Need for Speed Unbound

 Xbox Series X
Need for Speed Unbound Image
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
5.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 153 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: 17 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. Gaming Age
    Jan 3, 2023
    91
    It is very hard to stand out in this much crowded racing genre, but Need For Speed Unbound pulls it off. The title is easily the best entry in years and sets a foundation that can easily be built upon. After many years of having an identity crisis, I can see the game evolving from here. With a consistent 4K resolution and 60fps framerate NFS Unbound showcases what could be the future of the series.
  2. LevelUp
    Dec 12, 2022
    85
    Need for Speed ​​Unbound is perhaps one of the franchise's last efforts to stay alive at a time when its glory years are behind it. In the end, it brings together various elements that the fans requested to combine and execute them in a good way, resulting in a fun experience that keeps calling you back.
  3. XboxEra
    Jan 23, 2023
    84
    Need For Speed Unbound, even at its launch, is certainly rather packed with content. The story sees the player throughout 4 weeks of days and nights throughout many events, some mandatory and most optional, with players always being able to decide how many seen-before events they wanna rush through again for some extra cash. With tons of unlockable and upgradable cars, a robust if uninspired multiplayer and an open world with plenty of things to do, Unbound’s unlikely to last you less than a couple dozen hours, unless you get bored before the end credits of course. But boredom isn’t what I’d associate with the latest installment in this everlasting franchise: Need For Speed has found its identity, and while a few concepts require some finetuning, it’s the best episode in a long while and one of the most stylish and generally finest racers of the generation thus far.
  4. SomosXbox
    Dec 7, 2022
    78
    Needs improvement. That is the conclusion I ended up reaching after playing approximately a little over 13 hours of the game, passing the story mode and playing races in the online mode. Need for Speed Unbound feels like a Need for Speed from the Black Box stage but at the same time it gives me the feeling that all they have done has been to improve what was already present in Need for Speed Heat.
  5. SpazioGames
    Dec 7, 2022
    75
    Need for Speed Unbound is a good mix of cartoon characters, graffiti and frantic racing, but nothing more.
  6. GameSkinny
    Dec 20, 2022
    70
    When Unbound works, it’s like driving a gorgeous, humming sports car. When it doesn’t, it’s like driving a rental with a rough-running engine. That doesn’t mean it isn’t worth the ride, but it does mean a few spots could use a tune up to make this road trip smoother.
  7. Game Rant
    Dec 5, 2022
    50
    Need for Speed Unbound feels like it comes to a stop before it ever gets going. The polish in the moment-to-moment gameplay cannot be ignored, but as a whole, Need for Speed Unbound is just another forgettable entry in the long-running franchise.

See all 26 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 85
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 85
  3. Negative: 41 out of 85
  1. Max_Lazy_10
    Dec 3, 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 theirWhile 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.… Expand
  2. Vic00q
    Dec 4, 2022
    10
    Grear game, the physics are actually good this time, customization is great, cops and races are very fun
  4. YeahNah
    Dec 14, 2022
    9
    The risk/reward loop and actually satisfying arcade physics is addictive. The difficulty where restarts are limited and you have to stay aliveThe risk/reward loop and actually satisfying arcade physics is addictive. The difficulty where restarts are limited and you have to stay alive from the cops to bank your cash makes events interesting where you don't win everytime. It's also one of a few racers that have a decent sense of progression.… Expand
  5. Officialalexj7
    Dec 20, 2022
    5
    Worst written game I've ever seen in my life. It must have been made for children and women. Graphics are amazing and I enjoy the gameplay butWorst written game I've ever seen in my life. It must have been made for children and women. Graphics are amazing and I enjoy the gameplay but the story is so cringe.… Expand
  6. CC_Andyman
    Jul 3, 2023
    3
    No... no. Just... NO. WTF is this? Need for Speed: Into the Speediverse? The obnoxious animated overlays are just beyond distracting. StopNo... no. Just... NO. WTF is this? Need for Speed: Into the Speediverse? The obnoxious animated overlays are just beyond distracting. Stop trying to be "hip" and make a racing game that's actually fun to play, y'know? And don't even get me started on the hard-coded controller mappings. Many of us don't want to be forced to use the triggers, OK? It's 2023 - give us OPTIONS. So glad I didn't buy this. Uninstalled.… Expand
  7. ONEEX
    Mar 17, 2023
    1
    Возмущает бездумное следование трендам и глухота к аудитории. Ещё сильнее портит серию жажда наживы взамен качеству и проработки.
    Последнее    Возмущает бездумное следование трендам и глухота к аудитории. Ещё сильнее портит серию жажда наживы взамен качеству и проработки.
    Последнее Дополнение лишний раз доказывает, что игру делал без энтузиазма и желания выпустить качественный продукт!    … Expand
  8. Lewiw99039
    Jan 20, 2023
    0
    No. Just, no. Spend your money on some other games. Dont listen to those "critic reviews". This game is not worth it.

See all 85 User Reviews

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Awards & Rankings

55
#55 Best Xbox Series X Game of 2022
15
#15 Most Discussed Xbox Series X Game of 2022

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