Need For Speed Unbound Won't Save the Franchise (but it almost did)

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  • čas pƙidĂĄn 6. 03. 2023
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Komentáƙe • 1,6K

  • @Whitelight
    @Whitelight  Pƙed rokem +191

    Use my link nordvpn.com/whitelightvpn to get an exclusive NordVPN deal. To commemorate NordVPNs 11th birthday, for a limited time only - you will also receive an additional mystery gift.

  • @TunergiArchoz
    @TunergiArchoz Pƙed rokem +4313

    6:08 "They're cocky and that makes you want to take risks to relieve them of their cock."
    Truly one of the quotes of all time.

    • @monkerulz
      @monkerulz Pƙed rokem +393

      Loved the part where Whitelight said, "It's cocking time" and cocked all over the cars

    • @ForeverNoob14
      @ForeverNoob14 Pƙed rokem +123

      When I heard it, I was like "what did he just say?" lol had to come find a comment about it

    • @beflyaudio
      @beflyaudio Pƙed rokem +73

      This line broke something in me

    • @brightonic
      @brightonic Pƙed rokem +41

      I was like “pause”

    • @sambaugh2722
      @sambaugh2722 Pƙed rokem +57

      It makes me angry that the most liked comment (so far) praising this hilariously-written and perfectly-delivered line does so with the most boring, overused, unfunny meme in existence. And you didn’t even use it correctly. And is only made worse by the most liked reply being another overused, unfunny, copy/paste Morbius meme.

  • @napadan
    @napadan Pƙed rokem +1335

    This game is
    1 step forward for the innovation
    2 step backward for the content

    • @MX-ul5ps
      @MX-ul5ps Pƙed rokem +44

      criterion games always had poor content

    • @animationcity8178
      @animationcity8178 Pƙed rokem +44

      @@MX-ul5ps NFS HP was pretty good

    • @tonysoviet3692
      @tonysoviet3692 Pƙed rokem +103

      @@MX-ul5ps They were great as an independent studio, the Burnout franchise is a timeless classic, not to mention the tremendous content in Burnout Paradise (expanded map, motorbikes...) I'd blame EA rather than the studios within it.

    • @purwantiallan5089
      @purwantiallan5089 Pƙed rokem +8

      @@MX-ul5ps after NFS PAYBACK, CRITERION GAMES seemingly loves to do tons of step backwards in terms of overall game contents.

    • @purwantiallan5089
      @purwantiallan5089 Pƙed rokem +6

      @@tonysoviet3692 yes. Burnout Paradise had tons of game depth despite running on open world like LEGO 2K DRIVE.

  • @BlackPanthaa
    @BlackPanthaa Pƙed rokem +2637

    Best in the biz, clear and fair. Making sure every NFS dev I know gets spammed this 😄

    • @aavishkarpayale3712
      @aavishkarpayale3712 Pƙed rokem +88

      Finally someone will give the devs a representation of what we really want.

    • @off9760
      @off9760 Pƙed rokem +25

      love you dude, I really hope they actually fix some of the issues

    • @kjriwoutube
      @kjriwoutube Pƙed rokem +22

      Hey its Mw2012 Lover 69 😂

    • @lukamilic
      @lukamilic Pƙed rokem +9

      Pff, yeah right

    • @christiantaylor1495
      @christiantaylor1495 Pƙed rokem +4

      ​@@kjriwoutube he played mw2012 300 hours

  • @the_crypter
    @the_crypter Pƙed rokem +749

    "And though the Lake shore city was alive, I could not find it's heart"
    Damn, this dude can write.

    • @edgarmorin9530
      @edgarmorin9530 Pƙed rokem +23

      I noticed how older Ghost games mostly specially Payback is more alive with how it has more Ai in the city and highways and when there is a race there is park cars and people near the area waiting for the race to start...it's a shame that Unbound doesn't even try

    • @smolltaco5667
      @smolltaco5667 Pƙed rokem +13

      As someone who recently went to chicago, i like the map tbh
      If i could make it better i would add more cars and maybe the ability to see racers from your crew or other crews on the street and be able to seamlessly street race them, upon other details around the map

    • @Bossfightmedia
      @Bossfightmedia Pƙed 8 měsĂ­ci +6

      Indeed He can. These Scripts are truly magnificient in many Ways. As a writer myself I find this to be one of the Most enjoyable Things about His Content.

    • @cooltwittertag
      @cooltwittertag Pƙed 8 měsĂ­ci

      @@edgarmorin9530its sad just how dead and ugly the last ghost maps were

    • @yrdonp1131
      @yrdonp1131 Pƙed 2 měsĂ­ci +1

      Yea he can write in the same way Brian the dog from family can write.

  • @easthorizonfilms
    @easthorizonfilms Pƙed rokem +2201

    Whitelights retrospectives are so strangely unique, his script is poetic in nature (the arkham city one especially). I cant quite describe it, but its fantastic.

    • @DreamsCodex
      @DreamsCodex Pƙed rokem +24

      I can't agree more! I couldnt stop laughing for several moments in this video because of all the bashing towards the charaters đŸ€Ł

    • @Vektorion
      @Vektorion Pƙed rokem +33

      Watch his 7 hour Death Stranding review, you'll love it

    • @rkshn
      @rkshn Pƙed rokem +29

      his Driveclub review is peak poetry. one of my favorite review/video essay/video on youtube.

    • @Bishop2155
      @Bishop2155 Pƙed rokem +3

      I just don’t like the cartoony effects like the tire smoke it just seems 2001 ish and Arcady

    • @TheKalo9
      @TheKalo9 Pƙed rokem +4

      Damn bruh the glazing is crazy

  • @altgame3336
    @altgame3336 Pƙed rokem +1484

    Miss those days when nfs was one of the most hyped arcade racing

    • @gfasterOS
      @gfasterOS Pƙed rokem +188

      By process of elimination, it still is.

