TheNeed For Speedfranchise has had a bit of a turbulent history in the video game landscape. Debuting all the way back in 1994 withThe Need for Speed, the franchise has simultaneously had some of the best arcade racing games ever made and some of the most disappointing. For everyNeed for Speed: Underground 2, there’s aNeed for Speed: Nitro. Hopefully, the newly announcedNeed for Speed Unboundcan be one of the former.
Though it’s been heavily rumored for a few years now,Need for Speed Unboundhas finally been officially revealed, and it seems to be taking the franchise in exciting new directions. With Criterion Games back at the helm,Need for Speed Unboundseems to be a return to form for the series, featuring the beloved “Heat” system once again and bringing some stylish new visuals along for the ride. One of the best features across theNeed for Speedseries is its high level of car customization, but when it comes toUnbound, it has some tough competition, withSaints Rowhaving released just a few months ago.
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Need For Speed Unbound Will Need to Go Beyond Saints Row’s Customization
Just beforeSaints Rowreleased back in August, a great deal of its marketing focused on the game’s expansive customization options. As well as being able to change every conceivable aspect of the player-character and their apparel,Saints Rowalso had an extensive vehicle customization system.Saints Rowfeatures over 80 different vehicles, all of which can be customized.
Saints Row’s car customization is the definition of the word expansive. Players can choose from a plethora of body and trim paints, can choose the underglow color, what decals are put on the car and where, what tires and rim types to use, and can even determine the opacity of the car’s windows - and that’s just scratching the surface. A slew of different body mods can be installed, along with a variety of useful equipment like nitrous and a towing cable. Eventhe car’s transmission audio can be customized.
To top it off, players can also upgrade their car with specific kits. These kits can be used to increase the car’s handling stats, its durability, speed, or performance. Some vehicles even have a customizable signature ability that applies a special trait to the car. These range from aJames Bond-style ejector seat to crab steering to infinite boost, and even a jump ability is featured. Put simply,Need for Speed Unboundhas quite the competition on its hands when it comes to vehicle customization.
Need for Speed Unboundis going to need to go above and beyond to make its customization system stand out from the crowd this December. One of the best ways it can do this is through its new, striking art style. In the latest trailer forNeed for Speed Unbound, Criterion gave fans their first look at the game’s bold art direction. While most ofNeed for Speed Unbound’s visual styleis the same realistic graphics fans would expect, Criterion is also letting players choose to turn on stylistic effects when driving. These effects are all stylized to look like cartoon or graffiti-like drawings and range from smoke coming off tires, to neon lightning firing out the back of the car. This is already a great way forNeed for Speed Unboundto visually separate itself from the competition, and if even more customization options like this are built into the game, then it could offer enough of a different experience to stand out fromSaints Row’s shadow.
Need for Speed Unboundis scheduled to release on December 2 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
