Need for Speed Unbound

 PlayStation 5
User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 587 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 318 out of 587
  2. Mixed: 58 out of 587
  3. Negative: 211 out of 587
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  1. Shinchan420
    Nov 30, 2022
    5
    Take positive reviews with a grain of salt, the game is barely out and the NFS community is already prepped for damage control. It's mostly the same as Heat with minor tweaks and improvements, but a 70 dollar price tag for this game is laughable. If you enjoyed Heat you'll find some enjoyment with Unbound, since it recycles much of its car list, drifty car handling, and mediocre policeTake positive reviews with a grain of salt, the game is barely out and the NFS community is already prepped for damage control. It's mostly the same as Heat with minor tweaks and improvements, but a 70 dollar price tag for this game is laughable. If you enjoyed Heat you'll find some enjoyment with Unbound, since it recycles much of its car list, drifty car handling, and mediocre police chases. Also, there is no way to completely remove all stylistic effects.

    If you are expecting a return to early 2000's gameplay, you wont find it in Unbound. Consider waiting for a sale if you really want to try it as the game is in no way worth full price.    … Expand
  2. Radloffmaik
    Nov 30, 2022
    5
    It’s not bad but the story is only for 13yo max. From yo yo-yo and bro brooooo over to cringe moments . The comic lool can NOT disabled btw. You have to play with this crap
  3. BananaInMyButt
    Nov 30, 2022
    5
    Unique gameplay and design compared to older NFS games. Cops are finally challenging and don't chill out, which is good, but they can be infuriating to deal with when they get spammed in every direction of your surrounding (Heat 5 in the highest difficulty; am there for nice challenges, not spam; quality > quantity)
    Also, I highly appreciate y'all adding new backgrounds for the plate and    Unique gameplay and design compared to older NFS games. Cops are finally challenging and don't chill out, which is good, but they can be infuriating to deal with when they get spammed in every direction of your surrounding (Heat 5 in the highest difficulty; am there for nice challenges, not spam; quality > quantity)
    Also, I highly appreciate y'all adding new backgrounds for the plate and for the "up" camera, in which you push up-button to have a better view on what is ahead of you. It's very helpful for me. There are new kits that got criticized recently, but I'm a fan of uniqueness and would never say no to more customizations. However, you guys removed certain customizations, like watanabe rims or sunline racing kits, even removed almost all brake brands. Additionally, you guys added a liberty walk hood and yet… there is no kit? Why? Also, what happened to ChargeSpeed for BRZ and Urban Outlaw for RSR? They are gone as well. That's not all though, KS kits… where are they? You guys had it in Heat, yet they're nowhere to be seen in Unbound. The missing parts play an important role in the (street) racing genre and I really hope they get added back in the future… considering that your UTC explains the game would focus on customization, which makes no sense for the several missing parts. No comment on multiplayer as I haven't tried that yet.    … Expand
  4. TheGhostad
    Nov 30, 2022
    5
    For me its nothing more tjan 5. Downgrade from heat in case of mods to the cars, annoying efects, which can’t be disabled even thou they said it can be!!
    Story is good, graphics are ok, cars roster is fine, and there is literally nothing more to say about this game.
  5. yokasun
    Dec 19, 2022
    7
    Cops are so annoying. For those die hard cop chase fans, it's good. For players like me who just want to enjoy normal racing, this really kills the game. At least add some option to tune it down. Cops spawning from everywhere, it's no fun anymore. So so so annoying!!! Also, disappointed at the last gen graphics. It's basically NFS: Heat level graphics. Do not expect the new generation 4KCops are so annoying. For those die hard cop chase fans, it's good. For players like me who just want to enjoy normal racing, this really kills the game. At least add some option to tune it down. Cops spawning from everywhere, it's no fun anymore. So so so annoying!!! Also, disappointed at the last gen graphics. It's basically NFS: Heat level graphics. Do not expect the new generation 4K graphics with good effects on your PS5.… Expand
  6. Bagged_gti
    Dec 26, 2022
    5
    Whoever created the story and dialogue should be fired. The cringe in the game is something I have never experienced before. Being a car enthusiast I skip every dialogue to avoid hearing the terrible voice actors say random things like “I live to race”.
    Story- 5/10
    The cars handle like some arcade racing game from early 2000’s, not the good kind either. Handling 4/10 Graphics on the    Whoever created the story and dialogue should be fired. The cringe in the game is something I have never experienced before. Being a car enthusiast I skip every dialogue to avoid hearing the terrible voice actors say random things like “I live to race”.
    Story- 5/10

    The cars handle like some arcade racing game from early 2000’s, not the good kind either. Handling 4/10

    Graphics on the PlayStation look great! Graphics 8/10    … Expand
  7. dingobreath
    Jan 5, 2023
    6
    I was looking forward to the next gen need for speed and pleasantly I can say the game play in nice and the car selection is great. However the story is absolutely cringe and the script is nonsensical. There is no bad guy in the story and its very short.

