There are plenty of elementsNeed for Speed Unboundcan be praised for. Its exhilarating racing feels designed to be addictive, the driving effects add flair to already exciting races, and it adds a wardrobe of urban wear for players to truly feel like a street racer. It has taken a while for the franchise to find its identity in the modern gaming scene butNeed for Speed Unboundseems to have done it. To prevent the series from going stagnant, the next entry should get even weirder, daring to experiment with more self-references and fourth-wall-breaking moments.
The series could take inspiration fromDriver: San Francisco, which is a driving game that was brave enough to get very weird. However, for now, fast races through Lakewood City, risky side bets, and drifting that trigger cool driving effects will certainly suffice.
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Need for Speed Finally Finds Its Footing
It’s rare for a gaming franchise to remain relevant for as long asNeed for Speedhas. This doesn’t mean that it hasn’t experienced its fair share of highs and lows. For most fans, the golden era of the series came withtheUndergroundgames andMost Wanted. The low point, some would argue, came withRivals. Despite the rollercoaster-like peaks and valleys that the franchise has gone through, it has yet to completely be written off, and its name alone continues to pull fans of arcade racing games.
Over the years, it has also adopted several different identities, with have been met with varying levels of appreciation from fans. Some of the earliest games have players racing on the outskirts of populated areas, while theUndergroundgames keep things urban and feature high-speed races in the middle of busy cities. The games have also embraced legal racing, as seen withNeed for Speed ProStreetwhich takes place on closed tracks.Need for Speedhas also experimented with varying storylines. Earlier games kept the focus strictly on the cars, and storylines were almost non-existent. The franchise later decided to experiment with narratives, as seen withMost Wantedwhich has players working their way up the Blacklist and going against Rockport’s police.
WithNeed for Speed Unbound, the series seems to have found an identity that suits it perfectly in the modern era. The fast cars and rubber-burning races that gamers expect from the series are present in spades. It also brings back urban street racing, which is one of the features fans appreciated most fromtheUndergroundera of the series. The game also does a stellar job with its narrative which is compelling without being distracting or overbearing. Most importantly, the game feels confident in itself. It’s brave enough to be self-referential, and its style accentuated by celebrity appearances and designer clothing shows that the game is aware that it’s one of the coolest arcade racers around.
Need for Speed Should Get Weirder
Now that the series has finally found a solid identity that fits like a glove, developers should be brave enough to take things further with future titles. More scenes to show how self-aware the game is, and moments that break the fourth wall would add an extra flair to the games and put them above the slew of arcade racers out there. One of the last racing games to truly do this isDriver: San Franciscowhich toys with the player’s perspective.Need for Speedis now in the perfect position to begin cranking up the weirdness and pulling surprises on the fan base it has regained trust with.
Playing things safe may seem like agood option for Criterion Gamesat this point, but it could result in the series fading into obscurity as players come to know what to expect from every release.Need for Speed Unboundhas proved that there is plenty more life left in the series. Handled correctly, the franchise could still have a long and fruitful future ahead of it.
Need for Speed Unboundis available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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