    • @0uttaS1TE
      @0uttaS1TE Pƙed rokem +84

      @@gfasterOS Not much else to get hyped for

    • @TheCocomunges
      @TheCocomunges Pƙed rokem +196

      I mean it still is, only because there’s no more competition

    • @yellowdude9425
      @yellowdude9425 Pƙed rokem +62

      NFS used to be so badass

    • @elias7074
      @elias7074 Pƙed rokem +25

      It still the most successful racing game but the hype died

  • @mintspears6714
    @mintspears6714 Pƙed rokem +790

    I cant tell if its more painful to play a bad game, or to play game so dang close to greatness. I cannot wait for a racer to come out that just gets most everything right.

    • @cyberboyf13
      @cyberboyf13 Pƙed rokem +176

      Id say the latter. For the reason that a bad game will just disappoint you once and then you can leave. A game on the cusp of greatness keeps teasing it's imaginary potential and will keep living rent free in your head.

    • @krusher181
      @krusher181 Pƙed rokem +2

      @@cyberboyf13not if it’s got microtransactions

    • @qew_Nemo
      @qew_Nemo Pƙed rokem +44

      For me definitely the latter. I can laugh a bad game off but games that failed to reach their true potential haunt me for years.

    • @0Blueaura
      @0Blueaura Pƙed rokem +4

      @@cyberboyf13 free to play need for speed game with one city where you unlock new parts for your car until you are able to buy a better one for hard earned cash, with multiplayer being open serverses with many people like in nfs world, but the game expands on itself with new cities and cars with a story that progresses indefinitely

    • @clementineshamaney5137
      @clementineshamaney5137 Pƙed rokem +2

      ​@@cyberboyf13 thats how i feel abt fallout 4

  • @modernlogix
    @modernlogix Pƙed rokem +442

    "So play it and wait for 3 more years in the painfully familiar way that Need for Speed Will Truly find itself again" - This just got me teared up.. Might as well be waiting for my whole life. But I will if I get to live the life of early 2000s in NFS again.

    • @lchollies3651
      @lchollies3651 Pƙed rokem +17

      It’s unlikely. But they could surprise us

    • @anut8733
      @anut8733 Pƙed rokem +50

      The core gameplay of street racing was actually good in Heat and Unbound but they all lacking the same things; wacky story and also the sense of progression.
      Climbing through the blacklist and/or unlocking new region, new cars and parts is what Underground 2 and MW 2005 does much better.
      Hell, even random street racers with their cars roaming around in Underground 2 was better at makes the game more lively than just putting actual npcs in Unbound.

    • @shira_yone
      @shira_yone Pƙed rokem +57

      They need a clear vision and not just keep half assing _potentially_ great vibes and atmosphere that is brought down by lack of commitment.
      It's the popular thing to do to praise Blackbox NFS, but one thing that they constantly nails is a focused and clear direction. UG is the quintessential fast and furious experience in videogame form, MW'05 is pure rebellious spirit and edge, Carbon have impeccable art direction with the duality of high energy neon night city and high thrill canyon, ProStreet is still the best trackday racer boy simulator with atmosphere to match (and it was a risk to fully commit to such a vision, but it's heart is unquestionable), UC and The Run are shameless schlocky hollywood movies experience but their identity is clear and uncompromised.

    • @modernlogix
      @modernlogix Pƙed rokem +11

      @@shira_yone true those games live on as they had clear identity to backup the gameplay.

    • @jarrodeaston6373
      @jarrodeaston6373 Pƙed rokem +13

      ​@Shirayone It's not just that. The gameplay needs a huge overhaul as well. These games have played like garbage since 2011 and they need to start from scratch.

  • @mashedpotatoesfromkfc
    @mashedpotatoesfromkfc Pƙed rokem +677

    5 mins in you mention one of my favorite things about this game. you do not need to be the winner to feel like you had a good race in this game, and that’s so hard to nail. the story progresses either way, which gives you a slight sense of urgency in your placements too. I remember going into races KNOWING i wouldn’t win, but would place high enough to earn the cash i needed

    • @0uttaS1TE
      @0uttaS1TE Pƙed rokem +55

      It means the objectives are dynamic, as well as your targets in terms of betting. There's a good feeling of progression within individual weeks, where you go from seeing the top driver's taillights to going head to head with them

    • @mashedpotatoesfromkfc
      @mashedpotatoesfromkfc Pƙed rokem +2

      @@0uttaS1TE well said

    • @maidoll_fei
      @maidoll_fei Pƙed rokem +1

      I think the game auto adjust event prize money depends on how much money player earn/own/lost. So it allow player not winning sometime.

    • @MedicalBillz
      @MedicalBillz Pƙed rokem +13

      ​@@maidoll_fei nah, the only adjustment is how much you can bet against racers depending on the level of your car. Say your car is 400+ and you bet against Rocky, you'll win 4000 if you beat him. If your car is level 370-ish you'll get double

    • @supreme_brick
      @supreme_brick Pƙed rokem +4

      ive had the opposite experience just not my jam

  • @clorasmcsmugger2653
    @clorasmcsmugger2653 Pƙed rokem +129

    It would have also been cool to have different garage designs given that you unlock hideouts from certain characters, but instead they all look like Rydells.

  • @TheBNCyo
    @TheBNCyo Pƙed rokem +104

    What a pristine review, the part about the police is spot on, it's never been easier yet it's the most annoying when you trying to move between events and you see like 10 to 20 cops free roaming on every possible corner of the map, you'd think half of the population of lake shore is police patrolling men

  • @7ndrew
    @7ndrew Pƙed rokem +81

    My problem with NFS is that you could pretty much take any of them since HP10 and say "it could've been great", but they all had decisions that just defy sheer common sense, either by Criterion/Ghost themselves, or EA interfering.

    • @scottneil1187
      @scottneil1187 Pƙed rokem

      There were 10 hot pursuits!?.

    • @7ndrew
      @7ndrew Pƙed rokem +12

      @@scottneil1187 yes

    • @jblazerndrowzy
      @jblazerndrowzy Pƙed rokem +27

      @@scottneil1187 Actually, there was 2010 Hot Pursuits

    • @7ndrew
      @7ndrew Pƙed rokem +35

      @@jblazerndrowzy There were 2012 Most Wanteds too, so I don't get why people are complaining

    • @RIPzippyshare
      @RIPzippyshare Pƙed 10 měsĂ­ci

      since Carbon.

