For the life of me, I’ll never understand why EA doesn’t give Criterion free reign over its classic Burnout franchise instead of Need For Speed. Is it a matter of the latter being more established? Whatever the case, one day we have to return to the land of crashed cars.
For now, though, we have Need For Speed Unbound, a game that takes an interesting turn for the franchise, away from the usual territory in favor of something more stylish and open-world. It doesn’t quite iron out to perfection, but Criterion packs it with enough beautiful visuals and flourishing gameplay to please fans of the franchise. It’s certainly a lot more fun than some of the other entries we’ve seen, that’s for sure.

An Interesting Mesh of Visual Styles
Unbound looks best on PS5 and Xbox Series S/X, running at a beautiful clip along an open world filled with challenges, secrets and other goodies. But what’s interesting here is how two different styles of design clash together. The real world looks impressive enough (though surprisingly barren in some cases), but it combines with anime-style effects, a new touch to the Need For Speed universe that, surprisingly, doesn’t come across too badly. Add in some dramatic touches during races (nothing that distracts too badly, merely adding style) and you’ve got a visual engine that packs a punch. There are some slight moments where players might see it as distracting; but as a whole, it unfolds in high-end fashion.
That said, I would’ve preferred a little more character depth to go with the driving. But, really, not bad at all.
The soundtrack is pretty good too. I think I would’ve preferred some more classic rock tunes. However, the mixture of the beats provided here add to the overall style of the game, almost as if they’re complementing the neat little anime-style smoke spurts. Make sure you get a good pair of headphones to get the most out of it, though.

So How’s It Play?
Of course, a Need For Speed game’s presentation can only go so far if the gameplay doesn’t back it up. Fortunately, Criterion knows this department by heart, and makes Unbound feel like a beast. While the drift system can take some getting used to, the way your cars handle overall is impressive, especially when it comes to handling boosts of speed. You can also fine tune certain things with your earnings, making it feel more like your custom ride.
And it’s helpful to have these boosts, especially when the police get involved. Yep, they’re back, and they’re pretty much relentless. Fortunately, you’re not without your talents, so you can blaze through and have a good time escaping their grasp. Just be careful watching your Heat level, because the more it builds, the more difficult they’ll become.
The game features a ton of racing events to choose from, and each one has great opponents to take on, as well as secrets to find. There’s also a fantastic night/day cycle, as well as an adjustable difficulty curve, depending on how you want to approach this world. However, something should be done to boost the online factor. It just feels like it doesn’t have much to offer at this point in time. You can connect with friends, sure, but there’s hardly any police presence to speak of, and the stakes just feel very, very lowered. Hopefully, Criterion can add on to this in the future.

Bounding Back
After some lacking Need For Speed chapters here and there, the series is starting to feel a little more like it’s going the right way with Unbound. The art style is exquisite, and the driving has a second nature-style of approach thanks to Criterion. And there’s a whole lot to do, even if some of the events are a little barren of online competition. At least the police chases more than make up for it, with some exciting elements in their own right.
That’s not to say I’ve given up on the idea of demanding a new Burnout, because, damn it, it’s time. But I’ll happily take Unbound for now, as it finally allows the Need For Speed franchise to turn a corner and head back in an enjoyable direction. Sure beats hitting a wall, right?

The Bottom Line:
It’s not without its minor setbacks, but Need For Speed Unbound is a step back in the right direction for the long-running franchise.