Need for Speed Unbound

 PC
User Score
5.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 278 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 112 out of 278
  2. Mixed: 37 out of 278
  3. Negative: 129 out of 278

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  1. ADV90
    Dec 10, 2022
    1
    Terrible cartoon effects. I have no idea what they were thinking with this game. Progression and vehicle unlock system is horrible. I cannot believe how they have messed up the NFS this badly. I have played every single NFS title and thoroughly enjoyed each title (some more than others) however, this game isn't even worthy of the title NFS.
  2. Redeyeee
    Dec 10, 2022
    8
    This isn't perfect but this is the first need for speed since Carbon & most wanted that I've truly enjoyed. It's feels like most wanted 2. The heat system is a little jank. Like I don't see why we should get heat after ever race even if police didn't see anyone racing. It can sometimes feel grindy but it actually makes you think about your next race. But let's talk about the style, IThis isn't perfect but this is the first need for speed since Carbon & most wanted that I've truly enjoyed. It's feels like most wanted 2. The heat system is a little jank. Like I don't see why we should get heat after ever race even if police didn't see anyone racing. It can sometimes feel grindy but it actually makes you think about your next race. But let's talk about the style, I honestly thought it looked trash watching gameplay and fully intended to turn it all off but it just feels right when your playing it actually make the game look amazing at night I find myself actually trying to drift now because that smoke mixed with thr blue and red lights hitting that perfect drift feel epic. Obviously 5his isn't a sim racer if you are looking for that then go somewhere else need for speed has never cared about being realistic. Welcome back NFS you wasn't missed but dam it's nice to see you back again… Expand
  3. XIoneyBadgerIX
    Dec 9, 2022
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have no idea what they were thinking with this game. Progression and vehicle unlock system is horrible. For example: to unlock the 2016 mustang you have to purchase a Ford and do so many seconds of drifting in it just to unlock it. (The very scarce amount of money you have because races only give you a max of 20k.) Making enough money to level up your cars in the story mode and progress to the big race are crap as well. So very disappointed...… Expand
  4. SuckEAgoodnick
    Dec 9, 2022
    0
    There is no Russian language. Well 0 points. Grow a new fascist Germany, freaks!
  5. Calix
    Dec 9, 2022
    10
    played NFS series since NFS-3, back to the last century lol.
    This one, NFS Unbound, is the best in the last decade, personally.
    Intense gameplay experience, great graphics, +anime style.
    Great, it's just great.
  6. Razzzic
    Dec 9, 2022
    0
    I cannot believe how they have messed up the NFS this badly. I have played every single NFS title and thoroughly enjoyed each title (some more than others ofc) however, this game isn't even worthy of the title NFS.

    Firstly the game just feels empty, like it has no soul, which I've never encountered before in a NFS title and secondly the childish artwork and graffiti animations is beyond    I cannot believe how they have messed up the NFS this badly. I have played every single NFS title and thoroughly enjoyed each title (some more than others ofc) however, this game isn't even worthy of the title NFS.

    Firstly the game just feels empty, like it has no soul, which I've never encountered before in a NFS title and secondly the childish artwork and graffiti animations is beyond horrible, it is like they ran out of time or money and decided to hire some teenager and pay them minimum wage as a way to add a "fresh" look and all it comes across as is extremely budget and childish.

    I played for about 5 - 6 hours and just couldn't take it anymore. The story is boring as all hell, the converations are just pointless and the game is the biggest failure in the NFS to date.

    If this is what the NFS franchise has come to, then they are well and truly out of ideas and creativity because this is a disaster.

    I put in for a refund request.

    Oh and also bugs? Not that it matters because I would have refunded anyways because of everything already said above, but almost every single race (at best every second race) the car just stops accelerating and I have to let go of the accelerator and push it again, it is extremely odd but caused me to lose placing a fair amount of times.

    But as I said regardless of this, the game is beyond bad anyways.

    Oh and like others have said, the driving experience is terrible as well, cars drive not how they have in any other NFS title (or other game for that matter) it is a unique terrible experience that makes it not at all enjoyable and like you are fighting the car constantly. I feels almost if I had to try and explain it, like a car game on an ancient console with a terrible controller that was terribly optimised.    … Expand
  7. Doctorotto
    Dec 8, 2022
    3
    Minus:
    -physics of drift;
    -cheating cops after 3 level of chase; -cartoon effects during race or chase by cops which close your view ahead and crash into traffic or objects; -one type music; - very high price for this game; - the most worst graphic between:NFS 2015, payback , heat.( In the 2015 the best for my mind) Plus: -try to make atmospheres in game according to the trends of night    Minus:
    -physics of drift;
    -cheating cops after 3 level of chase;
    -cartoon effects during race or chase by cops which close your view ahead and crash into traffic or objects;
    -one type music;
    - very high price for this game;
    - the most worst graphic between:NFS 2015, payback , heat.( In the 2015 the best for my mind)
    Plus:
    -try to make atmospheres in game according to the trends of night life; - some cartoon effects which dont close your viewing ahead;
    -cool tuning.
    After all have only one question - what did they (EA) do last 3 years?    … Expand
  8. Terment
    Dec 8, 2022
    1
    Скучно, не интересно, ужасная графика, отбитый сюжет, скучнейшие персонажи, и многое другое ждёт тебя в этой игре, лучше не тратить на это деньги
  9. LTUErnis
    Dec 8, 2022
    3
    the story was much better heat I didn't like the effects, they were better heat
  10. faikschmidt
    Dec 8, 2022
    1
    we arrived in the age of progressivism in games... it doesn't matter if the game is bad, as long as it follows the progressive agenda
  11. Gumdrifter
    Dec 8, 2022
    6
    Not a terrible game, but not a great game either. It's somewhere in between.
  12. Klazaep
    Dec 8, 2022
    10
    Great game and a must buy, rlly enjoying the game i rlly suggest you take a trial its awesome!
  13. SentryFastRacer
    Dec 7, 2022
    10
    I will tell next: This is the best Need for Speed game ever!!! Best graphics, Best physics, Best cars, tuning, street racing, open world and very smart cops!!!

