Need for Speed Unbound - General Discussion

  • Thread starter Famine
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Still not sure I want this or not, how does the game play for an adult who more hates than likes all the cringy “yo-dude“ teen slang and palace + other clothing branding?
As an adult who’s not exactly demographic fit either: you can ignore most of it.

For me NFS and especially Underground/2/MW/Heat/Unbound are about street racing. The stories are always B-grade (and that’s being generous) and the cosmetics, etc. are for those who are into that stuff.

This one is no different. You don’t need to do anything of the visual customization. You can skip all the cutscenes.
 
As an adult who’s not exactly demographic fit either: you can ignore most of it.

For me NFS and especially Underground/2/MW/Heat/Unbound are about street racing. The stories are always B-grade (and that’s being generous) and the cosmetics, etc. are for those who are into that stuff.

This one is no different. You don’t need to do anything of the visual customization. You can skip all the cutscenes.
Well I actually decided to give it a try, mainly because Hoshi Hoshi was positive about it and also to my surprise Digital Foundry’s John Linneman. But I also fully know that inevitably it will have the quick death that all previous NFS games had for me: as soon as the main story is over, I will most likely completely loose interest. That happened with 2015, Payback and Heat and I’m sure Unbound won’t be any different. I might not even get that far with Unbound since from Feb 7th on I want to focus mainly on Hogwarts Legacy. Nevertheless, the 50% off deal was good enough to give it a try.

To cut my intro short, I was pleasantly surprised with most of what I saw. Some quick pro’s and con’s after playing a couple of hours on Friday and Saturday :

Pro’s :
  • to my surprise I really do like the anime characters and character builder. Spent a decent amount of time creating an avatar that looks somewhat normal (which seems to be a challenge in the more recent NFS games)
  • the anime art style effects are quite decent as well, i don‘t mind having them around but I certainly don’t feel an urge to go customise them, it all looks more or less the same and differences are forgettable.
  • I like the city map more than I expected, it’s got some great graphics and the urban environment is probably the best looking big city I have in a racing game.
  • even some important parts of the story are done decent, but it’s still a far cry from what Heat was
  • I really dig the combination of the anime characters and the realistic looking cars
  • the handling seems to be a little better than Heat but it’s still NFS which means: mediocre at best

Con’s :
  • money earning rate is WAY too slow
  • this 4 week calendar thing just sucks. at this stupid money earning rate I don’t even think I’ll have 4 cars ready by the 4th week
  • the cringe lines in free roam are as annoying as they were in previous games
  • Heat levels and this day + night combines after a night is just ridiculous. At this moment I’m in this vicious circle where I need a lot of money so I want to do a lot of races per day, which results in a lot of Heat added up, which on it’s turn results in WAY TOO MUCH focus on silly ‘dodge the cops’ freeroam nonsense instead of actually racing.
  • I don’t play multiplayer but having a completely separate garage for it? LMAO! Absolutely pathetic game design.

Other :
  • can’t say much about cars since i only have 1 car (Subaru BRZ I kept upgrading until into A class).
  • the community already seems to be dying off fast (which might explain the early sales).
  • it’s better than I expected but in the end it’s basically the same old thing as Heat, except graphics are fancier but game mechanics are worse (this days/week structure + multiplayer garage)
 
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Con’s :
  • money earning rate is WAY too slow
  • this 4 week calendar thing just sucks. at this stupid money earning rate I don’t even think I’ll have 4 cars ready by the 4th week
  • Heat levels and this day + night combines after a night is just ridiculous. At this moment I’m in this vicious circle where I need a lot of money so I want to do a lot of races per day, which results in a lot of Heat added up, which on it’s turn results in WAY TOO MUCH focus on silly ‘dodge the cops’ freeroam nonsense instead of actually racing.
During week 1 you may be struggling for cash but it gets better as the weeks go on. You can also earn prize cars several times a week and you win a car from The Grand at the end of each week too. If you don't want these prize cars you can always sell them to make more cash, but some of them (like the Evo) are useful for tuning to several classes so I kept a few.

The cops will also get much easier to deal with as your car gets faster and you unlock upgrades like the Undercover Racer perk that doubles the amount of time it takes to spot you. At low levels they are frustrating as it feels like you're playing Metal Gear Solid when dodging them.
 
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Need for Speed: Unbound Under the Hood - Vol 2 Update

NFS Fam, the time has arrived. The first Need for Speed™ Unbound post-launch update is here ready for you to tear up the streets all over again. Let’s get into it with Vol 2's trailer here:



The Vol 2 update introduces brand new ways to enjoy Lakeshore s with your friends or on your own.

The streets of Lakeshore just got hotter! High-speed chases are now a team sport in Lakeshore Online, link up with others and show the cops who owns this town. Stay ahead of the chase to make Bank while your friends help knock them off your tail, or take the Heat off you for their own rewards. Need backup? Don’t worry, it is easier than ever to see who’s in your hood and ready for action.



r/needforspeed - Need for Speed: Unbound Under the Hood - Vol 2 Update
This city doesn’t sleep! Each day you can log-in to find three new challenges to master, earning you XP and Bank to precision-tune your rides or to craft a new custom look. Complete enough challenges and there may be an extra special luxury ride waiting for you - you’ll have to find out for yourself.

