Few gaming franchises have managed to remain relevant for as long as Need for Speed. Proving that it's not done with its dominance of the arcade racing scene just yet, Electronic Arts dropped a surprise trailer for a new entry in the series titled Need for Speed: Unbound. The upcoming game takes the franchise back to its street racing era, though it has an ace up its sleeve that may ensure that it nails its landing spectacularly - its developers.
Criterion Games is developing Need for Speed: Unbound, and it is not its first time with the series. Through 2012's Need for Speed: Most Wanted, it demonstrated that it knows how to take a Need for Speed game and knock it out of the park. The trailer for the upcoming game looks promising, and the news that it is in Criterion is handling things instills further confidence that a great street racing game is on the way.
Need for Speed: Unbound and Criterion Games
Over the years, the Need for Speed franchise has passed through the hands of a few developers, with varying levels of success. Though many longtime fans consider the peak of the series to be during the Underground street racing games, there is one title released later on that managed to become a favorite: Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012). Although it shares a name with its iconic 2005 counterpart, the two don't have much in common.
It takes on many elements from the Burnout series, which was developed by Criterion Games. Hence, gamers can engage in spectacular high-speed crashes to knock out their opponents, and the camera will enter slow-motion mode upon impact to let players revel in the action. The entire game is obsessed with its stylish aesthetic, and before each race, gamers are treated to gaudy visuals. Upon release, Most Wanted was well-received, and it managed to pick up a few awards for itself. Gamers were further impressed by the PS Vita port which managed to make players feel like they could take the PS3 game and play it on the go.
With Most Wanted, Criterion proved that it can be trusted with the Need for Speed franchise. Although it may no longer be in its golden years, the series is still beloved by its fans, and while its gameplay isn't too complex, it does require some TLC to get it right. Most Wanted features top-notch visuals along with a spectacular soundtrack to complement Need for Speed's classic arcade racer gameplay. If Criterion can pull off the same with Unbound, gamers can rest assured that another great game is on the way.
Everything Revealed About Need for Speed: Unbound So Far
All gamers have gotten thus far is a brief reveal trailer of the upcoming game, but it has been enough to spark excitement. As the trailer reveals, Unbound will feature anime-like visual flourishes, though it is not yet known whether these will appear in gameplay or just during cutscenes. Music appears to be a big part of the upcoming game, as developers have collaborated with rapper A$AP Rocky and his creative collective AWGE. The rapper will also be making an appearance in the game, and he is seen alongside a highly customized Mercedes-Benz 190E EVO.
It appears that developers are trying something new with the upcoming game, which is something that should always be applauded. Though the heydays of street racing may have passed, the appearance of a popular contemporary rapper, along with the stylized visuals, may put a new twist to keep things exciting. Unbound is targeting current-generation consoles only, which is another sign that Criterion Games may have something big in store.
Need for Speed: Unbound is scheduled to release on December 2, 2022, on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.