  • @kapsize_8251
    @kapsize_8251 Pƙed rokem +126

    What's interesting is that a mechanic in Blur's party multiplayer racer ( how to take right angle turns using nitros) becomes an exploit in NFS unbound, just because the AI can't do it.

    • @modernlogix
      @modernlogix Pƙed rokem +21

      NFS MW 2005 also had this I think and it was fine there I think because it was required to fight the cops they had in that game lol.

    • @aguywithgames3135
      @aguywithgames3135 Pƙed rokem +4

      @@modernlogix You mean Speedbreaker? Man, I miss that mechanic. Turning your speed demon into an near-unstoppable juggernaut was awesome.

    • @modernlogix
      @modernlogix Pƙed rokem +14

      @@aguywithgames3135 oh that was awesome, but i was talking about boost cancelling the momentum. The boost in that game I mostly used to get my drift in control and cross corners at a much faster speed than ai.

    • @christiantaylor1495
      @christiantaylor1495 Pƙed rokem +1

      I've still not even raced the AI yet. Any racing game without at least 20 different difficulty settings is just a joke to me. You people don't know what it's like to be 100% focused for an entire hour 1v1 fighting for 3rd place for it to come down to the last lap and realise all the difference was made thanks to your pitstop plan. Either play arcade racers online until they get good ai difficulty settings, or play a sim racer and get a wheel

    • @priyapepsi
      @priyapepsi Pƙed rokem +18

      @@christiantaylor1495 Let people enjoy things

  • @SiamHossain7
    @SiamHossain7 Pƙed rokem +91

    The fairest, yet somehow most positive, and most detailed criticism of Unbound I've seen. Encapsulates everything I loved and hated about this game. Really hope the developers and EA suits take note of the complaints and praises that so many of us have expressed that you've encapsulated so well in your review. NFS feels like it has the best chance to be back in a long time, I hope Criterion takes it.

    • @fime6311
      @fime6311 Pƙed 5 měsĂ­ci

      But.. how about online mode, NFS campaign hasn't been great for a few years now.

  • @gabroooka
    @gabroooka Pƙed rokem +158

    The day/night system of Heat was such an amazing idea, shame they removed it completely. After the first 2 weeks of the "story" I literally just speedran through the game, and after the story I had to cheat in a ton of money to at least get a couple more hours of enjoyment by customizing some cars. I got barely 30 hours of gameplay out of the 80€ palace edition.

    • @MONTR65
      @MONTR65 Pƙed rokem +19

      Why did you buy the palace edition if it doesn't have more content and you want to customize cars yourself. Not defending the game but that wasted money's your fault

    • @thiccbaron
      @thiccbaron Pƙed rokem +6

      jokes on you.. Just like heat they won't push any updates so there is no reason you should pick this up right away. Right now the game is +-25€

    • @Ser_Salty
      @Ser_Salty Pƙed rokem +45

      The day/night system is a great idea until you max out your reputation. Once you're Rep 50 and collected the Ultimate parts, why would you ever go back to night? Why would you risk losing all of the money you made during the day (Unbound improved on this system a lot, with only the money earned in the current session being lost, rather than most of your overall money) for absolutely zero reward? Now you're "stuck" only racing at day for more money to build more cars, but there's no risk.
      And really, it should've been the other way around. The publicly broadcast, official races during daytime should've earned you rep, because a lot of people will see you race, and the illegal races should've made you money, because classically, illegal street races are for cash or pinks.

    • @deedeekreep9139
      @deedeekreep9139 Pƙed rokem +1

      The idea was wack for online.

    • @christiantaylor1495
      @christiantaylor1495 Pƙed rokem +5

      I waited and got it dirt cheap on sale. I can't believe anybody buys games full price. It doesn't matter how much money I accumulate; I'll always wait for a big sale or buy preowned.

  • @scottneil1187
    @scottneil1187 Pƙed rokem +75

    Many things you describe as a plus point here existed back in the Midnight Club games, people behind the wheel, living streets etc. Rockstar really should bring it back, still the undisputed king of arcade driving games.

    • @doyouwannarollwithme
      @doyouwannarollwithme Pƙed rokem +8

      Too bad the "undisputed" king of arcade never managed to have half as good of a driving model, police or aesthetics as NFS at its peak lolz

    • @RandomCarfromNFS
      @RandomCarfromNFS Pƙed rokem +22

      @@doyouwannarollwithme cap

    • @maxrodriguez889
      @maxrodriguez889 Pƙed rokem +13

      exactly, and it even carried in the ways that unbound lacked with some of its customization options, the fact that each meet up was different AND you could see the other racers on the road during free roam!! one of my favorite things about mcla that i didnt even realize was a fav until i played unbound was that the cops were actually COPS. and by that i mean you had to actually obey street laws when you were near one because they'd actually stop you for running a red light or stop sign, obv for speeding but just doing overall dumb shit would cause the cop to chase you. not like unbound where you could cause a 6 car pile up going 120 mph and the cop will just keep cruising on by. little stuff like this makes unbound feel so dull even though it is still a good racing game

    • @scottneil1187
      @scottneil1187 Pƙed rokem +18

      @@doyouwannarollwithme Sure dude, that's why the team behind the games do all the vehicle stuff in GTA nowadays, clearly bad and the police were realistic unlike the NFS games. If the aesthetic was so bad then why did they team up with real world manufacturers and Dub magazine?, nevermind using the name Midnight Club which is a real world driving crew.

    • @Tha-mountain
      @Tha-mountain Pƙed 10 měsĂ­ci +1

      gta still making money tho

  • @AllTheNamesIPickedWereTaken
    @AllTheNamesIPickedWereTaken Pƙed rokem +205

    I don't even play racing games at all and yet here I am watching every single racing game video you put out.
    Keep up the good work 👍

  • @noimageavailable2934
    @noimageavailable2934 Pƙed rokem +62

    It's so sad to see the arcade racing genre in this state where it's barely limping along.

    • @shawklan27
      @shawklan27 Pƙed rokem +18

      Buying a ps2 that comes with all of the popular arcade racing games makes your point all the more alarming. Flatout 2, MC3, Ridge Racer, the nfs games, fast and furious, auto modellista, juiced, gran turismo, burnout. They can't be beat by todays games.

