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Need for Speed Unbound
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Need for Speed Unbound
Need for Speed Unbound (stylised as NFS Unbound) is a 2022 racing video game developed by Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts. It was released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on December 2, 2022. An Amazon Luna port was released on June 12, 2025. Unbound is the twenty-fifth instalment in the Need for Speed series, and the successor to 2019's Heat which additionally commemorates the series' 30th anniversary. It is the first game in the series to be developed by Criterion since 2013's Rivals (a collaboration with then-lead studio Ghost Games) and the studio's first as the main developer of the series since 2012's Most Wanted.
Unbound features an art style that merges artistic elements like cel-shading and graffiti art with the more realistic art style of other Need for Speed games. The game takes place in the fictional "Lakeshore City", which is inspired by Chicago, Illinois.
Upon release, the console versions received generally positive reviews from critics, while reviews for the PC version were more mixed. Critics praised the artstyle, gameplay, and customization, while criticism focused on the lack of innovation and story. Though Unbound's overall reception was an improvement over that of the recent Ghost Games-developed titles, retail sales were down 64% compared to its predecessor.
Need for Speed Unbound is a racing game set in a fictional city called Lakeshore City, which is based on Chicago. It features an open world environment and gameplay similar to that of previous entries in the series, being mainly focused around street racing. The game features various forms of customization such as installing various body kits, adding a splitter, and even completely removing the front or rear bumpers. Leaning into the street art-inspired aesthetic of the game, Need for Speed Unbound features a set of driving effects which may be changed at will by the player. Post-launch updates introduced the ability to disable them entirely.
Two types of events in Unbound include races and takeovers, the latter hosted by A$AP Rocky. Numerous types of races are available that take place throughout Lakeshore. Takeovers, a new type of event, require the player to beat the scores of three other racers by chaining numerous actions to win; they can be practiced during the morning. The "heat system" from Heat returns in Unbound, where the player attempts to gain notoriety among the police. After partaking in an event, whether it be day or night, the player's heat will increase, and sometimes right after completing an event, a pursuit will occur. Getting caught, whether it be stopping close to an LCPD unit, being immobilized, or damaging the car beyond repair, results in their session ending and their bank being lost. One change made to the gameplay loop was the replacement of Need for Speed Heat's separate day/night cycles with a weekly cycle, with the player's earnings in both day and night races being banked in upon returning to the garage. When playing the story mode, the end of these weeks will feature a special event.
Cars may be purchased and sold directly from the hideout, removing the requirement to go to a dealership on the map. A car's performance may be improved by installing better parts or by swapping its engine outright. New to Unbound is a handling slider which may be tweaked to favor drifting or grip. Drivetrain and chassis parts may be installed to allow further adjustments to this slider. Nitrous is handled differently in this title, returning to the system used in Need for Speed Payback with an extra "burst" nitrous being made available by performing certain actions. While the game retains Heat's performance ratings, Unbound divides performance into five segments, ranging from a "B" to an "S". Events are tied to these, restricting them to cars around a specific performance rating. Excluding custom cars, the game launched with 143 different cars from 32 manufacturers, expanding to 157 cars from 35 different manufacturers with post-launch updates. While the selection is largely the same as Heat's, Audi was not present at launch, returning in post-launch updates. The Porsche Taycan's addition in Volume 4 reintroduced electric vehicles to the series after the Tesla Roadster was last featured in Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012); the BMW S1000RR's addition in Volume 9 made it the first playable motorcycle in the series.
Like Heat's neon flamingos, Unbound's open world features collectibles in the form of bears hidden around Lakeshore City. Street graffiti, long jumps, drift zones, speed traps, and smashable billboards make a return from the previous title, with speed zones returning after appearing in Payback, and will reward the player with collectibles once completed. The player's progression in multiplayer is completely separate from the offline story mode and features "playlists" with specific events tied to a specific performance level. The multiplayer mode features a "Speed Pass", which the game's downloadable content revolves around.
In Lakeshore City, the player (female player voiced by Elizabeth Grullon, male player voiced by Ian Nelson) and their friend and partner Jasmine/Yaz (portrayed by Ashleigh LaThrop) refurbish an old junker car in their mechanic shop owned by their mentor Rydell (Dwayne Barnes). After winning a couple of street races, Yaz has a disagreement with Rydell over a car and grows tired of being stuck in the same job daily, and wishes to do something better. She tells the player she was contacted by her friend in the foster system, Alec about some jobs involving delivering vehicles, challenging the authority of the city's police force under the control of Mayor Morgan Stevenson (voiced by Debra Wilson).
