только ума хватило добавить эти помойные эффекты. Одно дело, когда это обусловлено стилистикой, к примеру тот же Borderlands, в котором все красиво сделано в мультяшном стиле, другое дело это "нечто". Как же я обожаю анимэ, бородатых баб и прочие непотребства. Была надежда на то, что это можно будет отключить, но нас обманули. Очень жаль любимую франшизу, которая с каждым годом деградирует благодаря эффективным" маркетологам. Спасибо ЕА за очередную убитую игру… Expand

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