Need for Speed Unbound Review - The Final Verdict

Need for Speed Unbound is a curious game. After several years of bland, often bad games, Need for Speed Unbound feels like a breath of fresh air. While it’s far from the most perfect racing game out there, it’s definitely filling an important niche, and it’s doing so with a hefty amount of style.
Need for Speed Unbound looks great, is a lot of fun to play, and most importantly, leaves me feeling quite good about the future of the Need for Speed franchise as a whole.

[@TheBlademan-]

this game is getting like no press and it’s one of the most fun games of the year. hidden gem for sure

[@blahblah3695]

literally bro

[@TB4L505]

I didn't even know it came out. Hadn't heard anything about it once until someone said something about it on another yt channel. Really weird how it's not getting covered anywhere

[@Razorstolemycar]

I literally didn't know it just dropped until my favorite NFS KZbinr Blackpanthaa made a vid about it. They seriously need to market this game better it looks like so much fun and people are missing out on it!

[@Jomael954]

Fr, I heard about it like 2 months before release. After playing it, I’m surprised at how good it is lol. Definitely love the aesthetics of this game… but I don’t like how they play one beat during free roam and then music just cuts off…

[@XVNRX]

Because EA loves to release games along with string competition It’s goofy

[@JonDGAF]

I'm having a blast playing this game and to me that's what matters the most. The game is fun.

[@tMarkk]

it really is, i kinda like the added effects too. good game for sure.

[@michaelpoger6662]

It’s a great time to be a gamer. Graphics cards are in stock, ps5 is no longer a myth, most importantly good games are dropping!

[@shortshins]

Amen brother .

[@navj9850]

🤣

[@ValorantFTW_]

ps5 is no longer a myth 🤣🤣🤣i loled

[@awsomestleaperd78]

*cough* the callisto protocol

[@Swjj22]

Especially No more spending crazy money on a gaming pc rig when u can minimize to these gaming pocket pc’s like steam deck and AYA Neo coupled with a egpu if your system supports it. Everything is now minimized compared to being bulky. Great time to be alive.

[@apictureoffunction]

This is definitely the most fun I've had with a NFS game since the Underground days, I love the car customization and the risk vs reward heat system, it adds a layer of strategy when choosing which races to complete and what order to tackle them in.

[@Abel_GTx]

I definitely agree. Its underrated how much strategy some of Unbound's systems allow in every decision you make. I want to see something similar with Online "Raid Races", SO MANY IDEAS!

[@SecretLevel]

I seen so much hate for the game. Days and heat is confusing at start, but when you get it, it's best race game I play in long time.

[@up8760]

I don’t understand why racing games can’t have good narratives or decent voice-acting anymore

[@TubiTuesdays]

Forgive my ignorance but when did they?

[@wiseguy240Winston]

Anymore? Buddy I don't think u know what you're talking about.

[@navj9850]

BUDGET issues

[@connorkenway09]

@@navj9850 exactly, the animated charactet aren't even stylistic choice, it's to save money.

[@torturedkfpemployee883]

They were better anyway when the main character was mute...

[@alejandrovallencci]

This has been the most fun I’ve had with a Need for Speed since 2012’s Most Wanted. It’s such a blast to race and customise cars with the graffiti-style effects. My only gripes with this game are the tier systems as they relate to races, and how tedious the police chases can be on higher heat levels. Other than that it’s perfect

[@subramanianannamalai8333]

Are there any desert sand & snow covered peaks sort of locations in game? Also the day and night cycles are just chosen as an option before loading or there will be a smooth transition during free roaming?

[@travisleonhart3371]

Yeah this is the most fun I’ve had since most wanted it’s a great game I haven’t bought need for speed at launch in years this one I heard so much great stuff I had to cave but they need to bring back drag races

[@jjsavior]

Um still absolutely shocked that out of gotham knights, evil west, callisto protocol;need for speed unbound, is the sure fire winner and best game out of the bunch.

[@BlackArroToons]

Thanks for the review. City looks good. Is this online only or does it offer offline mode hopefully too? I miss the Midnight Club 2 and 3 game series, and even Midnight Club LA.

[@alechuntsman9524]

it has separated offline and online modes, the online is kinda undercooked though

[@BlackArroToons]

@@alechuntsman9524 Cool, thanks Alec.

