Need for Speed Unbound Image
Metascore
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Mixed or average reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
5.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 216 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.
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Need for Speed Unbound - Risk & Reward Gameplay Trailer
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 21
  2. Negative: 1 out of 21
  1. Dec 8, 2022
    83
    NFS Unbound is another step in the right direction for the veteran racing franchise. Always challenging, always intense and always fun, Unbound is a big return to form.
  2. Need for Speed Unbound handily straddles the line between realism and fun, making it one of the best racing experiences of the year.
  3. Jan 3, 2023
    80
    Need for Speed Unbound is a solid comeback for the series, provided you can deal with some potential annoyances. The risk/reward system functions well in creating tension during all parts of a race, but the grind is an annoyance until you get better cars or parts for your initial ride. The presence of elements borrowed from other racing titles is done well enough, but the story can be a chore to sit through if you aren't already using this slang every day. Overall, Unbound is a solid racing title that should hopefully start bringing the series back to prominence.
  4. Dec 11, 2022
    75
    Unbound succeeds where NFS Heat had failed, namely to give a little life and flavor to the discovery of the open world called Lakeshore City.
  5. Edge Magazine
    Dec 29, 2022
    70
    Unbound is ultimately and encouraging statement of intent, demonstrating that Criterion is not afraid to tinker with established formula. [Issue#380, p.114]
  6. Dec 13, 2022
    70
    Despite its flaws, I found myself always craving one more race; I could drive faster, customize my car better, and drift in even cooler ways than before. While not perfect, Need for Speed Unbound is the best the franchise has been and years — and hopefully a sign of even better things to come.
  7. Dec 12, 2022
    45
    Need for Speed Unbound is an arduous experience, and not one I’d recommend if you’re looking for an arcade racer. The only good aspects are the refined handling system and the aesthetic customization of your cars, which is really brought to light via community creations. However, this experience is quickly overshadowed by the boring open-world, a meaningless collect-a-thon, unbalanced AI, and some of the cringiest story and dialogue I’ve experienced. It’s The Room of racing games.

See all 21 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 45 out of 119
  2. Negative: 65 out of 119
  1. Dec 4, 2022
    10
    Gooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
  2. Dec 6, 2022
    10
    Weeb car vrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
  3. Dec 6, 2022
    9
    9/10 clumsy character drawing, otherwise this is clearly the best part in the last 10 years
  4. Dec 8, 2022
    3
    the story was much better heat I didn't like the effects, they were better heat
  5. Dec 20, 2022
    1
    Better than heat but that doesn't say much, the graphics are OK, the visual style is different but gets old in 3 minutes, the music isBetter than heat but that doesn't say much, the graphics are OK, the visual style is different but gets old in 3 minutes, the music is horrible most of the time with a few nice tunes too far apart. Character creation is a joke just giving us a clown and no options would have been better. Controls are fine mostly, but I unfortunately started and got stuck with Civic for so long it was awful. Expand
  6. Jan 23, 2023
    0
    After playing unbound, safe to say that my gaming experience is better with heat. I feel like unbound is a cheap copy of heat.
  7. Dec 6, 2022
    0
    Definitely not worth it especially at that high price, its a heat copy with a few minimalistic changes, cops are meh, pursuits not enganging,Definitely not worth it especially at that high price, its a heat copy with a few minimalistic changes, cops are meh, pursuits not enganging, best was MW 05, Rivals and Hot pursuit. Customization is wacky goofy and cringe story and dialogue with political direction IN A RACING GAME Expand

See all 119 User Reviews