    EA, please, make the new NFS game with open world, but on EGO engine...
  14. Lieferdrohne
    Dec 6, 2022
    4
    It is okay.

    Surely a step into the right direction but nothing special. Gameplay: Feels waaaay better than anything that Ghost has created but extremely grindy. Also... who thought out the prices of the tuning parts??? I mean... 50k for a turbo?! Am I driving a Bugatty Veyron?! I just want to mod my crappy Crown Vic... Graphics: Looking decent. Nothing special but imo a little    It is okay.

    Surely a step into the right direction but nothing special.

    Gameplay:
    Feels waaaay better than anything that Ghost has created but extremely grindy.
    Also... who thought out the prices of the tuning parts??? I mean... 50k for a turbo?! Am I driving a Bugatty Veyron?! I just want to mod my crappy Crown Vic...

    Graphics:
    Looking decent. Nothing special but imo a little better than Heat.

    Story:
    Cringetopia... OH YEAH INTERNET BUZZWORDS WE COOL NOW, WE LIT BROOOOOO! TWITTER REDDIT INSTAGRAAAAAAAAAM!!!!111!!

    little summary:

    you get screwed over by a friend of your who steals your car and you have to win four big events in four weeks to have the chance to challenge her and win back your car.

    Literally the main character smashing through civilians, destroying public property be like:

    Why Cops hate me? :(

    Edit: Why are English songs Censored but german songs for example are not? Literally singing about weed "canabis", "hoes". I dont mind that i just think its hypocritic    … Expand
  15. Rezon311
    Dec 6, 2022
    9
    9/10 clumsy character drawing, otherwise this is clearly the best part in the last 10 years
  16. wolfgr
    Dec 6, 2022
    7
    NFS Heat clone, but in Chicago. This could be 8/10, if it weren't for those annoying and childish cartoon graphics all over the place. The game targets high school -wannabe gangsters- kids. The handling of the cars didn't improve, it feels like playing on smartphone.
  17. Pulancur
    Dec 6, 2022
    0
    Definitely not worth it especially at that high price, its a heat copy with a few minimalistic changes, cops are meh, pursuits not enganging, best was MW 05, Rivals and Hot pursuit. Customization is wacky goofy and cringe story and dialogue with political direction IN A RACING GAME
  18. Translator2
    Dec 6, 2022
    0
    Game is good 8/10 but the steam version has many problems. Will update score when devs patch game

    - Highly CPU bound game min 6 core requirement - Fairly low draw distance - Slow texture loading at times - Limited Wheel input device options - Many people report random crashes or outright inability to launch the game - 2015 "map doesn't load and your car falls through" glitch    Game is good 8/10 but the steam version has many problems. Will update score when devs patch game

    - Highly CPU bound game min 6 core requirement
    - Fairly low draw distance
    - Slow texture loading at times
    - Limited Wheel input device options
    - Many people report random crashes or outright inability to launch the game
    - 2015 "map doesn't load and your car falls through" glitch returns
    - Fullscreen to borderless may screw up graphics settings
    - Skip track button doesn't work
    - Nvidia Game Ready Driver 527.37 in a 1060 Max-Q sometimes doesn’t render map sections and crashes in-game often
    - A few cars (can’t list them all yet) have tall stance even at the lowest setting
    - Minimap gets “refreshed” and shows blacked out before loading itself again
    - Character icons in the minimap disappear often. The container stays, it’s just the images
    - dirt/grass borders on the road seem to have low LOD/pop out/in often
    - some textures load slow    … Expand
  19. User214327
    Dec 6, 2022
    10
    Weeb car vrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
  20. NFSHUNTER
    Dec 6, 2022
    0
    I just sent the game back.

    The driving experience is a lot worse than with NFS Heat. Cars are very, very difficult to drive. and you could have brought in effects like water splashing when driving over puddles. That's just how it looks prettied up (more apparent than real) Positive point: The textures from the street are done really cool, You can NOT turn off the comic    I just sent the game back.

    The driving experience is a lot worse than with NFS Heat.

