When Need for Speed Unbound was first announced, many fans were shocked. Not only was there not much information revealed originally, but a new Need for Speed title hadn’t even been mentioned. This marks two times now that EA and Criterion Games have released a Need for Speed title without much marketing or publicity. As we got closer to the game’s release, Criterion Games did release new information; oddly though, most of the information felt like it was stuff that should have been revealed in trailers. So how does Need for Speed Unbound feel? Find out in our Need for Speed Unbound preview.
If you are skeptical about picking up a game with very little information, then you are not alone. Yes, information for the game was available eventually, but it was very easily overlooked. A few days before the game was released on December 2nd, it was announced that EA Play and Game Pass members could play ten hours of the game for free. Now, it is possible to play through the Need for Speed Unbound preview in under ten hours.
During the first ten hours, players get to experience the prologue and first chapter of the game. Like other Need for Speed titles, you are betrayed by a close friend. Rather than getting revenge right away, two years pass between the prologue and chapter 1. The main character is trying to live his life and just make it through. His boss who helped raise the two still feels hurt and is slow to trust others. After picking up a stranger, our character is thrown back into the racing scene to get revenge and make a name for themselves.
Gameplay
Need for Speed Unbound offers a variety of gameplay options. During the prologue, you are only able to modify the car’s look, not its internal parts. Decimated by the betrayal, the player must rebuild starting out with a B-tier car and working their way up. This means making a name for themselves on and off the course. The game splits the days up by day and night cycles. The heat from the day carries over to the evening’s events. Once you are done with racing at night and stop at a safe house or the garage, the heat goes away.
As the first week of chapter one progresses, Heat is more easily obtained. What is frustrating is the game does not really teach you how to lose the cops. In the previous Need for Speeds, there are markers for environmental objects to help take down the police. In Need for Speed Unbound, you either have to take them down yourselves or hope they run out of gas.
Throughout the map, the player can find mini-objectives to complete in order to gain reputation and money. These are commonly jumps, speed traps, speed sprints, and drifts. They can earn you a little bit of money, but the real money comes from competitive races. The game features a variety of race types from Sprints, Drifts, Takeovers, and more. In each race, the player can challenge other racers in a side wager. These wagers basically state that I’ll beat you. It is possible to get second in the race but still lose the side wager. Each race will grant the player some kind of heat and the only way to lose it is to turn in for the night.
Thoughts from the preview
The lack of an ability to get rid of the heat like in the previous Need for Speeds makes things both interesting and annoying. At first fine-tuning, the vehicle can be annoying until you unlock different parts and upgrades. Visually, the graphics for the game look beautiful whether it is the city, cars, or environmental effects; the only thing that needs to be worked on are the pedestrians. In a way, the pedestrians seem more comical than anything else.
With over two hours left in the demo time, we were able to get to the big race in Need for Speed Unbound. If you do not own the game, it will allow you to go to the previous day to do more races or play races online. You are able to play until time runs out, but by the time you get there, you are wanting to know if Jaz gets what’s coming to her. Honestly, we hope to share more Need for Speed content with you.
Are you going to try out the Need for Speed Unbound preview? Does our Need for Speed Unbound preview make you want to try the game? Need for Speed Unbound is currently available on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.