    • @mrmasky9783
      @mrmasky9783 Pƙed rokem

      @@shawklan27 burnout..the only need for speed i can play that scratches the itch that i am a burnout junkie is payback. I don't know why but it feels more like burnout but nfs

  • @kingturtle9552
    @kingturtle9552 Pƙed rokem +121

    I can actually use this man’s voice to help me sleep, and that’s in the nicest way possible. It’s so damn relaxing

    • @hondafknciviv3818
      @hondafknciviv3818 Pƙed rokem

      I ended up falling asleep not even ten minutes in because of the voice lmao

  • @tontobonto2073
    @tontobonto2073 Pƙed rokem +6

    when i'm in a "be cringe" competition but my opponent is NFS dialog writer

  • @CssHDmonster
    @CssHDmonster Pƙed rokem +371

    i loved the visual style, finally a slightly different looking driving game

    • @johnnymcjohnson1373
      @johnnymcjohnson1373 Pƙed rokem +46

      agreed, especially since the NFS series is a more arcade style racing game rather than Forza or Gran Turismo and this art style not only emphasizes that fact but also lets it stand out

    • @ridhosamudro2199
      @ridhosamudro2199 Pƙed rokem +82

      If anything it doesn't go far enough.

    • @CssHDmonster
      @CssHDmonster Pƙed rokem +12

      @@ridhosamudro2199 considering how much backlash the current art-style has gotten, i dont think EA execs would have allowed it

    • @user-fd4hf6ml5w
      @user-fd4hf6ml5w Pƙed rokem +19

      You obviously never heard of Auto Modelista before, haven't you?

    • @Pawn2e4
      @Pawn2e4 Pƙed rokem +22

      @@CssHDmonster The stuff during the race looks alright, but god the humans look terrible.

  • @Jared-ll3tt
    @Jared-ll3tt Pƙed rokem +21

    The Crew had the most interesting take on police. They change depending on the terrain and state that you're in. Sure they weren't as hard as NFS cops could be, but they were really fun

  • @totallynuts7595
    @totallynuts7595 Pƙed rokem +63

    Hard not to notice the surface level similarities between the story of Unbound and Most Wanted 05: Car stolen, race to get it back, top dog of the city wants to stop you. What makes MW05's story "great" (or, rather, servicable, I should say) is how little it gets in the player's way. Most of the story happens in the text messages you get from the characters, the tone of the story doesn't change at all,

    • @GabePlaysYT
      @GabePlaysYT Pƙed rokem +9

      It was the same in Payback which is also a game all about revenge - which is what Most Wanted 05's story boils down too: revenge against Razor. EA has been subconsciously trying to mirror the same success as Most Wanted 05 with little result.

    • @jolejolevv
      @jolejolevv Pƙed 11 měsĂ­ci +1

      @@GabePlaysYT i mean maybe if the just do a remake of the game. Maybeeeee

    • @MikoyanGurevichMiG21
      @MikoyanGurevichMiG21 Pƙed 8 měsĂ­ci +4

      @@jolejolevv funnily Criterion's last Need for Speed title before unbound was.....Most Wanted. They even had a plan to remake the story of the original but all got shoved in the end for a toned down lite version of Burnout Paradise wearing NFS clothing.

    • @nerd_nato564
      @nerd_nato564 Pƙed 13 dny

      @@MikoyanGurevichMiG21 Didn't they work on Rivals and Heat as well?

  • @mcrel5999
    @mcrel5999 Pƙed rokem +80

    Grip turns really DO feel like a bowstring being pulled back. White light is so good at describing how I feel

    • @literally-nobody242
      @literally-nobody242 Pƙed rokem

      Yeah of only drifting was good in this game

    • @Tha-mountain
      @Tha-mountain Pƙed 10 měsĂ­ci

      @@literally-nobody242fixed now?

    • @TheUltimateHacker007
      @TheUltimateHacker007 Pƙed 10 měsĂ­ci +1

      ​@@Tha-mountainNope. It's a glorified powerslide

    • @Tha-mountain
      @Tha-mountain Pƙed 10 měsĂ­ci

      @@TheUltimateHacker007 which should be better than day one right?

    • @TheUltimateHacker007
      @TheUltimateHacker007 Pƙed 10 měsĂ­ci +5

      @@Tha-mountain It always remained the same. Drifting doesn't feel good or isn't something that you can be good or bad at. It just exists

  • @Owenbegowen
    @Owenbegowen Pƙed 11 měsĂ­ci +4

    The amount of times I had a box truck or van pull in front of me in an intersection and stop was extremely frustrating

  • @Tacticalknife00
    @Tacticalknife00 Pƙed rokem +81

    From a quick intro, straight to the point. Big fan, Whitelight

  • @tSunrise_
    @tSunrise_ Pƙed 11 měsĂ­ci +4

    This game reminds me a lot of Midnight Club LA. The sense of speed, the vehicle combat, the cocky characters, drafting boosts, the risk reward of the burst nitrous.

    • @emaadally5658
      @emaadally5658 Pƙed 11 měsĂ­ci +4

      And people saying it it’s the worst nfs game 😱. I love the fact that you have played the best racing game to ever exist. Midnight club will always stay close in my heart.

    • @tuningtunetuningtuningfunny
      @tuningtunetuningtuningfunny Pƙed 11 měsĂ­ci

      The cocky dialogue is really bad though. In MCLA it at least felt more grounded. The racing itself though is pretty good.
      There is a reason for why people are mixed on the game, there are improvements but a lot of flaws as well. Not to mention the weird political preaching forced in.
      People should really stop defending products as if it were their holy bible or something, it's a product made by a company to earn money but they clearly failed.

