After all the updates, the online mode is a set of all the best that the previous games included. They made good drift physics (online only) and drag-racings. The only problem is there is no good music (except for a few tracks).
I have enjoyed spending more than 100 hours here.

Need for Speed Unbound: A Mix of Style and Frustration

Need for Speed Unbound stands out with its bold artistic direction and sleek graphics that bring a fresh energy to the franchise. The graffiti-inspired visual effects, such as boost trails, are innovative and inject a stylish flair into gameplay, making every high-speed moment feel unique. Cop chases, a staple of the series, are fun and not as grueling as some might fear, offering just enough challenge to keep things exciting without becoming a roadblock.

However, the game stumbles in its progression system. The strict car part tiering and the high in-game costs of upgrades feel unnecessarily restrictive. It’s frustrating that races are limited by car tiers, forcing players into specific vehicles rather than letting them race how they want. This lack of flexibility takes away from the open-world racing freedom that the series is known for.

The multiplayer experience has its highs and lows. The inability to host private races is disappointing, especially for players who enjoy competing with friends on their own terms. While car tier restrictions in multiplayer help level the playing field and prioritize skill, they can also feel overly limiting for those hoping to experiment with different vehicles.

Perhaps the most glaring issue is the potential for soft locks in the campaign. An unfortunate crash mid-race left me unable to afford the buy-in for the next event, with no way to recover—no races, pickups, or even cars left to sell. Situations like this break the flow of the game and highlight a lack of foresight in its design.

Overall, Need for Speed Unbound is a visually stunning racer with creative ideas and enjoyable core gameplay. However, its restrictive progression system, limited multiplayer features, and technical issues weigh down the experience. Poor scriptwriting and uninspired voice acting also make the story feel lackluster, especially compared to the superior Need for Speed Heat, which balanced progression, story, and gameplay more effectively. Despite its creative flair, Unbound struggles to hit the same highs, leaving a visually striking but ultimately frustrating experience.

With a few tweaks and updates, it could truly shine, but for now, it’s a mix of thrilling highs and frustrating lows.

Worst NFS game ever!!

First of all, graphics 3/10. I do not mind the childish drawings that you have everywhere. This game looks like everything is in unreal engine 5 except from the characters. This is like making a strawberry milkshake and you decide to add beans in it.

2nd. The story 4/10 while it looks interesting at first, it is like a low budget script if you compare it to other NFS games. I hate it. I decided to buy this game for the story but I didn't have mood to continue it after 2 hours.

3rd. The driving 5/10 is like a car in wheel chair. If you compare it to other NFS games is like a slow motion. You can't feel the speed. In addition, nitrous is like the fixer in bad cornering. If you are bad in turns then you just press nitrous and everything magically fixes.

4th. Map and minimap 4/10. Mini map is always dizzy no matter what you change in your graphics so I had to remove it. The map is just not for me.

5th. This game has the worst character creation 1/10 I have ever seen in my life! Not many hairstyle options and only 3 facial hair!!!. No male make up options like scars. Only female tattoos. No luxury clothes. Very few glasses options.

Now what I like:

1st. Customization of the cars 9/10 is much better than NFS Heat. Actually I might continue play this game just to see the end game and how important factor is in this atrocity.

2nd. Driving 5/10 while I hate it, I also like some parts of it. Drift is much easier than NFS heat and the control of the car is more friendly user. It might be the wheel chair, slow motion state I mentioned earlier. But generally is more forgiving than other NFS games.

3rd. Profile card 8/10 and some profile options are very cool.

For me this game in my 3 hours gameplay is a 3/10.