    There is also no cops in online multiplayer mode as of this review. Could have been great, but it sadly is dragged down by the lame    I was looking forward to the next gen need for speed and pleasantly I can say the game play in nice and the car selection is great. However the story is absolutely cringe and the script is nonsensical. There is no bad guy in the story and its very short.

    There is also no cops in online multiplayer mode as of this review.

    Could have been great, but it sadly is dragged down by the lame story and characters.    … Expand
  8. Luka1998010
    Dec 28, 2022
    5
    After spending 45+h on this game, I can say that its just an average game.

    First of all, the cops. Oh my god, the cops. Not only you are forced into a chase 80% of the time, you get cops spawned on literally every corner in this game. You get out of the garage, on Heat 5, a chopper spawns right above it, not 5 seconds once you start. Speaking of choppers, two of them can chase you at    After spending 45+h on this game, I can say that its just an average game.

    First of all, the cops.
    Oh my god, the cops. Not only you are forced into a chase 80% of the time, you get cops spawned on literally every corner in this game.
    You get out of the garage, on Heat 5, a chopper spawns right above it, not 5 seconds once you start. Speaking of choppers, two of them can chase you at the same time.
    The patrol cars are on every corner in free roam and I do mean it on every corner. One behind another, 2 to 3 in one intersection.
    Once they start chasing you, you lose precious time trying to get rid of them, only to end up in one spot for 10min waiting for them to go away once you escape and repeat that same thing a few more times, while going around the freaking map, just to reach a destination.
    The undercover cops are such an unnecessary addition. As if, all the mentioned wasn`t enough.
    At this point, completing the game becomes a chore.
    I have spent more time being a sitting duck rather than racing, which is the whole point of the fu*kin` series.
    After the cops, there`s the godawful AI racers. Completely unoptimized and setting up the game to relaxing difficulty does not make the game relaxing at all. I tried the game on challenging but soon set it to relaxed, only to experience the same thing.
    Racers such as Justicia (350Z) and Harlow (C8) make the game a living nightmare when you try to progress through the story mode. Even when you don`t bet against them, often they feel rigged.
    Like, you blow them away at one point and the next, one of two of them are breathing down your neck at the finish line.
    Also, often, trying to catch up to lets say Harlow, you will chase her from 0 to 70% and only remain a bit close to her and still lose.
    After the atrocious AI, there`s the grind.
    You get bombarded with buy-ins, that take a whole lot of money from you and in return, you barely get anything. Even when you bet against someone.
    Through most of the game, you can barely save up to even have a shot at a weekly qualifier.
    Only at the last week you get a sensible amount, if you manage to beat the bad AI, that is.
    Another thing regarding money, which frustrates me so much, is that, in order to upgrade your ride to the next class (A, A+, S and S+), you need to pay a large amount of money.
    If you want to get your B tier car to S, you have to not only pay for the parts BUT also something called a garage upgrade.
    I have seen games like Gear Club 2 implement that but there you can actually handle that expense.
    In Unbound, it takes away most of your hard earned cash, AND you have to redo the same races over and over again to save up and buy the parts you "unlocked".
    The drifting in this game is just plain bad.
    Taking a powerful. RWD car and not being able to achieve barely any score, after a long drift is not optimized scoring. Wont even mention taking a lower end car to a drift event. Some of them are actually off road, which is pure stupidity.
    The voice acting is blander than my voice. The main character sounds like he is about to give a TED talk seminar about global warming.
    In Heat, the character sounds like a normal person and you can relate to him, his tone when speaking to someone in real life. In Unbound, even in intense *moments, its so bad !
    Speaking of voice acting. The AI racers just don`t shut up. And turning down the voices in the audio settings mutes even the cutscenes, which is stupid.
    Now, onto the music.
    Same as Heat, a few good ones while to rest suck fat, hairy a**hole.
    No variety at all. And some songs like Ice Cream, Money are pure cringe and oh my god, I can`t stand that guy yelling MASSO, all the time....
    The cars handling to me became too snappy. They often feel good but, no matter what car it is, it starts to jump like crazy over the smallest things, specially when you upgrade to S and S+.
    The customization is better in some capacity. Some parts are absolutely wild but that does not help too much with my final score.
    5 max. Criterion messed up.    … Expand
  9. Nikhor
    Dec 4, 2022
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Le choix graphique, l'ambiance et le gameplay sont super, je met 10/10 sur cette partie, pas contre pour le reste c'est proche de 0 par rapport à NFS Heat, en therme d'ergonomie dans les menus, la progression campagne / multi qui sont totalement différente et les voitures bloqués à l'achat par des défis infaisable car le multi est mal géré.. Par exemple pour débloquer à l'achat la Nissan S15 il faut gagner 20 course en classe B avec une Nissan sauf que vu que il n'y a personne en multi (et c'est uniquement joueurs contre joueurs, aucun bot !) il y a 5-6 personnes dans l'open world quand on ouvre la carte mais la plus part jouent en S/S+ donc impossible de trouver quelqu'un pour faire une course en classe B pour les défis, et les seules fois où j'ai pu c'était avec un ami donc on était 2 dans la course, le défi est juste infaisable non pas parce que c'est impossible de gagner mais juste de trouver du monde pour faire course.… Expand
  10. Xefip
    Dec 4, 2022
    5
    What do i say about the game? For me, its kind of alright. I appreciate the fact that the devs are trying to shake the art style. Story is okay, the gameplay is alright. But, it doesnt have this wow factor, something that makes me impressed. I feel like somethings missing but just cant figure it out. This game only gives me this "alright, cool" vibe. I see ppl saying that this game is theWhat do i say about the game? For me, its kind of alright. I appreciate the fact that the devs are trying to shake the art style. Story is okay, the gameplay is alright. But, it doesnt have this wow factor, something that makes me impressed. I feel like somethings missing but just cant figure it out. This game only gives me this "alright, cool" vibe. I see ppl saying that this game is the best nfs game in a decade. While it may be true, lets not forget that the nfs games from like last 10 years are... forgettable. Or just so bad. Or just the same as this game. At least, for me.… Expand
  11. viktorIP
    Dec 8, 2022
    5
    For three years of creating the game, we get the game in my opinion no better than NFS Heat.
  12. BlueOval
    Dec 24, 2022
    5
    Although fun, I feel the game gets old fairly quickly. Limited race types, relentless helicopters sending me running to the same pipe every time as it feels like the only way to escape.

