After the 2015 soft reboot, potentially excellent but ruined by its online-only experience (more on that in a dedicated article), and the muddled Payback, the Need for Speed saga risked losing its way. Then came Heat and Unbound: two solid and genuinely well-executed entries, more so the former than the latter, that reminded fans what it means to race in true NFS style.
And yet, the franchise seems stuck in limbo: between rumors of a Most Wanted (2005) remake and EA prioritizing other projects, a clear direction is needed — especially now that Forza Horizon dominates the arcade racing scene. EA Games knows this too, and thankfully continues the wise decision to avoid annual releases like in the 2000s. For the successor, they’ve decided to take even more time to avoid missteps – some rumors say EA Games stopped the series, but we don’t trust.
Unbound’s cel-shaded style, with cartoon effects on drifts, jumps, and boosts, was a bold but polarizing choice in an era of hyper-realism. That’s precisely why it worked for this writer, especially given the game’s bland, recycled storyline.
However, the next NFS cannot afford divisive stylistic choices or expensive celebrity cameos that add no value to gameplay — like A$AP Rocky’s in Unbound, which, frankly, was useless. Driving must once again become the main spectacle.
First Point: Rivals should be the benchmark
To get back on track, EA Games, Ghost, and everyone involved can look to one truly well-made installment: Need For Speed Rivals. A beacon in level design, it offered snow-covered mountains, deserts, canyons, forests, and endless highways begging for full-throttle runs. Heat and Unbound, on the other hand, excelled with richer, more believable cities (Palm City and Lakeshore City). The ideal recipe would blend Rivals’ environmental diversity with a deep, vibrant metropolis — a solution reminiscent of Forza Horizon, yes, but perfect and still unseen in the EA saga.
Another Rivals highlight was the police threat: tense chases with real stakes — that’s the essence. In Rivals, cops were relentless and genuinely dangerous; in Heat, the day/night cycle balanced money and reputation; in High Stakes, if we go way back, you could even lose your car. The next NFS should combine these elements so that every chase and race truly matters.
We need more feeling
A mistake not to repeat: the split between single-player and multiplayer seen in Unbound. After building their “dream car,” players should be able to take it online with friends right away. On the road, there should be more intensity: dangerous rivals, Rivals-style pursuit tech to fend off cops, and a no-mercy police force that keeps the tension alive until the finish line.
Today’s arcade benchmark is Forza Horizon. Yet the old NFS titles had a unique feel: the solidity of ProStreet, the controlled chaos of Hot Pursuit. The latest entries have drifted toward overly light physics — we need a revamp that restores weight, traction, and impact, on both asphalt and dirt. And we need a soundtrack worthy of the EA Trax tradition: tracks that stick in your head like in the days of Underground and Most Wanted (2005), and even the controversial Most Wanted of 2012.