You can also take on thirty new Hot Lap activities scattered throughout Lakeshore for an intense 30-second race, pitting your driving skills against the clock. Drive smooth and fast to be in with a chance to win a selection of new rewards, including stickers, driving effects, and poses.

Two new Rumble playlists with three races in each have been added, as well as four new Endurance events, two new Street Races, and a pair of new Standard Playlists. Plus, existing Playlists have also had a reshuffle to keep things fresh. Complete playlists in a Lotus and you can find a Rare Custom Lotus Emira Balmain Edition 2021 sitting in Rydell’s garage with your name on it.



r/needforspeed - Need for Speed: Unbound Under the Hood - Vol 2 Update
EA Play Reward

Want more? What if I told you you could get your hands on Waru's very special ride? Well, those with EA Play can speed off in the customizable two-seated Nissan Fairlady ZG 1971, available exclusively to members in Vol 2*. Don’t miss out on the chance to rock this silky smooth straight-six up front and rear-wheel-drive and drift effortlessly around the city streets.



r/needforspeed - Need for Speed: Unbound Under the Hood - Vol 2 Update
Keys to the Map

Want to build your Bank and skip the hunt for all of Lakeshore’s trinkets? Pick up the Keys to the Map** downloadable content pack to immediately unveil the locations of all 260 collectibles - that’s 100 Bears, 80 Billboards, and 80 Street Art spots - as well as 160 Activities for you to earn rewards at any time you like.

With Keys to the Map you’ll also get an exclusive “Fury and Zen” clothing pack including a Jacket, T-Shirt, Sweatpants, and Cap to customize your look.



r/needforspeed - Need for Speed: Unbound Under the Hood - Vol 2 Update
There’s a lot more coming to Need for Speed Unbound in the upcoming months, so keep your eyes peeled for more updates.

Need help?

We got you. Hit up Answers HQ where you can report bugs or issues for a member of the team to check out.

Be sure to follow Need for Speed on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok for the latest news.

*Conditions, limitations and exclusions apply. See https://tos.ea.com/legalapp/eaplay/us/en/pc/ for details.

**Requires Need for Speed™ Unbound (sold separately) and all game updates.



From r/needforspeed
 
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from what I've seen on Twitter, actual patch notes should come out soon. If it is how EA handle the Battlefield 2042 patch notes, I would expect them Thursday or Friday. Worst case they are the day of the update
 
Seeing what I can assume are grown men unironically using the word “Fam” makes me want to commit self-uninstall System32
I have it set as my player "name" in Forza Horizon, because every single one of them is total cringe but at least that one is legitimately a name I have been called by actual people as a contraction of my online identity :lol:


"Welcome back, Fam".
 
Fingers crossed that the full patch notes has some economy changes for multiplayer and/or vehicle balance adjustments.

I'm also guessing that the "sweet luxury wide" the article mentions will be the Panamera Turbo, based on how prolific it is in the screenshots and trailer.
 
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I have it set as my player "name" in Forza Horizon, because every single one of them is total cringe but at least that one is legitimately a name I have been called by actual people as a contraction of my online identity :lol:


"Welcome back, Fam".
You’re a stronger/braver man than I am :lol:
 
Very poor new content, features that should have been in the game at launch and "real money" cars...
Well... I guess that's how publishers think "great additions" are nowadays... :)
 
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Man EA HATE doing post launch content now dont they? This will be dead in less then 6 months just like:

2015
PAYBACK
HEAT
Grid leg-ends (Still has so many bugs none will be fixed)
 
Wow, this is gonna be EPIC!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Ultimate luxury? What could it be? Bugatti Bolide? Bugatti Chiron SS? La Voiture Noire? Profilee? GP Speciale? SS 300+? SS 375+?
 
Wow, this is gonna be EPIC!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Ultimate luxury? What could it be? Bugatti Bolide? Bugatti Chiron SS? La Voiture Noire? Profilee? GP Speciale? SS 300+? SS 375+?
"World's fastest leather armchair" is a phrase not dissimilar to one used to describe Bentleys.
 
Bunch of Criterion high ranks left it after Unbound release. There will be another racing games studio soon.
 
Need for Speed Under the Hood - Vol. 2 Patch Notes

 
Limited the ability to downgrade cars to one tier below stock
Added the ability to select a driving tag on a per-vehicle basis
Added the ability for players to see what other players are up to whilst on the map, meetups and the on-server list of the party menu
Fixed an issue that caused traffic cars to have delayed responses to collisions in Multiplayer
Added the ability to swap cars out on each race in a playlist, so players can choose cars better suited to each event type
Increased base payouts for all Multiplayer playlists, and added greater payouts scaling with higher player counts
Street Fighter Yes GIF


That's a whole lot of stuff I've wanted fixed, alongside a major list of other improvements. Can't wait for the patch to drop! :D
 
I know luxury sedans have a decent demand in Forza, But what does the NFS community think about it? I would like to know.
I personally think it's neat, mostly because you don't see Maybach in racing games very often to begin with, and it's one of the last OEMs I would've expected to be added to an NFS game, so I welcome it as an oddball addon. Maybe we can get an Alpina B7 to match with the S680 at some point. :dopey:
 
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