    Where is the variety of nfs of the past, no drag races, no off-road, no getaway. I feel like it’s lacking in content. The style is different and unsure at first it grew on me. For £70 this is definitely    Although fun, I feel the game gets old fairly quickly. Limited race types, relentless helicopters sending me running to the same pipe every time as it feels like the only way to escape.

    Where is the variety of nfs of the past, no drag races, no off-road, no getaway. I feel like it’s lacking in content. The style is different and unsure at first it grew on me. For £70 this is definitely lacking for the price point. Online is consistently lacking players, with it only being able to find 1 other person for most race types.    … Expand
  13. mdcr79
    Dec 24, 2022
    5
    I have over 50 hours in this game and it’s one of my favorite games are the need for speed but this one has a better graphics but the rest sucks like the online you will never get a full lobby with 8 people racing and I have been trying to because I want to get the platinum for it and it’s my last trophy to get and I don’t see any work done to the online and they told us we can turn offI have over 50 hours in this game and it’s one of my favorite games are the need for speed but this one has a better graphics but the rest sucks like the online you will never get a full lobby with 8 people racing and I have been trying to because I want to get the platinum for it and it’s my last trophy to get and I don’t see any work done to the online and they told us we can turn off the effects but we can not and I hate that and NFS it should not be animated at all and the worst thing is the crash cams they are so triggers. And the story is very basic not like the rest NFS heat was better story and the most important thing to is the Garage it’s so basic and I hate it the garage on nfs heat was way better where you can see all of your cars and no it’s not the best NFS OF THIS GENERATION If you say that you honestly don’t know anything about NFS. Nothing can pass NFS 2005 the icon and underground 1 and 2. And their are a bunch of useless cars in the game and they all the same. I don’t hate the game but keep in mind I’m a die hard fan of need for speed we want ghost back but EA ALWAYS **** up.… Expand
  14. xdeathcorex
    Dec 8, 2022
    6
    Just another NFS game that fails to stand out from the bunch. Currently playing just through sheer willpower because of how much I paid for it. It's just not a fun game.

