If you choose it, it appears to be worth it. One of the most eye-catching features of Need for Speed Unbound can be completely ignored.
The game''s official Twitter account has confirmed that the impressive, highly-stylized driving effects can be switched off completely. "Yes, you can turn the effects off," the account said in a follow-up tweet to a video revealing the flashy driving effects in action.
Unbound, which will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on December 2 and features a wide range of driving effects, including cel-shaded plumes of smoke and popout graphics and text that wouldn''t appear out of place in a mid-2000s racer, which appears to be the vibe creator behind it.
Why turn off something so beautiful?
Customize your style. Select your driving effects. Get noticed. Start with nothing and slowly push your style to its absolute limit. #needforspeed pic.twitter.com/wZv7a2B4xxOctober 11, 2022
Need for Speed Unbound is fairly certain to recapture some of the moxie that made the series stand out with ideas such as Underground and its sequel. Even the subtitles are similar. I appreciate that Criterion is doing more than just a glib reference here.
I''m really interested in this new focus on flashy, flamboyant driving effects. Sure, they''re over-the-top, perhaps even edgy, but they''re also something that gives the game a sense of identity. In a bowl of unseasoned Need for Speed games, you''ll get some much-needed flavour.
I''ll keep my mind about it, but I''ll see why the option to switch them off is there. Some players may not like this cartoony aesthetic, but others may want them to be turned off for competitive purposes, such as getting a better view of the track and other cars in online races. It''s also a perfectly reasonable accessibility feature. I can imagine how players with sight-based limitations may do without the extra distractions.
I''m still optimistic about how ludicrous these effects are. Considering the brief outline of gameplay we''ve ever seen so far, Criterion has clearly put some effort into smartly integrating the effects, and they don''t seem to obscure the on-screen action in an absurd way.
They''re not unlike the aesthetic charm you can unlock in other multiplayer games, such as Halo Infinite''s kill effects or Rocket League''s boost trails. But in Need for Speed Unbound, here''s hoping they''ren''t locked behind any sort of premium progression system.