"You did not disappoint!": Fans express their excitement over the announcement of Need for Speed Unbound

sportskeeda.com:

Electronic Arts and Criterion Games have finally unveiled their long-awaited new entry in the iconic racing game franchise Need for Speed, titled - Need for Speed Unbound. The announcement came with an action-packed and visually stunning trailer, giving fans a look at the game's new visual style that mixes anime-like esthetics with the ultra-photorealistic graphics of the series.

Fans have been waiting for a new title in the NFS franchise for the last three years, following the now-defunct Ghost Games' Need for Speed Heat, which was released in 2019, becoming the last entry in the series before Unbound.

Developer Criterion Games' new approach for the NFS series has garnered positive reactions from fans, with most expressing their excitement towards the game's new art style that mixes stylized anime-like art with photrealistic graphics, courtesy of EA's proprietary Frostbyte engine.

While many fans of the series have expressed excitement, others are cautiously optimistic regarding the title, which is understandable. Criterion Games do not have a stellar reputation amongst the NFS crowd due to their last entry in the series, with 2012's Most Wanted being mostly disliked by long-time fans of the series. While the game was not bad per se, it never felt like a Need for Speed game, due to its non-existent progression and overreliance on online interactivity.

Some fans are also skeptical over the new art direction and how well it will fit with the dark and gritty tone of an NFS title and whether they can turn off the cartoony after-effects of nitrous oxide and drifts as shown in the trailer.

Unbound's graffiti-esque esthetics and a serious, yet energetic tone are very reminiscent to that of NFS Carbon and Pro Street, which are