The Need for Speed series has been active since 1994 and has included games for several platforms, cell phones, and PCs. The most recent installment is Need for Speed Heat from 2019. After a few years, the series’ newest installment, Need for Speed Unbound, was unveiled by publisher Electronic Arts. It is the first game to be released following EA’s decision to transfer control back to Criterion Games, the group behind the critically acclaimed Hot Pursuit and Most Wanted games, from Ghost Games (who is now again a support studio). EA said that a new entry was in the works a few months after that news broke.
Need for Speed Unbound’s development was put on hold in 2021 when EA temporarily enlisted Criterion Games to assist DICE with Battlefield 2042 before the game’s release. However, it has recently started again, and it will now be accessible in a little more than a month. Before Unbound gets released to physical and online store shelves, let’s talk about what is truly known about it.
Jeff Grebb, who said that the game’s look would be inspired by anime, revealed the first information about the title. When the game was released, it showed a fusion of realistic style and anime effects coming out of cars, proving it to be the case (though these can be disabled). Character models are likewise cel-shaded, and the entire aesthetic is strongly influenced by graffiti.
After the game’s first announcement, EA unveiled its extensive list of cars, which can be viewed on this website. Players will be able to drive and unlock a variety of brands, including Chevrolet, Dodge, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and more, throughout the game (though given the presentation and art style, the fact that cars like the Toyota AE86 Trueno are missing is outright criminal).
Players will be able to choose from a total of 143 vehicles at launch (excluding the four unique cars within the Palace Edition). About the gameplay, each race (or overworld driving, actually) that players enter has a risk versus reward balance. Players will also have the option to wager against other racers during certain events during the in-game weeks that will have huge payouts or expensive entry costs.
Police pursuits very obviously come back because they can track you down and pursue you all across the game environment. The police are considerably more sophisticated and assertive than they were in titles like NFS Heat or Most Wanted 2012 if the game’s trailers give any indication. In any case, it is unknown if the cops would possess weapons like spike strips or EMPs (though roadblocks make a return).
On December 2, 2022, Need for Speed Unbound will go on sale for the PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and PC through Steam, the Epic Games Store, and the Origin store. The game is currently available for pre-order, with a starting price of $69.99.
Pre-orders will get players the following:
- A unique Driving Effect
- A unique License Plate
- Unique Banner artwork and sticker
- $150,000 in Multiplayer funds
A deluxe edition of Need for Speed Unbound is also available, the Palace Edition. Players who purchase the Palace Edition gain access to the following:
- The game
- Four “Stunningly Intense Custom Cars”
- New Gassy Driving Effects
- A Mashman-themed Decal and License Plate pack
- An exclusive character pose and banner artwork
- A Special Clothing Pack with 20 unique items
- (if pre-ordered) A unique Driving Effect
- (if pre-ordered) A unique License Plate
- (if pre-ordered) Unique Banner artwork and sticker
- (if pre-ordered) $150,000 in Multiplayer funds
Whichever retailer you choose, the Palace Edition of Need for Speed Unbound will cost you $79.99. Unfortunately, there won’t be any last-gen versions of this game in development, so PlayStation 4 and Xbox One owners will have to pass.
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