    Pros: - Amazing graphics (if you take out the cartoon ones) - Great car customization - Great to be able to create your own character - I actually like the car handling Cons: - Huge disconnect between the    Just another NFS game that fails to stand out from the bunch. Currently playing just through sheer willpower because of how much I paid for it. It's just not a fun game.

    Pros:
    - Amazing graphics (if you take out the cartoon ones)
    - Great car customization
    - Great to be able to create your own character
    - I actually like the car handling

    Cons:
    - Huge disconnect between the cartoon "look" and the more realistic "look"
    - Nothing new in the world, sure there are some new collectibles, but that's it, same old same old
    - The heat system can get incredibly boring and frustrating, I spend more time running from the cops than actually racing
    - On Heat 5, at times cops just teleport right next to you
    - Racing can also get very frustrating, I get that not getting first place everytime is fine, but I want to win, not lose half the time and not have enough retries for it, it's just not fun
    - The soundtrack list will for sure not suit everyone's taste, just as it didn't for me
    - The female voices are hard to distinguish, during the story I had an hard time to know if it was my character speaking or another one
    - I could go all day...    … Expand
  15. leftthematrix
    Dec 5, 2022
    6
    I think this game is great in terms of Art, style, handling, and fun. however, how much of the games budget was put into idiotic writing? Why does the radio talk about politics the whole time? We play video games to escape this **** not immerse our selves. The music is awesome, the cars are awesome, the city is well done. I just want to know why and who decided that we were going to makeI think this game is great in terms of Art, style, handling, and fun. however, how much of the games budget was put into idiotic writing? Why does the radio talk about politics the whole time? We play video games to escape this **** not immerse our selves. The music is awesome, the cars are awesome, the city is well done. I just want to know why and who decided that we were going to make half the dialogue in the game be political? And GTA silly stuff, but like virtue signaling and really watered down stuff that added nothing of value.… Expand
  16. mrfobs
    Dec 1, 2022
    6
    I loved the game until I played online

    I was really vibing with this game and have enjoyed the free trial. I finished as much as a I was allowed to campaign wise and I hopped on the online mode and holy smokes is it a HUGE step backwards from Heat. I have many things to complain about, but I will keep them brief. Do not lock all cars behind challenges. That is stupid. If I have    I loved the game until I played online

    I was really vibing with this game and have enjoyed the free trial. I finished as much as a I was allowed to campaign wise and I hopped on the online mode and holy smokes is it a HUGE step backwards from Heat. I have many things to complain about, but I will keep them brief.

    Do not lock all cars behind challenges. That is stupid. If I have earned the money to get the car I should get it unless its a special challenge car or something.

    No Night and Day Cycle and No cops?

    No racing by yourself against bots, only against other players? I can't find anyone who wants to race anything other than S tier.

    Finally, separating online and single player progress, while I understand why it was done I think it the worst part. That was my favorite part about Heat. once I was done with my friends I could just continue what I was doing in my campaign.

    I will not be buying this game until it is a finished product, because right now it certainly isn't.    … Expand
  17. Icewave
    Dec 1, 2022
    6
    After playing the EA Play trial (10h), I can say Unbound is a step in the right direction, but the game is held back by the Frostbite Engine.

    + The visual direction with tags, effects and cell shading is definitely interesting and fresh (but this is subjective) + The cars look great and sound good; customization is also better than in previous games + Racing is competitive and cop    After playing the EA Play trial (10h), I can say Unbound is a step in the right direction, but the game is held back by the Frostbite Engine.

    + The visual direction with tags, effects and cell shading is definitely interesting and fresh (but this is subjective)
    + The cars look great and sound good; customization is also better than in previous games
    + Racing is competitive and cop chases can be quite intense (again, better than what Heat delivered)
    + I like the new gameplay features (meetups, rivals, weekly events, high risk - high reward mechanics)
    + The story and characters are better than what we got with Heat (still annoying at times, but it's Need for Speed after all)
    + Creative artists involved in creating graffiti, tags, particles, car body parts, etc.
    + It's fun to play, not going to lie

    - The graphics: this is a pretty game overall, but definitely not "next-gen". The roads look blurry and shiny; the environment (rocks, foliage, buildings, etc) looks flat, lacks depth and high quality textures. Reflections are overdone and everything looks like a mirror. Generally speaking, everything lacks contrast, with the HDR feature being completely broken on release. To be honest, Driveclub had better details although it was released in 2014 on older hardware.

    - The physics: everything in this game lacks the proper weight. Destructible elements (fences, traffic signs, small trees, etc.) seem to be made out of paper. Crashing into other cars or buildings is completely unpredictable (and unrealistic most of the times): you don't know if your car is simply going to stop or start flying and spinning in the air, completely defying the law of gravity. At times I couldn't tell the difference between driving a car in NFS or a light-armored vehicle in Battlefield 2042 (which probably uses a slightly different version of the same engine).

