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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Max_Lazy_10
    Nov 30, 2022
    10
    While by no means perfect, Criterion's put the franchise back on the road with NFS Unbound. Oozing with originality, and giving players their fix however they want to play (whether in story mode, online, customizing cars, or outrunning the cops), Need for Speed Unbound is the strongest outing the series has had to date since Criterion's Hot Pursuit entry in 2010.
  2. KTOXrez
    Dec 2, 2022
    10
    Review based on story mode:

    After spending around 30+ hours in story mode, I have to say this is one of the best NFS I have played in the past decade. The graphics are amazing, the story, while being a bit cheesy at times, is still pretty good with decent dialogue. The handling physics have gotten an overhaul but they are not too far off what NFS Heat had, just with many required    Review based on story mode:

    After spending around 30+ hours in story mode, I have to say this is one of the best NFS I have played in the past decade. The graphics are amazing, the story, while being a bit cheesy at times, is still pretty good with decent dialogue. The handling physics have gotten an overhaul but they are not too far off what NFS Heat had, just with many required additions to make it fun.

    The addition of burst nitrous makes every single action feel rewarding, and the effects you can add to your car do not get in the way of gameplay, they just enhance it.

    Only gripes are lackluster multiplayer and photo mode, but there are content updates planned so I will update the review as they come.

    Overall, out of all the NFS from the past decade, this is the one I recommend the most.    … Expand
  3. NICKOODEMUS
    Dec 6, 2022
    10
    This game is a blast! The only negative I have found is that EA has apparently forgot to do any marketing for the game. None of my friends had even heard of it until I told them about it. The art style is refreshing and very unique. The car customization and the grind to work your way up to the top is addictive. They have done a great job at balancing the risk vs reward with the heat levelThis game is a blast! The only negative I have found is that EA has apparently forgot to do any marketing for the game. None of my friends had even heard of it until I told them about it. The art style is refreshing and very unique. The car customization and the grind to work your way up to the top is addictive. They have done a great job at balancing the risk vs reward with the heat level in the game. Overall it is the best need for speed game in a very long time!… Expand
  4. CM2K00
    Nov 30, 2022
    10
    Best NFS game since Pro Street! its a great combo of all the great NFS games! Underground, Most Wanted Pro Street!
  5. Mighoet
    Nov 30, 2022
    9
    Long time NFS fan (and I really mean long time), and I must admit this game is great, beyond the zoomer dialog lines, and the weird character selection, the game is a fantastic achievement in artistic flair screened over realistic cars, is simply sensational, I love the handling, control of the car is clearly tied to your ability to let go off the throttle (that you can customize beyondLong time NFS fan (and I really mean long time), and I must admit this game is great, beyond the zoomer dialog lines, and the weird character selection, the game is a fantastic achievement in artistic flair screened over realistic cars, is simply sensational, I love the handling, control of the car is clearly tied to your ability to let go off the throttle (that you can customize beyond measure) the cars graphics, the faux-chicago Lakeshore ambiance and illumination, the pacing of the game, the story can came a bit cheesy, but is a single player story in an arcade racing game, so be it (like MW '05). Give it a shot, you may like it. Also load times are bloody short!… Expand
  6. LINO01
    Nov 30, 2022
    10
    The game is fantastic! Super fun filled with action, cool effects and a lovely story. The studio Criterion really excelled at delivering a heart pounding police chase experience with a good variety of races and multiplayer. Cars are fun to buy and customize and the graphics compliment them. The world of Chicago inspired Lake Shore City is a must on a 4k screen as it’s a true next GenThe game is fantastic! Super fun filled with action, cool effects and a lovely story. The studio Criterion really excelled at delivering a heart pounding police chase experience with a good variety of races and multiplayer. Cars are fun to buy and customize and the graphics compliment them. The world of Chicago inspired Lake Shore City is a must on a 4k screen as it’s a true next Gen experience. Fantastic work and I have already sunk 7 hours in. I would recommend. Lovely music with character and a mix that revolves around mechanical noises that make me smile. Thank you Need for Speed Unbound! I love this game!!!

