NFS Unbound Is A Fresh-Looking Racing Game That Puts Your Driving Skills To The Test

It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve seen the launch of a new Need For Speed game. The last game in the franchise was 2019¡¯s NFS Heat and while the game had its flaws, it was a fine game that allowed racing-game fans an action-packed racing experience with a tough set of cops.

And after years of waiting, EA has released Need For Speed Unbound, developed by Criterion, the devs that brought us the Burnout franchise.

From its trailers and gameplay videos, the game did have a unique aesthetic feel to it -- never seen in the franchise or in any racing game in the past -- but is it all show and no substance? Let¡¯s find out.

Crazy cool art style

NFS Unbound has fused two art styles to create something that we haven¡¯t really seen in any racing game in the past. While the car and the world geometry is somewhat similar to what we¡¯ve seen in NFS Heat and previous games, the game also uses 2D-animated effects to intensify any action in the game -- whether it¡¯s flying in the air, drifting or burning out.

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The 2D animation is also seen in the way the characters look, where they look like something straight out of an NFS-themed cartoon show or anime, and while it might seem a little strange at first, both the art styles blend rather well and offer a gaming experience that is packed with a lot of active elements on the screen that are sure to grab the attention of the player.

Story feels reminiscent, yet fresh

Racing games aren¡¯t known to have the best stories -- most of them end up being corny and this one is somewhat in that direction. In fact, if you¡¯ve played NFS Most Wanted from 2005, the story might feel like a deja vu.

I am not going to spoil the fun for you as just like the game¡¯s maps, it has its twists and turns, but it has its own unique elements that are sure to keep you enticed and entertained.

Some characters can get annoying, especially if you¡¯re someone who isn¡¯t someone who is obsessed with social media and who isn¡¯t born in the 2000s, but you get used to them, eventually.

Grinding gameplay that forces you to take risks

From the first race that I¡¯ve played in Unbound, this game doesn't like to see you win, and it does all in its power to push you down completely and break whatever confidence you have left in you.

This difficulty isn¡¯t because the game¡¯s handling is challenging or if the cars don¡¯t offer good enough feedback -- the driving experience in classic NFS style is as fun and arcadey as you want it to be. However, the game has been designed to force you to keep winning, upgrading your ride, bringing it to a certain rank and then being truly worthy of winning races.

EA

In fact, I didn¡¯t win even a single race at the first position until after I played around 20-odd races and constantly won around 4 to 6 positions -- and this was on the lowest difficulty. Now, this doesn¡¯t mean the game is impossible to win, but it definitely pushes you to be more aggressive, and more attentive and eventually, it makes those victories that much more meaningful.

In fact, playing this game made me feel the same passion, exhilaration and intensity as I felt while playing Need for Speed Most Wanted when it was first released -- the journey towards defeating each blacklist race and the whole cop-pursuit aspect.

EA

The gameplay also has a fresh take -- you get a weekly calendar with the main event at the end of the week and the player needs to earn money each day and night -- both timelines have different events with the night ones getting more aggressive coops. The day in the week cannot be repeated and each race comes with a set of retries.

Basically, you need to make sure you get good enough rewards each day to either upgrade or save for the qualifier, or else you won¡¯t be eligible for the final weekend event, forcing you to repeat Friday.

EA

Cops are still an integral part of the gameplay and participating in races adds a certain heat level to it. This heat stays on you till the end of the day. The cash you earn during the day flows to the night, if not spent when in the garage.

Quitting the day with just a race or two or getting busted with your at-risk cash can kill the potential that day could hold for you.

While this gameplay element is unique and exciting, I loved the flexibility previous games offered where I could simply call it a day and not worry about earning enough money like someone on a sales job trying to meet weekly targets.

Impressive car collection and customisation options

Need For Speed games have always had a pretty good car collection, and Unbound is no exception. While its library isn¡¯t as wide as Forza Horizon 5 or Gran Turismo 7, it¡¯s got cars from different make and categories that are fancied by car enthusiasts.

From classic Japanese tuners like Nissan Skyline GTR to Mitsubishi Eclipse, to Italian exotics like Ferrari 488 Pista and Lamborghini Huracan, the game has got it all. It even has some American classics including some old Plymouths, Dodge Charger and Ford Mustangs to name a few.

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Even in terms of customisations, you¡¯ve got access to body kits from renowned aftermarket brands such as Mansory, and Rocket Bunny as well as factory kits from certain car brands.

Overall, if you¡¯re someone who loves to customise your ride with the coolest bells and whistles, NFS Unbound has got you covered.

Should you buy NFS Unbound?

NFS Unbound offers an intense racing experience clubbed with corny NPC jibber-jabber, peppy tracks from around the world and an open world that¡¯s pretty fun to explore.

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It¡¯s a true treat for the eyes and a breath of fresh air for all racing game fans while keeping the gameplay secret-sauce true to its original recipe. For any NFS fan who wasn¡¯t happy with the franchise¡¯s recent releases, this one is surely going to impress you and make you fall in love with the series once again.

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