    - Character customization: how is this supporting self-expression if I can only wear streetwear outfits? It's impossible to create a non-edgy character in this game.

    - The price: In no way, shape or form this game is worth $85 (local price in my country, for the PS5 standard edition, digital format). I'll wait for a deep discount before purchasing the full game.

    Verdict: if you care about the details, don't buy this game until it's discounted. If you liked Heat and you just want to have fun, get the game and start playing :)    … Expand
  18. SirkusC
    Dec 1, 2022
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Graphics: 8/10
    Gameplay: 5/10
    Music: 5/10
    Sound Effects: 8/10
    Story: 3/10

    In all honesty, this is a solid game. You could start this game up, have a ton of fun with it, and leave it behind in the end with a good feeling. Is that feeling worth 70+ dollars? I don't think so. Let me explain in more detail.

    Graphics: I mean what else is there to say? Its a gorgeous game. Some people will have different opinions on the cartoony effects, lighting, shadows, etc. I didn't think I'd like them before the game came out, but after putting about 20 hours into it, I accepted it and it's not bad at all.

    Gameplay: This is where the game takes its first hit. Its not particularly fun to drive in this. You'll get small hints of "fun" driving here and there, but it just doesn't feel right. Almost like they took the driving physics and mechanics from NFS HEAT and tweaked them to try and copy a popular mod called UNITE. Drifting doesn't feel good at all. It seems like the car slows almost to a halt when using B,A,A+, or even S rank cars. S+ cars seem to be able to fully power through the drift properly, however S+ rank races are horribly not fun at any difficulty setting in the game since the NPCs almost feel scripted. Using a level 3 boost and a full shot of nitrous, and the NPC and/or Cop will stay right next to you the whole time. Its almost like they took the rubber banding cops from HEAT and used that system for the racers in this. Its just not fun. While we're on the subject of the cops, they spawn in just as badly as they did in Cyberpunk 2077 when it first came out. They also always know where you are, and as a test I sat with my car off in between a wall and a gas station for 30 minutes at heat level 5. The game would just spawn cops over and over and over again as they drove around the gas station in a circle. No way to leave your hiding spot without getting picked up by one of them. The Police helicopters almost felt magnetized to your car. Hiding under a overpass on cooldown, they would just circle the overpass. Not to mention if there's a cop within a mile of you when you finish a race, you have to do an annoying after race escape, which is just there to waste your time. Just like car customization. It's come a long way, but overall its the same body kits from the last 3 games. The same exhausts. The same hoods. Nothing new here, all reused assets. A select few cars have more, but not much. Car list is fine, even though there's not a single Toyota, or anything even remotely fun from the 2000s era of motorsports. No Supra? Really? All in all, it wasn't that great an experience for how much time was supposedly put into this game.

    Music: Its a 5/10, cause I only really liked (and I use the word like loosely) about 50% of the music. Others will have they're own opinion. Take this one as a evened out score.

    Sound effects: Man the cars sound great in this. Someone put a lot of time into sound design for this game, and it shows. Kudo's to them.

    Story: I'll start with this one tidbit. There's only one character that's good in this game, and that is Rydell. Every other character was either shallow, annoying, or trying to push a social agenda. What happened to the days when a character in the game that you raced against was just "Darren and he drives a Miata"? The best part about these games is figuring out their personality from the looks of their car, how they look as a character. I don't need backstories for super shallow characters. The main villain of the game is... a good person... who screwed you over.. and that's okay? There's no "Boss" races to be seen anywhere.. Everyone likes each other and there's no beef with anyone. Straight boring. Rydell is literally the only character in the game that has any depth to him, and that makes him feel more like a real person. The weekly system that's in the game, with both day and night cycles, makes the game feel like its on rails. You don't actually have a choice on what you want to do, you just do what the game tells you to do. I realize all the NFS games are like that, but this one makes you feel like your on a set track and there's nothing you can do about it.

    So in the end, did I have a good time playing it? Yes. Would I recommend it to others? Sure. Is it the best NFS game? Not even close. Would I replay it multiple times? No. I'll play it twice through to make sure I didn't miss anything, and maybe later down the road if they add DLC or something along those lines, but there's no way I can suffer myself to play this story multiple times for fun. Its just not that fun.    … Expand
  19. nareshjkin
    Dec 2, 2022
    7
    I remind us of the underground and most wanted era NFS but doesn't do it justice by using cheap graffiti and the music is **** It's good graphically but not upto to expectation in story and other areas
  20. Natpex
    Dec 4, 2022
    7
    The game is pretty good overall, but EA will be EA and straight up lie about the game, such as EA saying you can turn off the car effects which didn't come true, the gameplay can be fun at first but loses it's novelty after playing for an extended amount of time.