  • @SALEENS7GTR5
    @SALEENS7GTR5 Pƙed rokem +7

    I think an easy and more believable fix for the cops would be to have dedicated police stations that put out an AOE of police concentration on the map. A station would most likely be somewhere in the city, where the most people are located, so the most cops would be there. As you moved further from the city towards suburbs and rural, the police population gets lower, like in real life. Maybe 2-3 smaller stations with a smaller AOE could be spread out, but they would also send less police after you until you got closer to the concentration. City races would reward more cash and XP too, versus rural races, but rural races could be longer or emphasize needing cleaner and faster driving to win, since other racers and yourself would not to need to worry about cops or more objects around city streets to crash into. However, going off the road could mean hitting a tree or cliff and having a very slow recovery over driving on a something like a sidewalk.
    If you are trying to escape, the easier way would be to move away from the concentration. But you could risk escaping closer to city to have quicker access to the next event. There's more ways to break line-of-site in a city too, versus open fields in the country. You pose less risk as a street racer in rural areas than in cities, so the police would want to put in less effort compared to racers closer to the city. Pair this with other cop fixes, and it could feel more realistic and also more rewarding.

  • @Brawndo27
    @Brawndo27 Pƙed 9 měsĂ­ci +3

    The burst nitrous system reminds me of the ‘slipstream nitrous’ from rockstar’s midnight club. Only took EA 15 years to pilfer that concept from rockstar; I’m sincerely surprised it wasn’t done sooner.

  • @notme7486
    @notme7486 Pƙed rokem +7

    Hit the nail on the head with the “insular book club” feeling, NFSU2 felt alive in ways because of being able to see other racers in their riced out cars cruising the same as me, hearing their engines loud over the droning normal cars quick glance at the minimap to confirm I’m hearing another racer close by. Unbound dropped the ball massively just felt like that scene from whatever show or movie it was “how do you do fellow kids”

  • @rus.t
    @rus.t Pƙed rokem +17

    The game has potential. It's not perfect, no game is, but it could be a shot of adrenaline (or nitrous) for arcade racers. I'm excited for what Criterion could do with the series.

  • @izanazir7088
    @izanazir7088 Pƙed rokem +34

    Down every minute it was a perfect review, as a long time fan of this series, i am glad that someone sees the potential but also knows what it lacks with problem. The only thing it left for me was creativity and this game brought back the idea of creativity, but falls down in other areas. I hope i get a good old racing game, where every thing was exciting enough to keep me coming back.

  • @notsocuteonion
    @notsocuteonion Pƙed rokem +56

    NFS was a big part of my childhood, but since 2013 most wanted came out I started to drift from that series to something like Forza Horizon.
    But later, there are more and more good games even from the big companies. It's a renaissance of gaming, a bit bold to say, but some of them go back to their roots, if you catching what I'm throwing and it's great to see that

    • @0uttaS1TE
      @0uttaS1TE Pƙed rokem +10

      It's too early to say but it feels like devs are getting more freedom.

    • @notsocuteonion
      @notsocuteonion Pƙed rokem

      @@0uttaS1TE Agreed

    • @ShizukiShirano
      @ShizukiShirano Pƙed rokem +7

      Sadly not for the racing games (at least as of now), they all dying (cus of different reasons) and its probably even surprising that NFS still lives and tries (but that's cus there is no competition too).

    • @bryo4321
      @bryo4321 Pƙed rokem +5

      @@ShizukiShirano it sucks we’ve been stuck in a cycle of trying to live up to most wanted and midnight club for the last 15 years but I will admit I’m glad we got games like unbound and heat. They aren’t as good as the older games but at least it’s something to scratch that edgy street racer vibe. I still like forza horizon but those games have felt more and more soulless the older the series gets.

    • @blinkachu5275
      @blinkachu5275 Pƙed rokem +7

      "It's a renaissance of gaming"
      Heavily disagreed, most if not all racing game series have had their prime. NFS was best during the 2000s era, Burnout who?, Midnight Club who?, Forza Horizon 1 is still the best in the Horizon series, Forza 3 or Forza 4 is the best in that series, GT7 is cool but has egregious issues and GT4 is still the best in that series
      I could go on. Every single racing game series has past their prime. Newer entries never are truly terrible, but they also always have so many flaws that they just end up being disappointing

  • @xMartyZz
    @xMartyZz Pƙed rokem +20

    Hands down best video game essay channel out there. Keep up the great work, it's a joy listening to your smooth voice read the exceptionally well-written scripts.

  • @lesliehokama1626
    @lesliehokama1626 Pƙed rokem +7

    man sometimes I really wish these videos came with a list of the music used in them, some bangers in here

  • @vitamc1213
    @vitamc1213 Pƙed rokem +6

    I don't think the driving is intense at all, even with all the colours and lines. Reason being, when you crash, it's like, "oh shit, I've crashed, that was unlikely, given I can drive through literally everything, and now I'll just catch up again", and then you go on like nothing even happened. How intense is that? Ah, whereas in Hot Pursuit, when you crash, it's a big deal, as it should be when you travel that fast.

  • @justanotheryoutubechannel
    @justanotheryoutubechannel Pƙed 10 měsĂ­ci +3

    The way the nitrous cancels momentum is a really interesting concept to me, since it reminds me of the way boosting works in Hydro Thunder, I love that franchise because the boost can be used to take really tight turns, the boost is fired the way your boat is facing, so you can go into a corner, turn 90 degrees, and boost hard to get out of it, your sideways momentum is quickly reduced by the side of your boat hitting the water, causing a ton of drag, but your forwards momentum is rapidly increased by the boost, this lets you take tight turns better. In that game it feels less like it’s overpowered, it still needs skill and timing and careful usage of the boost to do it, and it feels like the game was really designed around using it, but hearing that Unbound’s nitrous works similarly makes me want to give it a go.

  • @wmlsnj
    @wmlsnj Pƙed 11 měsĂ­ci +5

    "Unbound spins its wheels relentlessly and it's not long before you've given up on the hope that it will ever find traction." Line goes hard. 35:20

  • @shreyasjoshi4867
    @shreyasjoshi4867 Pƙed 11 měsĂ­ci +2

    Well said. I hope Criterion takes notice. That is whatever lefts of Criterion - only 12 members of the original team were working in Criterion.

  • @grimsladeleviathan3958
    @grimsladeleviathan3958 Pƙed 2 měsĂ­ci +3

    37:46 "Tess has been the sussiest of bakas from day one"
    I look over from my table saw at work, "Fucking excuse me?"