    Some patches will probably come to iron a few things but the presentation and gameplay are on point. A must play specially for the fans!!    … Expand
  7. Vissaris11
    Nov 30, 2022
    10
    Probably the best NFS to date.
    At first i was very sceptical about Criterion but god damn they delivered. The game released in a very polished state (Which is surprising by today's standards) and it has enough content to keep you hooked for hundreds of hours dare i say and when you know that the game is going to have a lot of post launch support makes me even more excited.
  8. JaumPzZ
    Nov 30, 2022
    10
    Criterion took everything that worked out in Heat and improved upon it. Customization is great, cops are good, story is actually interesting this time around and the world is the best that the franchise has ever seen. A unique approach on the visuals make the game stand out and gives more life to everything, and the handling is actually responsive this time around.
  9. seky
    Nov 30, 2022
    9
    Very good in many points. We've got a real challenge to win on 1st, cops balanced and acting like "real world", upgrades necessary to keep playing, too many customizations, a good story and nice game modes. It's worth to buy, test by yourself and believe in NFS franchise again.

    Negative is they promised possibility to deactivate some animations like smoke on drifts or wings on jumps,    Very good in many points. We've got a real challenge to win on 1st, cops balanced and acting like "real world", upgrades necessary to keep playing, too many customizations, a good story and nice game modes. It's worth to buy, test by yourself and believe in NFS franchise again.

    Negative is they promised possibility to deactivate some animations like smoke on drifts or wings on jumps, and isn't possible... That's a pain for players looking for nostalgic. Personally, I like these effects and I recommend to give a chance to use them and you'll like it. Besides these animations, graphics are awesome for next gen.    … Expand
  10. FatBoy41
    Nov 30, 2022
    9
    I was fully expecting a copy of heat with a map just as bad as heats was but instead we got something way better than heat. Yeah you can say it’s just a heat 2.0 but the map is 100% better the car customization is way better and the story is so much better
  11. xafas3000
    Dec 5, 2022
    10
    EA решил по эксперементировать насчёт стилистикти и она не всем понравилась. В остальном мне игра понравилась.
  12. saewr323
    Nov 30, 2022
    10
    cool game finally a worthy nfs after a while. personally did not enjoy heat but this one is fun
  13. TalkingFish
    Nov 30, 2022
    9
    Need for Speed Unbound is one of the most enjoyable games I have played, despite the how long it takes to earn cash and unlock cars or parts, the story, environment, and the characters keep one entertained throughout. Despite what people say, about the effects, they look great, yet, aren't too distracting, which I feel like those who dislike them greatly should know.

    I cannot recommend    Need for Speed Unbound is one of the most enjoyable games I have played, despite the how long it takes to earn cash and unlock cars or parts, the story, environment, and the characters keep one entertained throughout. Despite what people say, about the effects, they look great, yet, aren't too distracting, which I feel like those who dislike them greatly should know.

    I cannot recommend this game enough, one of the best Need for Speed games in a while, and it will definitely become one of my favorite games I've ever played.    … Expand
  14. Bigman220
    Nov 30, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A must have, so fun, graphically impressive, insane customization, awesome dialogue with lots of humor, lots of events to chose from, character customization, awesome car sounds, huge map, lots of updates on the way/post launch support. Need I go on? I can go on alot… Expand
  15. Jokermank
    Nov 30, 2022
    10
    Best
    NEED FOR SPEED for 10 years ago. very beautiful game.
    The best graphics
  16. AlternateCrabby
    Dec 2, 2022
    10
    Based On- Story Mode Only

    Game is giving me those good old NFS vibes of thrill and style we loved. It feels so much better than NFS heat in all sense be it city life,driving,graphics, or even story i guess. And yeah cops....they are gooood. I LOVE IT Why a 9? - Some graphical bugs like road reflection being all weird, grainy feel, some hiccups Should you buy? DEFINITELY!! I    Based On- Story Mode Only

    Game is giving me those good old NFS vibes of thrill and style we loved. It feels so much better than NFS heat in all sense be it city life,driving,graphics, or even story i guess. And yeah cops....they are gooood. I LOVE IT

    Why a 9? - Some graphical bugs like road reflection being all weird, grainy feel, some hiccups

    Should you buy?
    DEFINITELY!!
    I think after nfs heat's success...unbound is a step in the right direction where we fans have always wanted NFS to go. This game feels like a successor to underground,most wanted,heat,carbon.
    Also this art style of characters is so unique and i kinda like it.
    Plus there are no racing games to out right now besides forza to play. Forza is all about festival and races. If you want that driving thrill,NOS and undefeated customization...Unbound is the way to go!!