    EA would also be EA and falsely advertise about the palace edition of you receiving 4 cars for free, turns out you don't    The game is pretty good overall, but EA will be EA and straight up lie about the game, such as EA saying you can turn off the car effects which didn't come true, the gameplay can be fun at first but loses it's novelty after playing for an extended amount of time.

    EA would also be EA and falsely advertise about the palace edition of you receiving 4 cars for free, turns out you don't receive the cars for free but you can earn the livery for it, you still have to earn the money to buy the car. Honestly a pretty okay experience. If you're not in a hurry for NFS unbound then you should wait for the standard edition release because the palace edition is useless outside of cosmetics such as clothing or driving effects.    … Expand
  21. Furbz
    Dec 1, 2022
    7
    It's not bad entry for the series. One thing is the sound is pretty bad. Levels are all over the place, when someone talks which is all the bloody time , all other sounds get turned down.
  22. zokusha
    Nov 30, 2022
    7
    The best Need for Speed in almost 8 years. While far from a flawless experience and lackluster in areas it shouldn't be anymore (namely handling and customization), the bad things aren't enough to detract from the overall quality of the game. A solid racer with good gameplay and interesting progression system that finally strikes a great balance between risk and reward.
  23. CCCPdriver
    Dec 4, 2022
    7
    The game is undoubtedly good. But the fact that it even has a text translation into Russian upset me.
    Russian is the main language in all CIS countries, not only in Russia. It's a pity that EA decided to "cancel" it in their games.
    Добавьте русский язык.
  24. cojotaho
    Dec 10, 2022
    7
    Main thing that is lacking for me is more memorable moments like a Forza Horizon game but at its core its a pretty fun racing game.
  25. SgtBash13
    Feb 2, 2023
    5
    I like the art style, I like the attempt to return to the NFS Underground genre, the overall gameplay is pretty good and for the most part quite fun / challenging.
    However, whilst I can deal will slight sprinkle of cringe in a story dialogue, this is so obviously another attempt by EA to force feed the propaganda of woke nonsense. There a billboards dotted around the map implying certain    I like the art style, I like the attempt to return to the NFS Underground genre, the overall gameplay is pretty good and for the most part quite fun / challenging.
    However, whilst I can deal will slight sprinkle of cringe in a story dialogue, this is so obviously another attempt by EA to force feed the propaganda of woke nonsense. There a billboards dotted around the map implying certain liberal messages, there are characters that identify "in certain ways" & an over representation of demographics that just are not realistic.

    I really hoped EA would learn to stick to making games, keep politics and other agendas firmly away from (lets be honest) kids who you're clearly hoping to indoctrinate. I would have scored 7/10 if not for this.    … Expand
  26. GamingReality
    Jul 24, 2023
    5
    This game is a huge disappointment, cop chase galore. No words to describe how stupid the game mechanics are. This game is hostile towards its players and the game design goes out of its way to make the player suffer rather than enjoy. Huge disappointment, given the last NFS games that came out and this garbage is the latest I'm done with NFS. Played since the first one in 96 up to thisThis game is a huge disappointment, cop chase galore. No words to describe how stupid the game mechanics are. This game is hostile towards its players and the game design goes out of its way to make the player suffer rather than enjoy. Huge disappointment, given the last NFS games that came out and this garbage is the latest I'm done with NFS. Played since the first one in 96 up to this one, it just became a really awkwardly bad game. Next time I'll try a NFS game is only if they give it away on game pass or PS plus but I'm definitely never buying another NFS game. Side note Criterion ruined the series for good and it seems intentional and malicious. RIP NFS 1996-2023… Expand
  27. Endrance_sama
    Jan 8, 2023
    6
    First off, I've played the game for roughly 80 hours, most of it online but I finished the story as well. I also have the platinum trophy.

    I'll leave music and the car effects aside, because while I'm not much of a fan of either I think they're implemented well enough and the rest is subjective assessment. Storymode: Decent. I've enjoyed my time, although I think other installments have    First off, I've played the game for roughly 80 hours, most of it online but I finished the story as well. I also have the platinum trophy.

    I'll leave music and the car effects aside, because while I'm not much of a fan of either I think they're implemented well enough and the rest is subjective assessment.