  • @voidwalker3591
    @voidwalker3591 Pƙed rokem +14

    Really fantastic review, and you were able to articulate the issues with the campaign structure better than I could've.

  • @forceknight7469
    @forceknight7469 Pƙed rokem +15

    Such a shame that Unbound will be forever overlooked despite doing so many things right as a racing game. Partly because of the rough edges and lack of content as result of a rushed launch, and partly because the current racing community's stubborn refusal to try something that looks slightly less than extremely realistic.
    But at least i'm glad that there are rare reviews like yours that do the game justice by recognizing its potential.

  • @TroublingStatue
    @TroublingStatue Pƙed rokem +4

    One of my gripes with the "modern" Need for Speed games (post black box), is the number of music tracks is always too god damn low. Especially when you find yourself skipping the occasional track it gets even worse. Same problem with every single Horizon game too.
    Is it the same in Unbound, where you start hearing repeats not even 4 - 5 hours in, or have they added more finally?
    Btw, that relieved cock line is probably my favorite Whitelight line ever. Once in a generation literary genius, and I'm all for it.

  • @Morion60
    @Morion60 Pƙed rokem +3

    Thank you for you amazing work Whitelight. I've been trying to work out what about this game isn't gelling with me. Then you eloquently and succinctly summed it up for me. You have a true gift.

  • @UpstageBeast
    @UpstageBeast Pƙed rokem +5

    Great critique and analysis of this game! I'm a fan of the burst nitrous personally; The advanced mechanics involve burst grip turns, and maintaining combos to keep the burst meter full throughout the race. I think that's where the game's arcade racing truly shines.
    It comes close to how much fun I had in MCLA- though I do miss the querky abilities and open race courses from that game.

  • @liamtitan5598
    @liamtitan5598 Pƙed rokem +7

    One of the best video essays I’ve seen on CZcams. And that’s truly saying something. I loved this game but felt the same as you, it was missing something. And still is. I think a revenge story based around Alec could have been crazy. If the really villainized him. Made him manipulate Jaz and such. Could have made this much more

  • @MuradBeybalaev
    @MuradBeybalaev Pƙed rokem +2

    39:07 That has smoother double-speak than I expected of an NFS.

  • @justjuniorjaw
    @justjuniorjaw Pƙed rokem +18

    Unbound had potential. If they kept on it, or inspire someone else to do what Unbound did but better... we can have a great arcade racing game in the future. In this season of so many simcades, some fun arcade racing games would be lovely to just sit back and enjoy.
    Also Whitelight, very good narrative in explaining what's in Unbound.

  • @dpn8254
    @dpn8254 Pƙed rokem +5

    Imma jus say this, I'd pay 5k for a dishonored full series retrospective

  • @sanjisins
    @sanjisins Pƙed rokem +4

    I love the way you described the anime style effects and the driving as a whole. Great script and video.

  • @DouglasBurton
    @DouglasBurton Pƙed rokem +4

    Absolutely great analysis of the game. Most of this is stuff I really think they could fix in a patch but it's been out long enough that it doesn't sound like that is happening.

  • @RaiuAdami
    @RaiuAdami Pƙed rokem +2

    I still am disgusted that EA decided to charge $70 for this game. It isn't worth the extra $10 than heat was at launch

  • @siddharth-gandhi
    @siddharth-gandhi Pƙed rokem +26

    It's a good day when whitelight uploads! The best video game review/video essay channel out there!

  • @TigerChamp99
    @TigerChamp99 Pƙed rokem +22

    Thank you for finally reviewing NFS_Unbound
    3:52 After an almost 4 minute wait, he finally said the magic word.
    5:45 AI racers getting proper identities is a breath of fresh air IMO because you can finally blame that particular racer for costing you your 1st position (or getting you busted)
    13:48 I was waiting for this moment.
    15:46 I agree. I always wanted a racing game where you start a race and find out that one of the racers is actually an undercover cop.
    23:12 Tanner's Dodge Challenger!
    26:36 Thank you for being one of the first people to actually compare Lakeshore City with WD Chicago.
    33:17 Well, Most Wanted suffered from the same issue as I had a fully upgraded Porsche Carrera GT by the end of the game that made the M3 GTR look like a joke.
    (I could have fully upgraded my starter Cobalt SS instead)
    40:22 Thank you for finally mentioning Driver SF, I think that racing game developers trying to make a decent story should take a look at Driver SF.
    You should consider reviewing Driver San Francisco one day.
    Great video Whitelight!

  • @cxlciummmiv
    @cxlciummmiv Pƙed rokem +4

    One thing NFS always had is style, and its funny because once a new NFS title releases, its always unique in its own way, yet people still seem to find a reason to banter about it, because they can't comprehend the fact that NFS isn't casually milking their players out of recycled content for the past 10 years [glancing at forza horizon w/ this one]

  • @EmceeJoseph
    @EmceeJoseph Pƙed rokem +2

    I had exactly the same problems with crash detection and inconsistent obstacle breakability in NFS 2012.

  • @ileutur6863
    @ileutur6863 Pƙed rokem +6

    Shoutout to all the based video essayists out there calling out the piss poor state of arcade racing. We might mot see you under the mountain of sim racing nerds complaining they're not realistic, but we certainly hear you.

    • @0uttaS1TE
      @0uttaS1TE Pƙed rokem +5

      Raycevick and Whitelight are carrying this genre

    • @shawklan27
      @shawklan27 Pƙed rokem

      ​@0utta S1TE yep they are doing the Lord's work

  • @BotBruh448
    @BotBruh448 Pƙed rokem +3

    The undercover cop actually doesn't show up on your map until you're basically on top of them unless you have a specific upgrade in your car

  • @B-Diddy-6
    @B-Diddy-6 Pƙed rokem

    Your video essays are some of the best out there. I always put them on once the kids are in bed, but then end up falling asleep to them myself. You've got a chill, smooth way of communicating! Thanks for the great content bud!
    I just couldn't get the control setting in this game feel "right". It was either way to loose, or way too quick to snap steer.

  • @2811JPR
    @2811JPR Pƙed rokem +1

    What an amazing video. I hadn't watched any of your videos and I gotta say, you are great at what you do. Your script is poetic and your delivery humorous and very easy to listen to. New sub.