[@nghiatito]

me too man, i miss midnight club so much, it's arcade yet very fun to play, sadly R* is busy with many AAA titles

[@oftengone]

If you like arcade racing games, I highly recommend this. It's straight up a good game imo

[@birdcallprrr5837]

Having a blast, I dare to say it’s finally a great nfs game again and I’m also loving the fresh new aesthetics! I hope to see more games use cell shaded stuff!!! 😍

[@pimpstick9988]

This game is pretty 🔥 I enjoy it a lot feels like next gen for sure graphics are amazing gameplay is immersive and loads of fun! They should keep Crieteron as the main developer.

[@jjayala]

Loved need for speed and midnight club growing up. Still dab in need for speed but yea has stunk over the years. I'm having a blast with this game. That clunky weird no fun game is gone. I myself like the multi player. I'm recently into the cloud and have a shadow pc subscription so to be able to play multi player on my phone is beyond awesome. What a time to be alive.

[@gilot19]

Needed a solid review about this game. Thanks team

[@godsplannn]

While the game is fun, some things are missing such as the quick communication, parts beyond elite etc. What I’m hoping in a future update is definitely the quick talk like heat had so if I want to do some roll races to a random person, I could let them know. Another concern for me is that the cars doesn’t go as fast heat anymore because the highest part you can get is elite. Back in heat you’d do high heat races that’d actually get you a ‘super’ part, hence more upgrades and faster car. The fact that ‘elite’ is the highest parts you can get is kind of a bummer. Also more wheels would be nice, it’s just like they copied the nfs heat wheels and just pasted it on unbound. More brands of wheels would definitely bring more life to the cars.

[@arbabk]

Having a lot of fun playing this game! Been addicted for a few days now!

[@birdcallprrr5837]

Love the cell shaded aesthetics. We need more games with art like this.

[@axcn4733]

no, we don't

[@Hidden_lvl]

​@@axcn4733Yes we do. All the games going for realistic design, more cell shaded wouldn't hurt.

[@axcn4733]

@@Hidden_lvl nah, is okay more realistic.

[@Hidden_lvl]

@@axcn4733Good thing they didn't go for realism for the character models.

[@blakelip3]

I beg to differ looks like they borrowed the art style from jet set radio future

[@wiseguy240Winston]

Heat & Unbound are solid entries, looks like a new Renaissance age of the series is coming. Would like the next game to be a successor to HP2010 & Rivals or something akin to the older games before Underground with stages.

[@swaggadash9017]

Yeah, heat was actually pretty good.

[@mayankrathore8721]

Rivals map was one of the best I ever played.

[@blakelip3]

I’d love for the next/any nfs game to have elements of Driver,Watch Dogs, or a Gone in 60 Seconds theme all in one

[@marcusedub2145]

This is just my opinion…… every since I got the game I honestly didn’t like it at the beginning because I didn’t know how it was going to turn out, but after playing it I understand there is missing things in the game ( hopefully they update I’m future ) it’s very different and has grown on me. From the animations to how the game runs. Just my opinion, but good start💯💯

[@mikec9435]

How do you take effects off. Theres still smoke if you chose stealth option.

[@XVNRX]

can’t

[@TherealGM4NN]

Is it just like heat when it comes to engine swaps like you need it to get your car to perform better or is now optional

[@gamingeuphoria7928]

Well races are set so you have to build cars for each class.. so you need to have a b class car and a A class car for this event so you can use the same car for different classes therfore some cars will need engine swaps to reach a certain class but you cant just always engine swap certain engines in all the cars or else you will be too high of a class for your car to participate.. also engine swaps are unique to every car so not all of them will be able to compete max class but you cant even if you wanted to considering you need cars for all classes so chose wisely

[@jamesmiller6294]

I’m gonna play this but I will maintain my NEED FOR the midnight club series to come back even in a remake of one of the originals. I don’t think we’ll be getting anymore red dead games and if 5 showed us anything GTA6 will probably be the last in the series main games soooo what els does rockstar have? Bully 2, maybe, manhunt? Highly doubt they’d even be able to make another manhunt I think a return to midnight would be a great change of pace from what we’ve gotten over the past 15 years #bringbackthemidnightclub

[@MichaelGarcia-me3us]

Can’t wait to get my hands on this, but first a new console 😅

[@Gempyk]

I personally really like this game, way better than nfs heat. For someone who's been playing nfs for a really long time, I say this is the best one yet. Great vid by the way. One thing I really like is that they added more cars and more customizations options to them. Can't wait to see what they have in stock for the next nfs game!!!

[@YesNo-yl6ws]

best need for speed since Rivals

[@brettcoyle2399]

I’m more multiplayer is there a lot to do MP??