    Storymode: Decent. I've enjoyed my time, although I think other installments have done it better. Definitely the strong point of the game though. Progression feels rewarding, rubberbanding is not too terrible in my opinion and the story itself while not grammy worthy is not bad for a car game.

    Online:
    Overall not much happening as of yet. Races get repetitive pretty fast
    B and A tier playlists are infested with bugged cars. A+ is the most balanced tier with the most interesting races. S tier is playable, but some op cars dominate playlists. S+ tier is defined by playing Regera or not being competitive.
    There are also money glitches that haven't been fixed in a month after release and basically make money meaningless.

    I enjoyed my time, but it definitely has pretty obvious weaknesses that require fixing.    … Expand
  28. Kaschej
    Apr 2, 2023
    5
    Sorry to say. Regret that i bought it digital and can't sell it. No physics, no story.... Have a lot of cars, that's nice. But doesn't save the game.
  29. Tavo1994
    Feb 2, 2023
    7
    Good game overall. It felt kinda like underground 2. My only complaints are
    The music sucks and the story is to short
  30. Don_Rolando
    Feb 16, 2023
    5
    The game is not fun at all to play. Just to much is going on. Please just focus on the game as it was in NFS Underground back than. That was simple but fun game! Here you have to work to much and the flow will not start coming.
  31. RatchetClank111
    Feb 12, 2023
    7
    This game is definitely an improvement over payback and heat. Payback's story was just hampered by random car improvements, terrible characters trying to copy a generic script of fast and furious, and Heat was too short, bad music, and boring characters

    This game takes gameplay elements from both, and surprisingly improves and makes a better overall game. I like the overall art    This game is definitely an improvement over payback and heat. Payback's story was just hampered by random car improvements, terrible characters trying to copy a generic script of fast and furious, and Heat was too short, bad music, and boring characters

    This game takes gameplay elements from both, and surprisingly improves and makes a better overall game. I like the overall art direction of the game as it gives NFS an identity and the effects were really cool when drifting or using the nos boost. driving is well done in this game, like the overall map and environment, and like how the game overall progresses for the final race.

    However, the game needed different events, as the game is split into four weeks, but by week three it starts to get repetitive. I think at that point they should of added some drag races, time trials, or maybe even like elimination style, just something to switch it up a bit. Because by the end of it the game starts to get stale.

    That's due to the story is okay, but the characters range from cool to downright annoying, it also didn't need the satire that many comments will mention, like it's just annoying commentary that becomes cringe. It is what it is but the game didn't need the annoying podcast commentary and the main characters can say some random bs too that doesn't make any sense.

    Overall, I like this game though, and hopefully it sells well enough so we can maybe get something similar to this game, but with some better writing for once.    … Expand
  32. bolzouki
    Aug 26, 2023
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Whose stupid idea was it to implement balance between income and cost for racing in a timed schedule to get to the end? You have to pay to race without any certainty to get max result, because the IA is an absolute cheat (which means that winning is generally not an option), knowing you have to have a certain amount of money by a fixed moment in time and invest in your car so you can compete, you have the risk not to have reach the goal by the end....
    The cops are EVERYWHERE EVERYTIME, it is a chore. They are not too bad too loose, but they are on you all the time, it is tiring and boring

    I have rarely play a game so not fun and not inticing in his beginning. It does not make you want to play more.

