Need for Speed Unbound Review: A High-Octane Ride With a Side of Street Art
Need for Speed Unbound, the latest entry in the long-running arcade racing franchise, takes a bold step into a vibrant, street art-inspired world while retaining the adrenaline-pumping action that fans have come to expect. With its immersive story, high-stakes races, and unique visual style, Unbound delivers an exhilarating experience that distinguishes it from other racing titles. However, its lackluster multiplayer and a few technical hiccups prevent it from reaching its full potential.
NFS Unbound Review: Gameplay
Unbound throws out the racing norm of taking the perfect line. Instead, it rewards players for taking corners in the most daring and visually stunning way possible. Drifts, near-misses, drafting, and high jumps all contribute to filling your two nitrous meters: one for prolonged bursts and the other for quick jolts of speed. Even at the starting line, a perfectly timed acceleration can give you an instant boost. However, make a slight misstep, and you’ll find yourself stalled, leaving your rivals to zoom ahead. This high-risk, high-reward gameplay keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the races.
While mastering the arcade-style handling is relatively easy, true proficiency requires time and practice (and a lot of crashes, let’s be honest). Unbound can be unforgiving in this regard, lacking the rewind feature that’s become a standard in modern racing games. You get a limited number of retries in the Story Mode, but there’s no getting around the fact that mistakes can be costly. Fortunately, cars quickly reset after a crash, minimizing downtime.
The Unbound racing AI adds to the challenge, with other racers fighting for every inch of track and creating frustrating collisions. On the flip side, it’s equally satisfying to witness their cars crashing into oncoming traffic due to their own mistakes or when you successfully outmaneuver them. Police cars also contribute to the tension, interrupting races and continuing the chase even after you’ve crossed the finish line. This adds an extra layer of unpredictability and urgency to the game.
NFS Unbound Review: Story and Multiplayer
Need for Speed Unbound features a single-player campaign that surprisingly avoids falling into cheesy clichés despite relying on familiar action movie tropes, such as betrayal, rivalries, and dirty cops. What truly elevates the underdog story is the authenticity of the characters. Their genuine banter gives the narrative depth and helps establish the world of Lakeshore.
The main plot centers around your protagonist’s goal to qualify for The Grand, Lakeshore’s ultimate street race, within four weeks. Every week, you hit the streets day and night to win races and earn enough money to compete in the weekend qualifier. Races are categorized by vehicle tiers, forcing players to make strategic decisions about upgrading their cars. You can’t just slap top-tier performance parts on every car and expect them to reach the highest “S+” rank. This subtle change adds surprising depth, requiring you to carefully consider which cars to upgrade and which to keep as the best-in-class models.
The police presence increases with your "heat" level, which is earned by winning races. To avoid attracting the cops while still earning cash, you can participate in challenges like Speed Trap and Drift Zones. However, getting caught by the police means losing all the money you earned in that session, adding a significant level of risk given the large sums needed to enter the main races. The only way to reset your heat is to get caught or return to your garage without getting busted.
While the single-player Story Mode shines, the multiplayer experience falls flat, lacking the excitement and tension found in the single-player campaign. There are no police chases or the risk of losing cash, making the online play feel significantly less engaging. The absence of live events, head-to-head races, and other interactive elements leaves the city feeling like a glorified hub. This is a major let down, especially considering the lackluster track record of NFS titles in terms of post-launch content.
Need for Speed Unbound Review: Music and Graphics
The graffiti-inspired theme and artistic flair enhance the game’s visually stunning world and realistically designed vehicles. Even the character models have a cartoony look, which blends seamlessly with the overall aesthetic. On PC, the graphics run smoothly, without encountering any major crashes. My AMD Radeon RX 570 8GB was able to achieve a smooth 55–60fps on a mix of "Medium" and "High" settings. However, frequent visual glitches can be annoying and detract from the overall experience.
Music has always been a key part of NFS games, and Unbound is no exception. The game boasts a diverse soundtrack that perfectly complements the high-speed racing. Unfortunately, the music only kicks in during races, which is a perplexing choice. Why can’t you enjoy the tunes while cruising around? There are no radio stations, and you can’t skip tracks. This means being stuck with tracks you may not like during intense races, which can quickly become frustrating.
NFS Unbound Review: Verdict
Overall, Need for Speed Unbound offers a thrilling experience with its arcade-style handling, unique visual style, and addictive gameplay. The vehicle customization options are significantly more expansive than titles like Forza Horizon 5, giving you ample opportunities to personalize your rides. The single-player campaign is engaging thanks to its likeable characters and an uncomplicated premise.
However, Unbound is ultimately held back by its lackluster multiplayer experience, frequent visual glitches, and frustrating music system. The absence of police cars and the risk of losing money in online play significantly diminishes the excitement factor. The limited music options and inability to skip tracks are also major drawbacks.
If you’re a PC player, it’s worth considering subscribing to EA Play Pro to complete the Story mode and skip the multiplayer altogether. While Unbound is a solid entry in the NFS franchise, its weaknesses prevent it from reaching its full potential.
Pros:
- Unique visual style
- Exciting police chases
- Rewarding high-risk driving
- Likeable underdog story
- Vehicle variety and customization
Cons:
- Frequent visual glitches
- Bland multiplayer experience
- No music radio stations
- No police vehicles in online races
Rating (out of 10): 7
This review was based on playing Need for Speed Unbound on a PC with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X CPU, AMD Radeon RX570 GPU, and 16GB of RAM. Need for Speed Unbound released on December 2 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X. It is priced at Rs. 3,499 on PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and EA Store; and Rs. 4,499 on Xbox Store and PlayStation Store. Need for Speed Unbound is also included in the EA Play Pro subscription, priced at Rs. 999 per month. The standard EA Play membership at Rs. 315 per month provides players with a 10-hour trial of the game across all platforms.
