Need for Speed: Unbound

Checkpoint GamingNat Patterson

8.5/10

It has been a red-hot minute since a Need For Speed game captured the attention of racing fans. Not since the glory days of Underground, Underground 2, and Most Wanted has one of EA’s racers really excelled. Most recently, Need For Speed Heat found itself on my PS5, courtesy of PlayStation Plus, and it certainly didn’t knock anyone’s socks off. Now comes along Need For Speed Unbound, a hyper-stylised, narrative-focused entry in the long-running series, and once again, my faith in the se...

Game InformerBrian Shea

8.5/10

Since its inception nearly three decades ago, Need for Speed’s best entries have combined style and substance to produce thrilling homages to the street racing scene. Need for Speed Unbound feels like the ultimate realization of that philosophy, creating one of the franchise’s best in years.

XboxEraGyőző "FairyEmpire" Baki

8.4/10

Need For Speed Unbound, even at its launch, is certainly rather packed with content. The story sees the player throughout 4 weeks of days and nights throughout many events, some mandatory and most optional, with players always being able to decide how many seen-before events they wanna rush through again for some extra cash. With tons of unlockable and upgradable cars, a robust if uninspired multiplayer and an open world with plenty of things to do, Unbound’s unlikely to last you less than a couple dozen hours, unless you get bored before the end credits of course. But boredom isn’t what I’d a...

Worth PlayingCody Medellin

8/10

Need For Speed Unbound puts players in the driver seat of their own street racing fantasy as they outsmart cops and prove they have what it takes to win The Grand, Lakeshore's ultimate street racing challenge.

Playstation LifestyleMack Ashworth

8/10

Need for Speed Unbound puts a new spin on the racing series with a graffiti-inspired aesthetic that helps enhance both story and gameplay in refreshing ways. It’s amazing what a new coat of paint can achieve, especially when it’s combined with 60 FPS support on consoles, the return of police chases, an interesting approach to difficulty options, and a well-curated soundtrack. However, there are some pain points that drag the experience down.

StuffTom Morgan-Freelander

The Need for Speed series has been spinning its wheels for a while now – and not in the cool, tyre-shredding way. We’ve had multiple overhauls and at least one major reboot, but none have moved the needle like open-world rival Forza’s Horizon games have. Need for Speed Unbound comes close to upsetting that balance for the first time in years.

Press StartSteven Impson

7.5/10

There's a lot to like in Unbound, but some of the characters and the tedious police chases bring down what is otherwise a thrilling high-speed race through Lakeshore.

Game SkinnyWill Borger

7/10

Need for Speed Unbound is a finely crafted ride that's great when running well.

WellPlayedZach Jackson

7/10

Need for Speed Unbound sees Criterion put its spin on the formula laid down by its predecessor and the result is a stylish racer that is mostly fun but sometimes frustrating.

Capsule ComputersAdmir Brkic

7/10

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.

Screen RantJason Hon

7/10

Besides the game's overabundance of dialogue, the gameplay flourishes with an open-world format that allows players to drive their vehicles around Unbound's extensive map from one money-making event to the next. While the driving mechanics make Need For Speed's impressive gameplay feel fast and intense while weaving between pedestrian cars, fellow racers, and cop cars, the world ultimately feels unresponsive to the player's actions. Police chase players with increased intensity depending on which events are completed before retiring to a designated safe house, but they hardly offer a challenge...

InverseWilla Rowe

7/10

Much of this comes from Unbound’s place in a franchise that has often had to reinvent and rethink itself. But more than just the latest reinvention, this feels like a course correction for the franchise, thanks to the thoughtful refinements made by Criterion Games. What makes Unbound stand out is its style, something it has in spades and feels unique in the racing game crowd.