    Good graphics and driving mechanics though.    … Expand
  33. AaronCharles
    Dec 7, 2022
    5
    This series has gone backwards over the last decade, i have not enjoyed a need for speed since Most Wanted (2012). As for Unbound it starts you off with a decent car you then end up doing events and earning cash for over an hour only for the cringe story to take away your car and money just for an introduction of a tutorial. It's the most stupid way to introduce you to a racing game. AfterThis series has gone backwards over the last decade, i have not enjoyed a need for speed since Most Wanted (2012). As for Unbound it starts you off with a decent car you then end up doing events and earning cash for over an hour only for the cringe story to take away your car and money just for an introduction of a tutorial. It's the most stupid way to introduce you to a racing game. After that you proceed to play the same repetitive events over and over again while earning next to no cash. The progression system in this gane is a joke with the repeated events making the game really stale quickly. Another annoying aspect of this game is the cops, after races you will get heated levels and they patrol nearly every road stopping your fluidity to continue with multiple events at once, it really does become frustrating after a while. The online part of the game is even more disappointing, you are put in a session with 15 other players where most of the time they will not join your races. You end up joining a randoms race with a few others and that's about it. £70 for an average racing game in 2022 it's unacceptable to be charging this much for this sinking ship of a franchise, the name is the only thing that's giving it sales, i do not reccommend.… Expand
  34. emhaxkar
    Jan 10, 2023
    7
    O jogo é bem divertido. Levando em consideração a proposta mais arcade do game gostei muito da jogabilidade. Os gráficos são OK. Um ponto que não curti foi o endgame. As tarefas de desafios e coletáveis são muito repetitivas e infindáveis. Platinar o jogo foi uma tortura.
  35. technophile822
    Jan 29, 2023
    5
    Story mode is decent, but becomes old after the first (in-game) week, just repeated 3 more times. "The Grand" finale race wasn't different from any other qualifier other than mixing car tiers. ASAP Rocky didn't add much to the game - his main role being to give you some pep talks, and act as another npc racer. Cops are tough at first, but once you figure out their habits and get at leastStory mode is decent, but becomes old after the first (in-game) week, just repeated 3 more times. "The Grand" finale race wasn't different from any other qualifier other than mixing car tiers. ASAP Rocky didn't add much to the game - his main role being to give you some pep talks, and act as another npc racer. Cops are tough at first, but once you figure out their habits and get at least an A+ car, they're little trouble. Online is overall, a disappointment. The cars and garage parts are mostly copied over from Heat, but the online mode lacks day/night and has no cops. How can you have a multiplayer NFS game without cop chases? Race modes found in Story such as drift, and takedown are not found in Online (yet). Bugs and glitches are annoying, cars tiers need balancing, and odd omissions need fixing, such as lack of fast travel. There is still fun to be had, especially with friends online. Performance tiers allow a wider variety of cars to be useful, and the jump to current gen consoles gives a welcome boost to resolution and 60fps. After a disappointing first "update", the online may improve with new content and much needed bug and QOL fixes, but i'm not holding my breath for EA to deliver.… Expand
  36. Nelone
    Feb 27, 2023
    7
    Gameplay and visuals are very appealing. Customization is just what I wanted and custom characters give a nice touch on top of that. However, soundtrack is low/mid and cop chases are more of an annoyance than real challenge. I also would’ve liked more variety of opponents. Haven’t finished the story yet but I don’t think that’s the main point in racing games (for me at least).
  37. BeckyGG
    Apr 2, 2023
    7
    I enjoyed the style and the new risk and reward gameplay. but oddly enough it feels more like a criterion remix of a ghost era game rather than being a fresh start for criterion and the series as a whole. If you liked HEAT you'll like this.
  38. Swagforever
    Aug 9, 2023
    7
    Pros:
    - Enjoyable open world racing game.
    - Graphics are okay. - Fair number of cars and customisation options. Cons: - Nothing new from NFS heat really. - Races are very repetitive. - Cops are too easy. - Rubberband AI. - Online is limited. - Collectables have no challenge to them (unlike previous games). - Frame rate drops if multiple online players on screen. - Car handling is not    Pros:
    - Enjoyable open world racing game.
    - Graphics are okay.
    - Fair number of cars and customisation options.

    Cons:
    - Nothing new from NFS heat really.
    - Races are very repetitive.
    - Cops are too easy.
    - Rubberband AI.
    - Online is limited.
    - Collectables have no challenge to them (unlike previous games).
    - Frame rate drops if multiple online players on screen.
    - Car handling is not great.
    - Car rating system is broken.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

50
#50 Best PlayStation 5 Game of 2022
13
#13 Most Discussed PlayStation 5 Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 53 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 53
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 53
  3. Negative: 0 out of 53
  1. PLAY
    Feb 11, 2023
    80
    Terrifically fast, well-balanced street racing that really makes the most of PS5. Not quite as cool as the new art stylings would suggest, but still a fine game. [Issue#23, p.68]
  2. Games.cz
    Jan 19, 2023
    90
    Need for Speed was seriously starting to look dead and buried – and here comes the rescue party! The combination of beautiful, realistic-looking graphics and effects borrowed straight from an anime works surprisingly well, the story doesn’t get in your way and the driving model hits exactly the right spot. Even the open world is fun! This is how you make an arcade racing game.
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  3. PLAY! Zine
    Jan 6, 2023
    80
    Need for Speed Unbound is the best modern NFS to date. It is still riddled with issues like rubberbanding and weird drifting physics, but it still provides its players with the best handling system in years, with grip racing finally back. With the best visual design NFS has ever had and some interesting campaign decisions, it gives hope that the series is back on track to becoming something great.
    Read full review
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