Need for Speed Unbound gameplay trailer is heavy on the effects – most can be disabled

EA and Criterion have released a brief 30 seconds of gameplay from Need for Speed Unbound, showcasing the game’s unique art style as much as the racing. The street racer will be coming out for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC on 2nd December 2022.

The divisive new art direction shown in the Need for Speed Unbound gameplay teaser blends a photorealistic world and cars with over the top graffiti-inspired graphics overlaid on top or replacing other common elements. The trailer briefly shows off some of the customisation options and combinations that are afforded to players, from picking the colour of tyre smoke that trails behind you when drifting, to the animated little icons that pop up above your car and either side of the boot when pulling off various moves.

A key part of NfS is slamming the Nitrous button to get a boost, and then recharging your boost by performing dangerous stunts like driving into oncoming traffic, or racing over a ramp to catch some airtime. Whenever you use Burst Nitrous in NfS Unbound, it seems to trigger a screen-wide explosion of colour and graffiti art, in addition to the motion blur and colour-altering effects that are common in racing games.

Elsewhere, all of the characters found within the story – including one played by A$AP Rocky – have been rendered with a cel shaded style. It’s certainly going to give the underground racing story of Chicago-inspired city of Lakeshore a different tone.

What’s not clear from this trailer is if you can disable these visuals in favour of a more straight-laced racer. You will certainly be able to choose more minimal effects, though some elements will remain regardless, like the aforementioned cel shaded characters.

Update: It’s been confirmed that you can disable (or more accurately never even apply) many effects to your car in game. The only things that will always be active are the basic tail smoke and trail lights.

Hey guys, #NFSUnbound update from your boy – Basic Tail Smoke and Trail Lights can’t be disabled, everything else can be though ? https://t.co/Qj4nGt7fzk

— Need for Speed (@NeedforSpeed) October 11, 2022

Further reading: Need for Speed Unbound car list confirmed with over 140 vehicles

It’s good that EA has chosen to follow up the announcement with Need for Speed Unbound gameplay just a few days later. While it’s been in development at Criterion Games since 2019, EA waited until just a few short months before release to announce the title and reveal the new art style.

Part of this might have been from the game’s slightly off-kilter development. Having laid the foundations, and with the new Need for Speed used to tease a new generation of tech on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, Criterion was then shifted over to assist in the final year of development for Battlefield 2042, putting their Need for Speed project on hold. They were able to get back to work on NfS around a year ago, but then it was announced that Codemasters Cheshire is now be a part of Criterion Games. Perhaps development was smoother on the inside, but from the outside it’s looked a bit jumbled.

Here’s hoping we get to see more gameplay in the next month or so, because it will be 2nd December before you know it.

Source: EA