    Cars are very, very difficult to drive.

    and you could have brought in effects like water splashing when driving over puddles.

    That's just how it looks prettied up (more apparent than real)

    Positive point: The textures from the street are done really cool,

    You can NOT turn off the comic effects as promised..

    - The sayings of the actors are underground.

    - The soundtracks are worse than all parts before...

    It's a shame I still had a glimmer of hope.

    I would be for a Need for Speed ​​Underground 3 Back to the roots..
    unnecessary nonsense with police etc.

    just (illegal street racing scene), tuning options such as system, screens, Nos bottles, interior lighting, etc. built into the vehicle.

    like Need for Speed ​​Underground 2

    That would bring many people closer to the game, because you can identify with it.    … Expand
  21. Frendzel13521
    Dec 6, 2022
    0
    Worst nfs. Big optimization problem on top end set. Terrible cartoon effects.The worst driving model
  22. BLACKEYE1978
    Dec 6, 2022
    10
    Alright... im gonna be honest with you....criterion..... NAILED THIS GAME HOLy SMOKES THE SENSE OF SPEED IS KILLER IM ALSO SCARED TO USE THE BOOST BCZ THE CAMERA AND STUFF LOOKS SOO FAST!!!!!!!! EVEN AT 110 MPH, THE MAP IS SOO DETAILED AND THE WIREING OF THE ROADS IS JUST SOO GOOD!, take the negative reviews with a grain of salt, although the game might feel hard at first, but when u startAlright... im gonna be honest with you....criterion..... NAILED THIS GAME HOLy SMOKES THE SENSE OF SPEED IS KILLER IM ALSO SCARED TO USE THE BOOST BCZ THE CAMERA AND STUFF LOOKS SOO FAST!!!!!!!! EVEN AT 110 MPH, THE MAP IS SOO DETAILED AND THE WIREING OF THE ROADS IS JUST SOO GOOD!, take the negative reviews with a grain of salt, although the game might feel hard at first, but when u start racing it willl be fast. A must play/… Expand
  23. Celill
    Dec 6, 2022
    8
    Other then dialog section this game is pretty decent, fun and enjoyable graphics
  24. yuja
    Dec 5, 2022
    0
    Heat was better, Criterion f'd this one up. Sloppy gameplay, slow progression, wonky and goofy art style. Recycled cars. Terrible online.
  25. DanielDec
    Dec 5, 2022
    0
    Положительный отзыв не доступен на вашем языке
  26. Zaarakx
    Dec 5, 2022
    8
    I love NFS Unbound it’s really great and also a lot of fun, the effects on your car are a little bit annoying at first but after a few hours I have to say that I like them a lot. The music is Meh sometimes it’s good but sometimes it’s just really weird and bad.
    The reason I gave it an 8 is because of the multiplayer it is really bare bones and you can only race against other people no    I love NFS Unbound it’s really great and also a lot of fun, the effects on your car are a little bit annoying at first but after a few hours I have to say that I like them a lot. The music is Meh sometimes it’s good but sometimes it’s just really weird and bad.
    The reason I gave it an 8 is because of the multiplayer it is really bare bones and you can only race against other people no police no AI to race against and only 16 player lobby’s, right now it’s really hard to find 8 player races. I hope we will see some more content for online and some needed updated but besides that it’s a really good NFS    … Expand
  27. Lobotany
    Dec 5, 2022
    0
    Worst NFS ever created, art style is annoying and intrussive gameplay is boring and not to mention the gen Z humour and characters, disgusting also handling is awful
  28. AndrewEvolution
    Dec 5, 2022
    1
    Year by year, game after game... they got it even worse... RIP real NFS franchise... feels like a mobile childish game...
  29. m1dnightokyo
    Dec 5, 2022
    10
    Unbound it's a nice game with a better arcade driving, best nfs of the decade
  30. NecroSis42
    Dec 5, 2022
    8
    Almost all I have seen right now is telling me that NFS is back on the road!
    That feeling of hunt and be hunted, this awesome setting and creative car customization make Unbound better than any of the last decade. The atmo got improved a lot! But not everything is gold: the cars still feel like glued to the ground even though it is not that bad anymore like in NFS Heat. And also NOS ist    Almost all I have seen right now is telling me that NFS is back on the road!
    That feeling of hunt and be hunted, this awesome setting and creative car customization make Unbound better than any of the last decade. The atmo got improved a lot! But not everything is gold: the cars still feel like glued to the ground even though it is not that bad anymore like in NFS Heat. And also NOS ist still not feeling like in the very old Underground 2, MW or Carbon where my whole body felt pressed into the seat. i hope they treat downhill drifting not like in NFS Heat, where it was far too rarely seen. Need to play more, bye    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

18
#18 Most Discussed PC Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 21
  3. Negative: 1 out of 21
  1. PCMag
    Jan 11, 2023
    60
    Need for Speed Unbound is a beautiful street racing game that features a cool soundtrack and welcome cross-platform play, but frustrating car physics and CPU drivers sully the experience.
    Read full review
  2. 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.
    Read full review
  3. 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]
See all critic reviews »