[@ryproar11]

I just miss the metal soundtrack the older games had. But at least it allows me to use my Spotify app. The only issue I have is the lack of cars. It seems that each game has less and less cars. Sad since my favorite cars are gone now.

[@SkipTheKip]

I think the problem lies in the fact that in the current car roster, a good portion of them are just reskins with minor changes like marginally more performance and less customization options. We have 5 Aventadors and 4 AMG GTs as of Unbound, and convertibles galore for padding out

[@latrellebrown4062]

Does anyone know if it controls Arcade or Sim style?

[@davidguzman176]

This is basically just nfs heat really sad with EA thinking gamers want gimmicky effects and cel shaded characters. Why can’t they create properties and chop shops and car meet ups and realistic interiors like forza. Developers have gone towards thinking only kids play and forgotten their roots and older fan base that loved the old school nfs hot pursuit 2 with unique soundtrack that made racing games so memorable.

[@ShadoWx25]

nfs unbound is way better the heat , I couldn’t get into heat at all. This new game is worth it . If you haven’t played give it a shot . There is a 10 hour free trial if you get the 5$ ea access .

[@superbadisfunmy]

Old person yelling

[@brandonreid6279]

Stop trying to hype up Forza like they didn't just reskin 5 with 4 y'all stay hyping up Forza. The last great Forza was the first one that had real progression

[@CTTechGaming]

The nitros dynamic is not new you had to fill it up in other NFS by near misses, drafting and other skills. So they have basically just brought back a feature

[@WaryTM]

There is another yellow bar that fills up with it though, it is different

[@gamingeuphoria7928]

Nahh it's different you have stages of boost which with good strategy and management you can outperform other drivers by just timing the boost etc... You'll never understand unless you play it for yourself

[@jysnax]

I’m having a blast playing this game. I love the online as well. I’m not into the super sim racers so this is the perfect balance for me of fun and serious

[@darthconquerus]

That nitrous thing and filling it with oncoming traffic etc is ripped from Burnout 3, even the 3 sections and being able to use one once you’ve filled a 3rd

[@angelwilliams8965]

Unbound is made by the same developer who made burnout 3

[@ibrahimsarpani8882]

Criterion and codemaster

[@gamingeuphoria7928]

Which was developed by the exact same devs lolol

[@c0ya1]

@@gamingeuphoria7928 Unbound got a Midnight club and Burnout 3 influence.. You can feel it.

[@helvegen2449]

well sorry but i dont think its a good review, i didnt learn how good are the tuning options for the cars, how many are of them and in wich style? how good or bad is the racing/cop ai? in my opinion, this is very important stuff wich i didnt heared in this video, sorry

[@TB4L505]

When is midnight club going to make a new game? midnight club dub edition use to be one of my fav games

[@chriscangelosi9438]

In my opinion the art work makes the photo realistic graphics pop even more, I love the artistic approach to this one, its a refreshing take on the unground race culture.

[@horizon92lee]

Imagine this level of driving detail, in a well made cyberpunk rpg

[@DunceCapSyndrome]

Mods

[@majk2006]

Now it's both polished and Polish.

[@icession4872]

Honestly ngl the effects just looks like straight out from the comic book that if you tell me that the spider verse has this sub plot of racing then maybe I would've been convince. But in all seriousness tho from the looks of it it's kinda too expensive but who knows maybe when it's at the right pricing.

[@banshotenin1178]

I love how when Heat came out in 2019 evryone praised it as a return to form and the best NFS in over a decade. And now that Unbound is out and does many of the same things Heat did, no one gives Heat credit anymore and pretend like it was just another forgettable NFS game. When the nxt NFS comes out, it'll likely get the same treatment if not worse. People really are fickle af.

[@xristaka8199]

That's because the nfs community is one of the most toxic in gaming.

[@ViralDrive]

I actually see the opposite. This game retains some things heat had and did better in and the community says that heat did better…

[@brettcoyle2399]

Do people still play multiplayer in heat??

[@banshotenin1178]

@@xristaka8199 True that. They give the Nba 2K community a run for their money.

[@banshotenin1178]

@@ViralDrive Ah fair enough. 90% of the comments I see are disregarding the fact that Heat put the NFS franchise back on track and was highly praised at the time of release and giving all credit to to Unbound as if Heat didn't exist. I must be seeing the other half of the internet😅

[@hustleman8797]

It feels alot more arcade like than heat

[@gamingeuphoria7928]

Funny considering the handling in unbound is leaps better then heat.. you actually have to counter steer and cars react to weight transfer which heat does not...

