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SpirosFX's avatar
SpirosFX
New Traveler
9 days ago

Another NFS game failure -.-

So yes, I’ve decided to write about yet another failure in the NFS series — which, let's face it, is dead, but EA keeps resurrecting it because flashy visuals still sell to untrained minds and easily impressed teenagers.

  • First off, let’s talk about the sound design. As with most studios lately, the sound editors here seem to have no idea what human hearing even is — let alone how sound actually feels. The difference between environmental sound and speaker-driven noise seems lost on them. The result? It all sounds like it was recorded in a tunnel or bathroom. It’s like we’re being experimented on, and game companies just smile while turning the dial toward intentional irritation.

 

  • I honestly got sick — and I mean really sick — every single time I accelerated. That endless “bam boom bam boom” of synthetic pedal hammering is so intrusive it might as well be shouting, “Quit the game and never come back!”

 

  • Then there’s the absurd “volume innovation,” where the engine sounds louder at low RPM than at higher speeds. Really? And don’t even get me started on how all other sound drops the moment dialogue kicks in. I had to completely mute voices just to enjoy the cars I chose. It’s a headache, not a feature.

 

  • The game clearly panders to this exaggerated “woke-gangsta” aesthetic — something you’ll notice right away from the tone of the update notes. It’s all “yo” and “ya” and over-the-top attitude, chains, earrings, and leg-dragging swagger like it’s trying to impress some imaginary street-cred algorithm.

 

  • Visually? The car editor is another failure. Clicking on a part causes the camera to jump like a flash grenade just went off — jarring, disorienting, and far from smooth. As for the mouse control? It’s like trying to rotate a tank with a mouse tied to a cement block. Want to spin 360°? Better have biceps and desk space to match.

 

  • And the HUD… my eyes hurt just thinking about it. It’s not blur — it’s layered text effects pretending to be edgy design. Who came up with the idea to stack transparent copies of numbers? It's just a guaranteed path to eye strain. Cookie for that “brilliant” move?

 

  • And finally — when you keep putting out games that get worse every time, and your response to criticism is to hide behind forum moderators and “codes of conduct”… well, that says everything. The real “shield” isn’t protecting the community — it’s shielding your ego.

1 Reply

  • ftmahdi's avatar
    ftmahdi
    Rising Newcomer
    7 days ago


    I had to log in just to respond to the part of your message about the game's sound design.

    I’ve been playing Need for Speed for nearly 30 years. I’ve also played Forza Horizon 5 and Unbound. I haven’t had the chance to try many other racing titles, but when it comes to engine sounds, FH5 honestly felt like junk to me. Between the repetitive, “always-the-hero” gameplay, bad music, awkward camera angles, and uninspired landscapes — the poor engine sound was a major reason I didn’t enjoy FH5. In contrast, Unbound absolutely nails this aspect. Revving cars in this game feels alive, and it’s something I keep coming back to.

    The game's music also feels great, though a larger tracklist would’ve made it even better.

    Now, I’m not sure how many other titles you’ve tried, but Unbound did make one major misstep: its initial presentation. While most racing games highlight ultra-realistic graphics in trailers, Unbound leaned heavily on its animated aesthetic and stylized characters. And although the underlying graphics and environments were actually solid, many players — myself included — disabled the animated effects right away. That said, over time, I started to appreciate the unique visual flair they added.

    On the positive side, one of Unbound’s biggest strengths is its drift mechanics. They’re so well-tuned that drifting often feels faster than traditional grip racing, introducing a new driving style to the genre. It’s a wild system that takes time to master, but it’s incredibly satisfying once you do. The reworked nitrous system and burst mechanics play a big part in making this possible — and they’re some of the most enjoyable features in the game.

    If I have one real complaint, it would be about the new Kaizen handling model and some cars that perform unrealistically well on dirt and uneven roads compared to others. It feels unbalanced and strays too far from the classic NFS handling, which had a much more grounded and realistic feel. 

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