I'm just done with NFS Unbound and I thought it was worth discussing a bit.
For starters, the good :
- the game looks great. I mean, after HEAT that looked good at night but horribly bland and muddy and last gen during the day, Unbound managed to take a much better approach with its art direction for the world, both in the city and outside, during the day and the night. It not as good looking as NFS 2015 at Night (that art direction that game was god tier) but at least its vey enjoyable during the day and offer lots of variety in landscape, from the city (Chicago) the fields and the mountains.
- I really like the art direction overall, the anime characters ? I didn't care much, but I enjoyed the driving effects, they are flashy but not distracting. I also enjoyed the game focusing heavily into heavily modified cars throught full body kits, with the legendary customs behing bonker stuff, sometimes going for scifi looks, sometimes madmax, sometimes hardcore dyi racing. Its refreshing to see a game leaning to heavily into car mods but not only from the Underground like tuner scene. I mean look at this :
Sure its overdesigned, too busy and obnoxious, but it is a statement. Its fun to see devs go all in for once in a genre where the brand usually are iffy about damage and mods.
- The progression system is very open ended. You play want you want. Sure the calendar and deadlines are here to structure your progression but if you feel like grinding you can, if you feel like skipping ahead because you feel ready you can too. Dont like drifting ? Never do a drift event ever. Very permissive progression. Good stuff.
- The driving : THANK GOD they gave up the stupid HEAT model. Driving feels good, you can tweak with a slider if your car grip or drift more (depending on the parts that slider will go be able to go more on one side or the other) and drifting is something you have control on. You are also rewarded for grippy turn with boost so no loosing team here. Good stuff.
Overall the game looks great, feels great to drive, lets you play your way and have tons of shit to unlock on the map with rewards for completions, just like old times.
Now the less good stuff :
- this game is all risk no reward. By the structure of the HEAT gauge, the more you play the more risky it is for each day (day + evening) and there are no reward for it, as an event at 0 heat will reward you the same as a 5 heat win. And escaping pursuits gives jack shit in comparaison even in late game.
- Police cheats, of course, but it gets old, fast, when you see a cop out of nowhere, casually driving down at 300+ kph just to get you in his cone of vision the LAST second of your escape progress. It happens all the fucking time, it feels so fucking artificial when you are sitting under a roof far from heli sight and just wait with engine off for the escape bar to empty.
- I'm sure the teammates aren't program to ram you but they WILL crash into traffic that WILL crash into you. Many many times I've seen an AI just go off its way to hit a traffic car and that will veer into my path and I'll crash without being able to do anything lol
- the game economy is REALLY rought early on. the money is very tight and the game force you to keep some to progress for a deadline in the first week... it can be very frustrating. Also, I'm not sure why the engines are more expensive when swapped into a more expensive car. Makes no sens, its the same engine lol I didn't end up buying anything, just playing with the cars the game gave me (the one you can race to win) and upgraded these, it was expensive enough to stay on track with the progression.
- No rewind. I know I know. Forza Horizon spoiled us, but listen, when you get that much random traffic and that much weird collision and physic glitches, give us a rewind option in the open world, outside of events, when we grind for the Stars for the speed zone / speed camera / jump challenges. The set up for these can be frustrating to re do again and again when you get a random bump making you loose grip.
Overall, I'd say its the most inspired, fun and varied NFS in the past decade. Its taking the best from Most Wanted 2012 and 2015, its not handling or looking like shit like HEAT
I'd recommend it, good fun.
For starters, the good :
- the game looks great. I mean, after HEAT that looked good at night but horribly bland and muddy and last gen during the day, Unbound managed to take a much better approach with its art direction for the world, both in the city and outside, during the day and the night. It not as good looking as NFS 2015 at Night (that art direction that game was god tier) but at least its vey enjoyable during the day and offer lots of variety in landscape, from the city (Chicago) the fields and the mountains.
- I really like the art direction overall, the anime characters ? I didn't care much, but I enjoyed the driving effects, they are flashy but not distracting. I also enjoyed the game focusing heavily into heavily modified cars throught full body kits, with the legendary customs behing bonker stuff, sometimes going for scifi looks, sometimes madmax, sometimes hardcore dyi racing. Its refreshing to see a game leaning to heavily into car mods but not only from the Underground like tuner scene. I mean look at this :
Sure its overdesigned, too busy and obnoxious, but it is a statement. Its fun to see devs go all in for once in a genre where the brand usually are iffy about damage and mods.
- The progression system is very open ended. You play want you want. Sure the calendar and deadlines are here to structure your progression but if you feel like grinding you can, if you feel like skipping ahead because you feel ready you can too. Dont like drifting ? Never do a drift event ever. Very permissive progression. Good stuff.
- The driving : THANK GOD they gave up the stupid HEAT model. Driving feels good, you can tweak with a slider if your car grip or drift more (depending on the parts that slider will go be able to go more on one side or the other) and drifting is something you have control on. You are also rewarded for grippy turn with boost so no loosing team here. Good stuff.
Overall the game looks great, feels great to drive, lets you play your way and have tons of shit to unlock on the map with rewards for completions, just like old times.
Now the less good stuff :
- this game is all risk no reward. By the structure of the HEAT gauge, the more you play the more risky it is for each day (day + evening) and there are no reward for it, as an event at 0 heat will reward you the same as a 5 heat win. And escaping pursuits gives jack shit in comparaison even in late game.
- Police cheats, of course, but it gets old, fast, when you see a cop out of nowhere, casually driving down at 300+ kph just to get you in his cone of vision the LAST second of your escape progress. It happens all the fucking time, it feels so fucking artificial when you are sitting under a roof far from heli sight and just wait with engine off for the escape bar to empty.
- I'm sure the teammates aren't program to ram you but they WILL crash into traffic that WILL crash into you. Many many times I've seen an AI just go off its way to hit a traffic car and that will veer into my path and I'll crash without being able to do anything lol
- the game economy is REALLY rought early on. the money is very tight and the game force you to keep some to progress for a deadline in the first week... it can be very frustrating. Also, I'm not sure why the engines are more expensive when swapped into a more expensive car. Makes no sens, its the same engine lol I didn't end up buying anything, just playing with the cars the game gave me (the one you can race to win) and upgraded these, it was expensive enough to stay on track with the progression.
- No rewind. I know I know. Forza Horizon spoiled us, but listen, when you get that much random traffic and that much weird collision and physic glitches, give us a rewind option in the open world, outside of events, when we grind for the Stars for the speed zone / speed camera / jump challenges. The set up for these can be frustrating to re do again and again when you get a random bump making you loose grip.
Overall, I'd say its the most inspired, fun and varied NFS in the past decade. Its taking the best from Most Wanted 2012 and 2015, its not handling or looking like shit like HEAT
I'd recommend it, good fun.