    If I were to compare this to Forza Horizon 5 which i would rate 7/10 because of all the issues i had with that game at launch,unbound crushes it and probably for the first time in many years,NFS is back on top of the game!!    … Expand
  17. LEatHeRSNAKE
    Nov 30, 2022
    8
    The game is simply fantastic lots of fun with the story and the writing may be a little cringey but that’s what most nfs stories are the handling has improved and grip is as viable as drifting or b2d though I would have rated it higher if some of the multiplayer content wasn’t cut and if they added more customization options for older cars like the Honda Civic or more rims other then thatThe game is simply fantastic lots of fun with the story and the writing may be a little cringey but that’s what most nfs stories are the handling has improved and grip is as viable as drifting or b2d though I would have rated it higher if some of the multiplayer content wasn’t cut and if they added more customization options for older cars like the Honda Civic or more rims other then that this is a really good game and you should get it when it launches or on sale… Expand
  18. JakeAlm
    Nov 30, 2022
    9
    NFS Unbound is one of the most fun and enjoyable racing games I’ve played in years, and the fact that most of the dialogue isn’t cringy is fantastic for todays standards.
  19. BFTPGaming
    Dec 4, 2022
    9
    NFS Unbound is 100% a step in the right direction for this franchise. The story could use a little more work but for the most part we are all here for the cars and racing. NFS nailed it with updated handling for this arcade racer. The car list is great, and I am sure they will add more over the next few months. Customization and style are a huge part of this game, both are great as well.NFS Unbound is 100% a step in the right direction for this franchise. The story could use a little more work but for the most part we are all here for the cars and racing. NFS nailed it with updated handling for this arcade racer. The car list is great, and I am sure they will add more over the next few months. Customization and style are a huge part of this game, both are great as well. Online play is a lot of fun and so far, I haven't encountered any lag issues with other player. If you are a Need For Speed fan i highly recommend giving this game a try before casting judgment on it.… Expand
  20. GlitchBoi3000
    Nov 30, 2022
    8
    Pretty fun, my only negative comment about is that the cops feel to easy. But nonetheless good and decent game. The graphics imo is 10x better than heat.
  21. Em3ds
    Nov 30, 2022
    8
    Okay, so this is what we needed.
    Finally Need For Speed has gone with something different, and i like it.
    I was one of the few people who were sceptical about the anime style effects, but after playing with them on, i just don't see how could someone possibly want to remove them. They are awesome, and add to the whole experience. Criterion, EA and others who are reading this from the team,    Okay, so this is what we needed.
    Finally Need For Speed has gone with something different, and i like it.
    I was one of the few people who were sceptical about the anime style effects, but after playing with them on, i just don't see how could someone possibly want to remove them. They are awesome, and add to the whole experience.
    Criterion, EA and others who are reading this from the team, well done. We are heading into the right direction!     … Expand
  22. A_Scorpion
    Nov 30, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Its a great game overall, its like a NFS Heat 2.0 but in a positive way the customisation, handling, car selection and story everything is great.… Expand
  23. SpoiledPiglet
    Nov 30, 2022
    10
    One of the best NFS, hands down. Recommend! People who say there’s not sense of speed.. are totally wrong. Sometimes I wish it would slow down because it’s so fast! But that’s a good thing! Also the track is good. I never liked heat, this is so much better.
  24. Neyro
    Nov 30, 2022
    10
    Great!!! Easy and fun, like Underground plus Most Wanted 2005, nice music, good 3d sound on ps5, crazy animation! Wow!!! Now we have a simple story, just drive and earn money, buy a car, improve the car, I'm very happy
  25. LB-
    Dec 1, 2022
    9
    Likely my favourite game in the series.
    The story follows a classic NFS formula, the characters have some interesting background to them, it can provide a good challenge, both grip and drift handling seem to be well balanced, and of course the visual effects, love them or hate them, they sure give the game character.
    Not all of it is perfect of course, however I struggle to find much to    Likely my favourite game in the series.
    The story follows a classic NFS formula, the characters have some interesting background to them, it can provide a good challenge, both grip and drift handling seem to be well balanced, and of course the visual effects, love them or hate them, they sure give the game character.
    Not all of it is perfect of course, however I struggle to find much to complain. Physics can go a bit silly sometimes, voice lines over the races can get pretty repetitive rather quick. I was also hoping A$AP Rocky would be a bit more included with the story, maybe another cut-scene once you race him or so wouldn't hurt.
    As for online, hard to say much on these early days. The separate progression system is a nice addition however time and involvement from players will tell if that was a good call. With player count per server only being 16, it can be difficult to fill up a lobby of people willing to play through a playlist. Here's hope for good post launch support because there is definitely more potential left in it.    … Expand
  26. Divisionbell
    Dec 6, 2022
    8
    Ignore the 0 score reviews that are obviously design to just drag the score down. This is easily the best NFS in years. Even if the design isn’t totally your thing, calling it the “worst NFS ever created” is just hilarious trolling.
  27. MinePlay512
    Dec 16, 2022
    9
    It should be clear that Need for Speed Unbound is a strong rebound for the Need for Speed series. Hopefully the series will build on Unbound.
  28. NikoDukeNasar
    Dec 5, 2022
    10
    This is the best arcade racing game since Midnight club LA. Physics are amazing its perfect mixture of MCLA and Burnout Paradise and a tiny bit of hot pursuit remastrer. Visuals look great even cartoon stuff looks good. It's a the best nfs since idk even know probably hot pursuite.
    btw I'm OG gamer and i played every single nfs game.
  29. KabarXD
    Nov 30, 2022
    10
    I got into this series with Need for Speed Carbon on the Wii. I took a break from the franchise until Most Wanted 2012 came out and, despite it's unfitting name, was the most racing game I had ever played, sinking nearly 200 hours into the multiplayer alone. And now, after 10 long years, Need for Speed Unbound has managed to capture that charm and fun factor that MW2012 brought to theI got into this series with Need for Speed Carbon on the Wii. I took a break from the franchise until Most Wanted 2012 came out and, despite it's unfitting name, was the most racing game I had ever played, sinking nearly 200 hours into the multiplayer alone. And now, after 10 long years, Need for Speed Unbound has managed to capture that charm and fun factor that MW2012 brought to the series, and vastly improves upon it in almost every aspect.

