Need for Speed Unbound Gameplay Reveals Highly Stylized Racing

By Cade Onder

Need for Speed Unbound has gotten its first official gameplay trailer and while it's short, it gives a great sense of the stylized world that EA is creating. Need for Speed has been around for so long that it has taken on many different forms. It has been a game about street racing, a racing sim, a game with a very cinematic story that sees the player using quick time events on foot, and so on. Given there are other franchises like Gran Turismo and Forza dominating the genre, EA has to make sure its racing series stands out amongst the pack and so, it usually means doing something drastically new every few years.

With the newly announced Need for Speed Unbound, EA is creating a highly stylized racing game with various effects that come off of the cars in the game. You can customize your vehicle to have different kinds of effects and colors. This will include things like smoke, wings when making jumps, and other animated effects when you crash or are driving exceptionally fast. Despite the world itself appearing to be grounded in reality with a realistic art style, the actual NPCs are animated and look similar to characters from The Boondocks. EA has confirmed that you will be able to play the game without these effects if you don't want them, though it's unclear if that's just for the cars or if it will effect the NPCs as well. Either way, it's a pretty cool approach to Need for Speed and one that highlights the high octane action and intensity of this entry. 

Need for Speed Unbound was originally slated for a 2021 release, but Criterion was moved to help work on Battlefield 2042. Since then, the developer has been focused on getting this new racer out in time for the holiday season. Rumors of the game's aesthetic and features have been circulating all year and it seems almost all of them are proving to be true thus far.

Need for Speed Unbound releases for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC on December 2nd, 2022. What do you think of the game's art style? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @Cade_Onder.

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