  • @lapiswolf2780
    @lapiswolf2780 Pƙed 11 měsĂ­ci +4

    These people keep calling them anime effects. Corporate "I'm Totally Inclusive" poster style ≠ anime.

  • @pughtube
    @pughtube Pƙed rokem +19

    These videos are simply fantastic. Really in a class of their own.

  • @BiggusWeeabus
    @BiggusWeeabus Pƙed 7 měsĂ­ci +3

    They should have taken the 2015 approach with the story by having no story at all to focus on the content and gameplay. Because I really liked the characters you race against and Rydell, it could have been just that, it was really just Yaz and Tess that were really the turn off of the campaign

    • @Evdafawth
      @Evdafawth Pƙed 14 dny

      I thought 2015 did have a story, though you could choose how to progress in it?

  • @Zorooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

    great video as always. but something that once you notice you can't un-notice is the plosives are quite loud and prevalent. a pop filter could help

  • @MenacingCapybara
    @MenacingCapybara Pƙed rokem +4

    6:09 it's explanations like these that keep me coming back

  • @CMDR_Marthy
    @CMDR_Marthy Pƙed rokem +5

    Its nice to see a video talking about the good AND the bad instead of trying to murder a game, there is way to much hate on the internet for some reason on new releases.
    Loved your video, amazing job.

  • @rohanjxr
    @rohanjxr Pƙed rokem +2

    Escaping cops started to feel repetitive so fast. So many times during one game session, it made me want to play solo less. Didn’t even feel like a racing game anymore, but more like a ‘don’t get caught’ game.

  • @dasmole4804
    @dasmole4804 Pƙed 9 měsĂ­ci +4

    Unbound looks like they saw Initial D and wanted to mimic the realistic cars with cartoon characters

  • @longerthanthirtycharacters
    @longerthanthirtycharacters Pƙed rokem +7

    I'd love to see you do a follow up on Watch Dogs Legion someday, then you'd have the entire series under your belt! The DLC for that game is great too, it could honestly probably be a video by itself, and does bring into question why Ubisoft's recent games have been getting fantastic DLC when the base games themselves are nothing special.

    • @tristanraine
      @tristanraine Pƙed rokem

      The DLC is the only redeeming factor of WDL, other then that it's kinda shit. It's a shame too, I liked WD1 and 2, then they threw it right in the bin after.

  • @hi_its_jerry
    @hi_its_jerry Pƙed rokem +5

    "relieve them from their cock" was such an unexpected line, a true poetic masterpiece from Whitelight

  • @rsey659
    @rsey659 Pƙed rokem

    Ive been binging you channel for a few days because i have a lot of time and its great content, would love to see you review the current state of destiny after watching you older reviews(im sure you stopped playing like so many) i would love to hear your takes on gameplay and story.

  • @nonstopper
    @nonstopper Pƙed rokem +2

    Worst thing about this game for me was the fact that all my singleplayer progresss didnt even transfer over to multiplayer. Completely ruins a lot of motivation to play and customize cars in singleplayer.

  • @parker73724
    @parker73724 Pƙed 11 měsĂ­ci +3

    Does anyone else find the politics in the game world extremely strange? Like I play my game and crash into like 5 different innocent civilians at 200mph on accident, almost certainly killing them if it was real life (The AI do the same), and basically everyone in the game talks about how street racing is a harmless way for the youth to have fun and the police are abusing them by arresting them. In every other need for speed it felt like either you were an outlaw and just took the risk with the law or the police were genuinely abusive and were actually doing things they shouldn't (nfs heat for example). The police aren't abusive in this game, they just simply arrest people for street racing. It all feels a bit preechy and doesn't make much sense as a message to spread in a video game. Not to mention it isn't something that is mentioned once in passing, it is something that comes up almost every single day in game. Otherwise though, I would say this is one of the best sets of characters in a need for speed game, there is a whole lot less cringe than normal.

  • @GraveUypo
    @GraveUypo Pƙed rokem +9

    the human opponent thing was one of the reasons death rally was so awesome way back in 1996. i can probably name two thirds of the roster to this day off the top of my head because the game pushed you to be competitive with each one of them.

  • @Black3ternity
    @Black3ternity Pƙed rokem

    Thanks for these videos. Appreciate the massive effort you put in.
    I left NFS with unterground 2 and went to Burnout Revenge and Paradise and never looked back.
    Talking about Heat and now this one. Which should I pick up? Which is the better one? I want a challenge and I love the style of Heat but the cringe is off the Charts.
    Or should I pick up some other game? Miss the days of blasting Soundtracks, wrecking opponents and having fun speeding through a city.

  • @cpt_nordbart
    @cpt_nordbart Pƙed rokem +2

    Even Burnout: Paradise City hasn't perfect crash detection. But there's more emphasis on crashing and spectacle.

  • @davethefreshmaker
    @davethefreshmaker Pƙed rokem +4

    I see You and Rey can't let go racing games, hope to see some great nfs in future.

  • @ileutur6863
    @ileutur6863 Pƙed rokem +9

    Small correction about undercover cop cars - what makes them undercover is the fact that they don't show up on your map

    • @Chris_8
      @Chris_8 Pƙed rokem +4

      Yes, but what actually makes them undercover is that they’re completely black and have no top lights. They just hide them in Unbound to make it “harder.” Like even MW05, Carbon, and Undercover had the undercover cops in your map

  • @JesuisParte
    @JesuisParte Pƙed rokem +2

    For me the best moment was when you could drive that Most Wanted BMW mission. That was one of the best gaming moments in years for me tbh.

  • @LilBoyHexley
    @LilBoyHexley Pƙed 5 měsĂ­ci +1

    My impression of the crash sensitivity is that maybe they wanted to make the consequences of a crash very low, but were afraid of potential situations where a less than destructive mistake- like spinning out into a wall at relatively lower speed -might actually cost you more time than one in which you absolutely destroyed your car due to the quick and fast respawn.
    So they attempted to balance things by preempting time-consuming mistakes by just "crashing" the car and restarting you, or at least trying to predict (and not necessarily succeeding) when this might be happening.