[@basedzoe]

Just got this game on GameFly can’t wait to play this 🔥

[@penado8443]

I wasn't going to buy it because of the effects and I turned them off as much as you could. After playing it for a few I found myself turning them on to match my under glow and I must say they are actually pretty cool. There is so much going on I at times don't notice them much, and with that being said I am really enjoying this game.

[@bengejuknowit3048]

I hope we get need for speed underground 3 released sometime in the future!

[@andikirnobi]

You can’t turn the cartoon effects off. The developers lied.

[@senshai1267]

finally , some hope !

[@siembuivan1388]

Felix looks so much happier than last few years

[@gripen777]

Released on the day of the official reveal of the B-21, interesting.

[@daquanmcdonald7104]

The the visuals on the screen give it a little bit more comic book style its kind of catchy

[@escapedcops08]

Who was the timmy no thumbs that did the gameplay? Dear god, did they ever pick up a controller before the recording?!

[@paulbowler5345]

Been having a great fun playing NFS Unbound, really enjoying it! 😉

[@moresoundd]

I played heat consistently for 2 years and i can already tell you that this game is better

[@412yinzr]

NFS Unbound art style and effects is refreshing over every other racing game that just goes for hyper realism. This art style will also hold up much better over time compared to “realistic” graphics. I hope they keep the art style and effects moving forward. Switch it up even further and add some car combat mechanics and weapons lol

[@SlothyVlogs]

Still waiting for a NFS Underground remaster

[@--Viking--]

Will be on sale soon, pick it up then.

[@timiracko6317]

The game is great and all but every review said it maintains 60 fps on the ps5. Then why do i get random stutters/lags during races (1-2 times in a race). Not that its game breaking or anything its just noticable or is it just me

[@coleloyer]

I want to play multiplayer but I don’t like having to have people join just so I can play the race

[@daleadams2407]

Need For Speed peaked with the 2005 Most Wanted...

[@wiseguy240Winston]

Why did I know I was gonna see one of these lol

[@Itspaperzz]

@@wiseguy240Winstonbecause most folks are stuck in the past 😂 the game is fun as shit, plus the online mode lobbies stay filled so it’s definitely appealing to a lot of folks but what do I know lmao

[@blakelip3]

@@Itspaperzzif we wanted lobbies we can just play Forza lol

[@Itspaperzz]

@@blakelip3 then play forza what is your point 😂? Cuz I can guarantee u would diss this game if it didn’t have online like be fr bruh

[@blakelip3]

@@Itspaperzz I don’t play Forza at all but that’s my comparison nfs is straight heads up racing drag,drift,circuit etc….no need for lobbies

[@wizardlvl5124]

Only change is frame rate and anime touch but lately playing demo I haven’t been able to stop playing it’s very addictive. Was gonna wait for price drop but don’t think I can wait it’s so good and I’m done with horizon 5 already and GT7 so I need another car game that’s fresh. Tired of waiting for Forza 8. Time to buy game when demo time is up. I’m hooked.

[@nameinvalid69]

can't talk about NFS without talking customization. And.... how is the customization system? Is it comparable to the good ol Underground / Most Wanted era?

[@itz_x_salvation395]

Where the hell is the rock music at in these games now?

[@breakyoseofsucka]

He said a new feature but didn’t nfs hot pursuit have this where you earn boost by doing everything he said like drafting and near traffic misses?

[@stark2315]

This is not a must buy can't turn off stupid animated affect and why must it always rain.

[@woody_fromda6ix206]

when someone says their favorite part of a racing game is the ability to hit nitro's is a pretty good sign that maybe he's not the best guy for the job

[@DEVILTAZ35]

Why are you guys still the only main site that has reviewed this game?

[@coldfries8976]

Can't wait to pick this up on a discount!

[@soxpoole]

40% off on ps5 rn

[@JK7992]

Honestly this the most fun I’ve had with a NFS game since at least nfs rivals and maybe even … nfs most wanted (2005) . But most wanted remains the goat of nfs games from the campaign structure with the blacklist to the way police chases worked with the traps and bounty system On a side note I’d love if they added drag racing to unbound and have it work in a similar way that it did in nfs underground

[@aaronlebeauf423]

I miss the NFS underground days. After shift I haven't been interested in one NFS game. This one has me interested though.

[@keen7youtubeistoast796]

Enemy-style effects? Oh... ooooh... Good lord...

[@bcartrette1001]

It's a great game but it need some polising out. Like textures will take time to load and can be leggy sometimes.

