Need for Speed Unbound Reviews
Like a friend that refuses to grow up, Need for Speed: Unbound brings the franchise back with all of its inherent silliness and ill-advised driving. And, just like that friend, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Its story is forgettable, and its characters are more than a little irritating, but it’s a solid arcade racer that hopefully acts as a springboard for the franchise.
I can live with many of Need For Speed Unbound’s faults. Admittedly, there were fleeting moments when I enjoyed the routine of earning cash, upgrading, outrunning police, and climbing Lakeshore’s underground racing ranks. But, when a Need For Speed game spits in the face of people that use wheel and pedal setups, it’s tough to feel a need for anything other than a need to play a better game. There’s a foundation here to build upon, but EA and Criterion have their work cut out for them if they ever hope to compete with the giants of the racing game scene.
Need for Speed: Unbound represents the return of Criterion as a top tier developer. The result is one of the best arcade racing games of the last few years and also, a great Need for Speed experience.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
There is no need to say, Need for Speed Unbound is not perfect, but it comes close to the good games of the license. The studio Criterion Games has done a good job in offering an art direction that stands out from the competition. The return of full vehicle customization is also very pleasing as the title has a nice list of cars. Nevertheless, the extremely repetitive nature of the events, the uninteresting multiplayer mode and the inconsistent gameplay do not allow the game to rise very high. Hopefully, this half-hearted success will allow the license to come back in force in the near future.
Review in French | Read full review
Some well-judged bold calls in both mechanics and visual direction elevate a familiar arcade racer above NFS's previous monotony.
Need for Speed Unbound proves that having a distinct style and cool premise does a lot to elevate a game.
Need for Speed: Unbound is not an undisputed triumph as you expected from Criterion Games, but it is a very fun open world driving game. The high vehicle customization, anime aesthetics and feeling that your driving ability is constantly tested are part of its appeal. On the other hand, money management and relentless police generate some friction that can interfere with the sense of instant gratification you expect from an arched driving game.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Criterion has certainly made its mark with this latest entry in the Need for Speed series, injecting a bit more fun and polish into the template created by Ghost Games. The result is an arcade racer that truly stands out from the crowd thanks to its visual flair and thrilling police chases. Providing you take the time to tweak the handling to your preferences, and you don’t mind the hip hop-driven soundtrack, Need for Speed Unbound is likely to be the most entertaining racing game you’ll play this year.
Need for Speed Unbound pushes the series forward in new ways with a change to the game’s economy and overall feel, and it’s primed to take big steps in the coming years.
'Need for Speed Unbound' is a refreshing entry in the franchise, with new visual effects that enhance its sense of style. But for all the good that it does, it commits the cardinal racing game sin by periodically forcing the player to slow down, resulting in a fun, but mixed gameplay experience.
After so many years, the Need for Speed series has taken different forms. But now the series took one of the worst. There is a lack of new ideas and motivation. The story is really written very poorly, the interaction between the characters is often stupid, and the schematic career starts to bore you very soon. Add to all this the shallow online multiplayer. Unbound is an example of a game where form won out over function.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Need for Speed Unbound is an impressive street racing title, and a proper return of the once-street racing game king. It's nearly perfect, and despite a few flaws, it excels at giving us a fantastic street racing experience, lots of stuff to customize, and, more importantly, it's a blast to play
It might be a bit frustrating in the beginning, given how punishing its first few hours are, but once you rack up some cash to afford new parts and cars altogether, the game becomes a blast. It may not have received the biggest marketing budget, and being borderline stealth released in December did it no favors, but do not miss this one out. It’s one hell of an entertaining racing experience.
Need for Speed Unbound comes to our consoles to bring us the adrenaline of street racing. Criterion has once again made a really interesting installment for fans of the franchise. NFS is back.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
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.
The latest title in the NFS franchise came back with fresh visuals. While driving on the road without any concerns and making to the top of street racing are always fun, even the lowest 'relaxing' difficulty seems not so relaxing for those who trying to enter the franchise for the first time.
Review in Korean | Read full review
Criterion takes the reins once more for an arcade racer that's capable of going toe-to-toe with the all-conquering Forza Horizon.
Need for Speed Unbound hasn’t strayed very far from the fundamentals of 2019’s Heat, but its bold new animated style impresses.
One of the best games I've played all year, and one of the best entries in the Need for Speed series. The driving is sublime, the cars are gorgeous, the art style is striking, and the soundtrack is exceptional. Despite falling short in a couple of facets, Unbound is a must-play racer.
Criterion has delivered another outstanding experience with Need for Speed Unbound, and while it's not shocking that Criterion has made a good game, it is nice to remember that they're still capable of ripping off a banger, and the same goes for NFS now having another entry that's worthy of the lineage. From the unique art style to the fantastic racing, Need for Speed Unbound is a racing game that feels authentic and sticky enough to stay relevant through the winter.