Everything we know about Need for Speed Unbound

(Pocket-lint) – The Need for Speed franchise is one of the most famous and beloved in racing games, but it’s fallen from grace a little in recent years after some slightly forgettable outings. EA is hoping that will change with Need for Speed Unbound, which is coming later this year and looks to return the series to its street racing roots. Here are all the key details you need to know.

For more details on upcoming games, check out our lists of anticipated titles for PS5 or Xbox Series X/S.

Need for Speed Unbound release date

Need for Speed Unbound will release on 2 December 2022, so there isn’t long to wait until you can get behind the wheel. However, EA Play members will be able to jump into a free 10-hour trial of the game from 29 November 2022, a little earlier.

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This is a short turnaround, too – the game was only unveiled at the start of October 2022, so EA must have had it under wraps for a while.

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Need for Speed Unbound platforms

Surprisingly for such a big franchise, EA and developer Criterion are limiting where you can pick up Need for Speed Unbound – it’s only coming out on newer platforms. You’ll be able to play it on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC (through a few different storefronts).

That means there’s no joy for PS4 or Xbox One owners.

Need for Speed Unbound trailers

There’s only been one main trailer for Unbound so far, which you can check out below. It features glimpses of a fair few cars and characters, including real-world rapper A£AP Rocky, who’s seemingly in the game (although we don’t know how big his part is).

Need for Speed Unbound gameplay

EA is leaning in on car customisation for Unbound, but also introducing a whole new style and look, taking inspiration from street art and grafitti. You’ll be able to customise not just your car’s bodywork and tuning, using underlighting and body kits, but also the cartoony effects that surround it at key moments.

While you can turn these off if you want a purer racing look, these larger-than-life effects can be another layer of personalisation to make you stand out when you race online. Like Need for Speeds of old, there will still be cop chases to manoeuvre through, and you can bet before races if you want to take home some extra pay, and it’s all about working your way up the street racing ranks. You can check out the game’s full map on the official site here, to get a look at where you’ll be racing.

It’s a big open world from the looks of things, with a nice balance between tight city streets and more open, sweeping mountain roads.

In fact, it’s a pretty clear throwback to the halcyon days of Need for Speed Underground 2 or Most Wanted, in our books.

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