[@captainchainsaw8856]

Can you turn those cheesy effects off?

[@rpgEmotion]

Yes you can turn it off.

[@svenkatpollachi]

one of best NFS after carbon.. More races , More cars and more fun to play...

[@Mike_jetski99]

Why do the cars seem so heavy and slow

[@ryanhamrick8426]

Story is to short, not enough different racers, to many repetitive missions, drifting needs major tweaking, Cop AI is some of the dumbest, Cops need to harass other players more often, there is no racers (cpus) free roaming in the city day or night (which is really strange), the Meet up spot should be seamless, seeing different kinds of rides to drive past with all the people interacting until you park into a parking space to do the race ( this would make it seem more alive and immersive). They can improve ALOT upon this foundation, good game but lacking content.

[@BranniganCarter]

If this is better than Heat I’m in

[@david4339]

Enfin quelqun qui pense comme moi . Le jeu es super Je l'adore. Je ne comprend pas pourquoi les gens s'attarde a du contenue comme nfs underground/most wanted et carbon... Nfs unbound es juste parfait Je met un pouce bleu et je subscribe ❤️🔥

[@blackestbill7454]

can we please just get a Midnight Club 3 Dub Edition remake

[@bentep0511]

Wow can't believe you guys had Ben Schwartz review a game for you.

[@blacksharkchery]

i have a lot of fun with this game

[@greglambert4424]

I just need a realistic game where I can customize my car like what is this

[@blakelip3]

NFS imo hasn’t been the same since The Run (2012) which was a great concept I didn’t even bother with the newer titles nfs, pro street, an all the way up to now. EA definitely does not CHALLENGE EVERYTHING in 2022😂😂

[@Silent_Summit]

7:00 good soundtrack

[@proj3ct_x_light_years]

Best NFS after Carbon.

[@johngrain1332]

I like this game

[@kylehunter2674]

Why are y’all still up? It’s 12:30 am in Los Angeles lmao

[@christophercoke3549]

3:47am In ontario

[@kylehunter2674]

@@christophercoke3549 Shout out to Canada! 🇨🇦

[@johngrain1332]

3:56am in miami

[@kylehunter2674]

@@johngrain1332 Ok! Let’s go 305! Lol

[@ProfessorChaos2050]

I'm enjoying it on my PS5

[@viiishaaaal]

Those characters reminds me about old GTA

[@chrisgonz19]

After playing for about a week now with the early release i gotta say, the art style isnt my vibe. But damn am i having fun

[@adamcopleypersonaltraining2505]

Is it worth 70 quid?

[@iansteelmatheson]

lol those effects look like EA execs saw Into the Spider-Verse and were like "DO THAT!" glad the game is good, though I thought Heat was quite soild as well. and EA hasn't been trying out different developer teams on NFS in quite a while - Ghost Games/EA Gothenburg made the last 4 mainline NFS games until this one

[@Enpatsu393]

The game isn't perfect of course. There's a lot of texture bugs and glitches.. but it's been the most fun need for speed I've played for a while.( story and online). But I hope they improve the online mechanics..sometimes you can't just find people accepting to race.. meaning you get no money. And jesus christ please move that race invite away from the right corner.. we can't see anything when upgrading our cars...

[@notesonwheels]

Dude, nitro filling up by driving into traffic and drifting has been around since Payback. It is not new.

[@MastaHuey]

They still need to bring back pursuit breakers still a major unfair advantage with out them

[@snx70]

The effects cant be turned off - do some research!

[@Aei934]

I wish this game had better steering wheel support. It's nearly unplayable with one.

[@grayza2988]

Please tel me you can take the animations off

[@Mattbrassfieldrally]

bro you did not just look DiRT into the arcade category 1:55

[@Venom_741]

Actually the affects can't be turned off

[@Gh0stGaminginc]

The cell shading and the ugly animations are extremely distracting

[@wiseguy240Winston]

Na u get use to them, they aren't so bad

[@BlaBlabla-fc4xx]

arcade racing : the crew 2 sim racing : asetto hybrid : Fh5

[@janekkople8173]

Is it just me then, who get's a bit put off by the new visual effects? I mean the "new generations" might prefer/need flashy effects to try and keep their attention on the game, not so much with older folk At least for me: the pop-up effects are distracting. If anything the sudden flashes of increased light are bad for playing in a low light environment, and dangerous for photosensitive people. Secondly, the colors of goal posts (or gates) and directional barriers are a bit too static, it always used to be and slightly dimmer color with see-through, so as to keep the color brightness in a certain range.