Need for Speed Unbound Reviews
Need for Speed Unbound ended up feeling like a step sidewards for the franchise instead of forward. It’s still trailing behind other arcade racers in the genre despite having a strong, stylish presentation.
While the latest entry in the Need for Speed franchise is capable of presenting some great arcade racing thrills, NFS Unbound is an uneven experience that can often leave players feeling disappointed. Some may be able to overlook its flaws and enjoy what the game does well, but it still lives in the shadows of the best entries in the series. This paints a worrying picture for a franchise that already has been struggling to reclaim its glory days for years now.
The game works nicely and gets a little better as you get further in. The only real issue is that I, like many other old-school NFS fans, had high expectations from it, but in the end, we got a mediocre Need for Speed game and hands-down what I feel is the worst racing game Criterion made so far.
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.
NFS Unbound feels fresh thanks to the urban hip-hop blend of graphical style and soundtrack. If you enjoy your driving games then it is one to pick up and have a play with. Customisation options are off the scale which gives you the ability to feel unique as you drive around
I really hope we see more from Criterion and its take on the NFS franchise, because this just feels like the starting few laps rather than the full tour.
Need for Speed Unbound is a game quite interesting to drive, visually appealing and have countless cars to choose from (although we wont't ever have the money to buy them!). However, it becomes fatal and boring due to the repetition imposed, either by the racing, running from the police, or even the frustration of having to decide which tracks to do with all the nuances that entails. With the help of a good soundtrack, we can almost smell the Underground but unfortunately it's not quite there yet.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
For a game with very little fanfare and seemingly no confidence on EA’s behalf, Need for Speed: Unbound is actually an excellent surprise.
Unbound is one of the best games in the franchise. Although that might seem a compliment, it also shows how much NFS have been relegated in the last years. The new art direction is fantastic and really make it seem different from other games but some of its ideas aren't quite well implemented and might feel a little tedious.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
With a distinct and interesting artstyle, which mixes a realistic car and city with streetart cartoon drawings for special effects, NFS Unbound definitely sets itself apart from the rest. The game sports a Souls-like mechanism of risk vs reward and a day-night cycle that work, but also hinders progress through the storyline. the races are fun and the many collectibles are well integrated. The near-mandatory police chases quickly become a nuisance and we wouldn't mind if those didn't make a return.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Need for Speed Unbound isn't flawless, but it's close to the standard set by the best games in the series. Criterion Games has differentiated itself from other studios by providing a unique creative approach. Regrettably, Heat's irritating framework, rigorous day-night changes, and the presence of too violent cops make it a bit less fun. Modifying the game's difficulty might just make things better for the newcomers.
While the game is not without its faults, held back by a lackluster story and characters, it’s hard to call a racing game bad when it does the racing so well. The style of Need For Speed Unbound is enough to keep me hitting the streets over and over, chasing bigger fame and a bigger payday each time I hit that virtual ignition.
Need for Speed Unbound manages to reinvigorate a long-lived franchise that still manages to stand out, even after almost 30 years of existence. The aesthetics and atmosphere of the game refer to the golden times of NFS Underground and NFS Hot Pursuit with elements that make the experience modern and fun. It's a title that could be the starting point for a new generation of the series after many years of ups and downs.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
It seems clear that Need for Speed is in safe hands now that it has been passed back to Criterion Games. The British studio has taken what Ghost Games achieved with Heat, and improved on it in numerous ways. The refined handling model and tighter economy make for some of the most tense and exciting racing around, and it helps that the game is rock-solid on the technical side. Need for Speed Unbound is a surprisingly excellent racer, and one which will hopefully continue to improve in the months to come.
Need for Speed Unbound is a great entry in the series that has been hard-pressed to find a successful formula for its past outings. While the visual mix of graffiti and realistic visuals may not be for everybody, it’s hard to discount the fact that the racing experience is quite solid. Online multiplayer could use some work, and the game is being anchored right now by its fun and engaging single-player mode, so fans looking to take their rides online might be slightly disappointed at the proceedings.
Need for Speed Unbound is the best-looking game in EA's arcade racing series, but it still falls short in several areas and cannot be called one of its strongest titles.
Review in Greek | Read full review
Need For Speed Unbound doesn’t try to do anything too different, but instead, takes some of the gameplay mechanics that made the last few titles stand out and build upon them, slowly taking the series back to its glory days. If you enjoyed the last few titles and grew up with the older games, you’re going to have a fun time with Need For Speed Unbound.
Minor gameplay tweaks and some cool visuals are introduced, but that's hardly enough to keep any part of the game above average. Not great but also not terrible.
Overall, Need for Speed Unbound is a fantastic racing game that is hindered by a few flaws and terrible dialogue. Even with that, it’s still a bang-up good game, one with a lot of fun! With Unbound, some have been proclaiming that Need for Speed is back when in reality, Need for Speed has always been this good. As a lifelong fan, I should know! I recommend you try NFS Unbound if just for the art alone. But is this latest Need for Speed a must-play? Maybe not at the full $70 pricetag. I would wait for a sale or play it through EA Play. In fact, if the graffiti art flourishes aren’t doing it for you, go pick up NFS Heat; that’s basically the same game and is just as fun.
Need For Speed Unbound is undoubtedly a good game, but it is sad to note that it could have been more. Criterion relies, perhaps a bit lazily, on the seeded Ghost Games, rehashing what is the skeleton (and little more) of the previous Heat. After 3 years of development, the result is almost inexplicable, and indeed it is unfortunate that a team like Criterion, which has rewritten the rules of the game at least a couple of times, now finds itself in the position of tracing the work of those who preceded it (as well as rehashing part of its past).
Review in Italian | Read full review