    The gameplay loop is incredibly unique and pretty challenging at times. Cops are WAY more fair than they were in NFS Heat, although it is fairly easy to outrun them in lower heat levels. Vehicle damage has been completely overhauled allowing for more crashes before critical damage, and the limited gas station repairs from Heat are gone, making cop chases actually fun and worthwhile since they earn you money depending on your heat level when you escape.

    The game world feels like a mix between MW2012, NFS 2015, and Heat. The cel-shaded, graffiti riddled artstyle screams creativity and you can tell the art team put a lot of care into making each element fit perfectly with the rest of the game. My favorite aspect of the game, however, has to be the sound design.

    The sound design in this game can be described as beautifully chaotic. Each time you activate a fully charged burst nitrous, you're rewarded with a cacophony of sounds ranging from deep bass hums to high pitched whirs and whistles, all layered over the classic Need for Speed nitrous sound that perfectly compliment the fast paced and chaotic nature of Unbound. What's more is that there's 9 different sound palettes to choose from that have their own distinct sound profiles.

    The handling model is vastly improved over Heat. Cars now have proper weight to them that affects handling and other aspects of the driving experience. Granted, it's still super arcadey, but the added vehicle weight paired with the updated handling makes driving that much more fun and actually makes you think about how to enter a corner.

    Overall, while not perfect, Need for Speed Unbound is easily the strongest entry to the series in over a decade and is a true love letter to not only fans of the series, but to street racing as a whole.    … Expand
  30. HumanRacer
    Nov 30, 2022
    9
    As a Racing game fan, NFS Unbound is a pretty solid Racing game with a variety of Customization options with a distinct art style which is growing on me the more I play Handling feels solid with a good grip handling than previous NFS Games, the campaign is decent though characters are a bit cheesy but that's something that u should aspect from a NFS Games , The things i want improvementAs a Racing game fan, NFS Unbound is a pretty solid Racing game with a variety of Customization options with a distinct art style which is growing on me the more I play Handling feels solid with a good grip handling than previous NFS Games, the campaign is decent though characters are a bit cheesy but that's something that u should aspect from a NFS Games , The things i want improvement on is photo mode which lacks features from previous NFS Games and Multiplayer needs some more love also the wheel support is absolutely horrible at Launch more variety on event types like Drag and eliminations would be nice in short NFS Unbound is a pretty good NFS game but needs the above mention features to be the perfect NFS Game. This is criterions First NFS Games in years and it's a very good start from the studio.… Expand
prev
Page:

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.
    Read full review
  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
See all critic reviews »