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Need for Speed Unbound AI simulator
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Need for Speed Unbound
Need for Speed Unbound (stylised as NFS Unbound) is a 2022 racing video game developed by Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts. It was released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on December 2, 2022. An Amazon Luna port was released on June 12, 2025. Unbound is the twenty-fifth instalment in the Need for Speed series, and the successor to 2019's Heat which additionally commemorates the series' 30th anniversary. It is the first game in the series to be developed by Criterion since 2013's Rivals (a collaboration with then-lead studio Ghost Games) and the studio's first as the main developer of the series since 2012's Most Wanted.
Unbound features an art style that merges artistic elements like cel-shading and graffiti art with the more realistic art style of other Need for Speed games. The game takes place in the fictional "Lakeshore City", which is inspired by Chicago, Illinois.
Upon release, the console versions received generally positive reviews from critics, while reviews for the PC version were more mixed. Critics praised the artstyle, gameplay, and customization, while criticism focused on the lack of innovation and story. Though Unbound's overall reception was an improvement over that of the recent Ghost Games-developed titles, retail sales were down 64% compared to its predecessor.
Need for Speed Unbound is a racing game set in a fictional city called Lakeshore City, which is based on Chicago. It features an open world environment and gameplay similar to that of previous entries in the series, being mainly focused around street racing. The game features various forms of customization such as installing various body kits, adding a splitter, and even completely removing the front or rear bumpers. Leaning into the street art-inspired aesthetic of the game, Need for Speed Unbound features a set of driving effects which may be changed at will by the player. Post-launch updates introduced the ability to disable them entirely.
Two types of events in Unbound include races and takeovers, the latter hosted by A$AP Rocky. Numerous types of races are available that take place throughout Lakeshore. Takeovers, a new type of event, require the player to beat the scores of three other racers by chaining numerous actions to win; they can be practiced during the morning. The "heat system" from Heat returns in Unbound, where the player attempts to gain notoriety among the police. After partaking in an event, whether it be day or night, the player's heat will increase, and sometimes right after completing an event, a pursuit will occur. Getting caught, whether it be stopping close to an LCPD unit, being immobilized, or damaging the car beyond repair, results in their session ending and their bank being lost. One change made to the gameplay loop was the replacement of Need for Speed Heat's separate day/night cycles with a weekly cycle, with the player's earnings in both day and night races being banked in upon returning to the garage. When playing the story mode, the end of these weeks will feature a special event.
Cars may be purchased and sold directly from the hideout, removing the requirement to go to a dealership on the map. A car's performance may be improved by installing better parts or by swapping its engine outright. New to Unbound is a handling slider which may be tweaked to favor drifting or grip. Drivetrain and chassis parts may be installed to allow further adjustments to this slider. Nitrous is handled differently in this title, returning to the system used in Need for Speed Payback with an extra "burst" nitrous being made available by performing certain actions. While the game retains Heat's performance ratings, Unbound divides performance into five segments, ranging from a "B" to an "S". Events are tied to these, restricting them to cars around a specific performance rating. Excluding custom cars, the game launched with 143 different cars from 32 manufacturers, expanding to 157 cars from 35 different manufacturers with post-launch updates. While the selection is largely the same as Heat's, Audi was not present at launch, returning in post-launch updates. The Porsche Taycan's addition in Volume 4 reintroduced electric vehicles to the series after the Tesla Roadster was last featured in Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012); the BMW S1000RR's addition in Volume 9 made it the first playable motorcycle in the series.
Like Heat's neon flamingos, Unbound's open world features collectibles in the form of bears hidden around Lakeshore City. Street graffiti, long jumps, drift zones, speed traps, and smashable billboards make a return from the previous title, with speed zones returning after appearing in Payback, and will reward the player with collectibles once completed. The player's progression in multiplayer is completely separate from the offline story mode and features "playlists" with specific events tied to a specific performance level. The multiplayer mode features a "Speed Pass", which the game's downloadable content revolves around.
In Lakeshore City, the player (female player voiced by Elizabeth Grullon, male player voiced by Ian Nelson) and their friend and partner Jasmine/Yaz (portrayed by Ashleigh LaThrop) refurbish an old junker car in their mechanic shop owned by their mentor Rydell (Dwayne Barnes). After winning a couple of street races, Yaz has a disagreement with Rydell over a car and grows tired of being stuck in the same job daily, and wishes to do something better. She tells the player she was contacted by her friend in the foster system, Alec about some jobs involving delivering vehicles, challenging the authority of the city's police force under the control of Mayor Morgan Stevenson (voiced by Debra Wilson).