  • @WUWASOLO
    @WUWASOLO Pƙed rokem +5

    Nothing better than to escape from everything and watch a new video from Whitelight lmao

  • @PH96Official
    @PH96Official Pƙed rokem +3

    Was really looking forward to the day that you did a review of this game,
    I am glad you take your time with this s*** because it's strangely poetic.
    You can always tell you're speaking from experience,
    you played the terrible games you know what this series can be and you clearly are passionate.
    Keep up the amazing work

  • @Flippo___
    @Flippo___ Pƙed rokem

    great video! loved the analysis of the story in relation to the worldbuilding and the world itself

  • @IndeedBeni
    @IndeedBeni Pƙed rokem +1

    What a fantastic video (just stumbled across this channel). I finished the story earlier today after about 20 hours and I agree with about 90% of everything you said. This is the first NFS title I've bought in literally 21 years and the first NFS game I ever had was NFS II (I'm old). I finally got my hands on a PS5, heard that Unbound was decent enough and managed to find a new physical copy for 55 EUR after some hunting.
    I'm unable to compare Unbound to the entries before it but I've been thoroughly entertained playing through the story of this one. I wasn't expecting much from the story so it turned out to be just fine. One of the best lines of dialogue was the protagonist (in my case male) yelling out an exasperated "TESS!" at her dumb bullshit, the game showing a bit of self-awareness. But the best part was the driving, which was a lot of fun and downright thrilling at best. Plus, I've always liked cars as both machines and design objects (despite never owning one) and, you know, video game cars look good now.
    The in-game economy is weird, at least looking at the story mode. You won't have much trouble upgrading a car throughout the week to make it to the qualifier, but there are so many cars and you pretty much have to choose just one per class in order to progress through the story at a steady pace and especially the hypercars are so expensive it makes no sense to grind in order to get more than one. It's like the game has too many cars and too little content to take advantage of the majority of them.
    Nevertheless I'm happy with what I got for what i paid.

  • @airbendingninja23
    @airbendingninja23 Pƙed rokem +10

    I genuinely enjoyed unbound and it's new mechanics and i genuinely hope it keeps getting updated

  • @Brodyody
    @Brodyody Pƙed rokem +3

    Great job articulating all of the issues I've had playing this.

  • @takoshihitsamaru4675
    @takoshihitsamaru4675 Pƙed rokem +2

    _Raycevic uploads a Racing game video_
    _Whitelight uploads a Racing game video._
    They're the same picture.

  • @JimboCruntz
    @JimboCruntz Pƙed rokem +2

    The worst aspect of Unbound is c as everything they added outside of driving tweaks. It’s deliberately integrated to make the game longer. Buy in/win %, the day night split forcing more chases risking money, having to upgrade the garage instead of unlocking, big buy ins for car races, the day to day story
it all feels very Ubisoft. Game Padding.
    Edit: I forgot about limited restarts. That can fuck off.

  • @Slyslug
    @Slyslug Pƙed rokem +3

    This game looked sick and honestly was the first time I've thought about picking up a NFS game since underground. Not paying 100$ for a NFS game though, not for any game for that matter.

  • @pointman426
    @pointman426 Pƙed rokem +5

    But it was good, and that's enough of a 'victory' for the franchise for now. Really hoping Criterion can maintain its momentum from here on out.

    • @ElysiumGD
      @ElysiumGD Pƙed rokem +2

      yeah I agree, the game was certainly not perfect but I hope criterion realise what they did was good, & to stick with it while ironing out any flaws

    • @cxlciummmiv
      @cxlciummmiv Pƙed rokem +2

      @@ElysiumGD exactly, its not something we asked for, BUT ITS STILL SOMETHING GOOD!

  • @rockstar-made
    @rockstar-made Pƙed 8 měsĂ­ci +1

    Haven't played a racing game in 10 years but your videos are so extremely entertaining they just keep my attention going and time goes by

  • @antnation747
    @antnation747 Pƙed rokem +1

    When I originally beat the game, i thought that was just Chapter 1 of at least 2. I thought there’d be another month and a build up to battling Alec or the mayor or both. Was pretty disappointed when there’s wasn’t more. I hope we get a DLC that adds another layer to the story.

  • @IlhamParamartha
    @IlhamParamartha Pƙed rokem +3

    No nonsense review and straight to the point. Respect.

  • @nomercy8989
    @nomercy8989 Pƙed rokem +4

    When this came out I replayed Underground 2. Didn't finish it but had a great time for a few weeks.

    • @hawken796
      @hawken796 Pƙed rokem +4

      That's the problem with older nfs games. They're great for 5 - 7 hours and then you realize there's nothing else to keep on going.

    • @nomercy8989
      @nomercy8989 Pƙed rokem

      @@hawken796 Replaying Underground 2 made me realize it maybe the game that started the "open world map covered in icons" trend. In the final chapter there is so many icons you just can't be bothered playing all the races to finish the game since you already have everything unlocked and maxed out.

  • @crimsoncs2100
    @crimsoncs2100 Pƙed rokem +1

    I also feel that the cars can feel a bit unbalanced at times, my A, A+, and S cars completely smoke the competition because I grinded for upgrades and they were as maxed out as they could be, but I chose the GT2RS as my S+ car and it didn't have a very high top speed so Shimizu in his La Ferarri would just stomp in highway races. If AI racers performance was more balanced to your car it would feel better.

  • @rface0
    @rface0 Pƙed rokem +2

    I hope the takeaway from the shortcomings of Unbound at EA isn't that the style was a problem - they should actually double down on it going forward.

  • @notredboi
    @notredboi Pƙed rokem +3

    It will probably never happen but man i would love a Rivals sequel with this art style (except the humans, they look too jarring)

  • @iftiflo2039
    @iftiflo2039 Pƙed rokem +3

    The sad thing is that the kids of today will never know what a great NFS is.

  • @BallOfSloop
    @BallOfSloop Pƙed 8 měsĂ­ci +1

    Since launch like 5 people I’ve seen online like the art excluding the humans but to me it’s such a good style, EVERY part of it EVERY person it’s just perfect to me