The Need for Speed franchise has showcased several interesting settings over the years. With Need for Speed Unbound, gamers are introduced to Lakeshore City, which is where they are expected to put their speed and style to the test. Though it is a great city, it fails to match Rockport's uniqueness, which is a standout location. Nevertheless, players will have a blast exploring Lakeshore in Need for Speed Unbound and finding all the collectibles.
With Rockport, gamers race in industrial areas, though the city remains varied enough to ensure that the racing tracks are never monotonous. In contrast, Lakeshore City is mostly urban, and while it is large, it lacks sufficient variety. This should not deter arcade racing game fans from Unbound, as it does represent a triumphant return for the series.
The Industrial Streets of Rockport
After the neon light and nighttime racing of the Underground games, the Need for Speed series decided to change things a little bit with 2005's Most Wanted, which is regarded as one of the best titles in the franchise. Rockport is a large city with a mostly industrial feeling to it that differentiates it from other Need for Speed settings. The map is broken up into three main areas - Rosewood, Camden Beach, and Downtown Rockport. Large factories give Rockport a grimy aesthetic, and it is stuck in an internal afternoon twilight that makes it somewhat picturesque.
The factories are good places to lead police into because they have large structures that can be destroyed to disable police cars and escape heated cop chases. However, Rockport is not just industrial areas. There are also extended highways with long straights and loops to drift around, as well as curved streets that cut through wooded areas. In the city, players can wreak havoc with local businesses such as Donut shops and gas stations to cause destruction and distract police. The inclusion of facilities such as sports fields and universities makes Rockport feel like a place that is truly inhabited and not just a series of racetracks.
Need for Speed Unbound and Lakeshore City
With Need for Speed Unbound, gamers take things to Lakeshore City, which is inspired by Chicago. Thanks to the advancement of technology, Lakeshore is much larger than Rockport, though this doesn't automatically make it better. Most of Lakeshore is urban, featuring streets that wind through tall buildings, leading to lots of tight corners. It is also a city in progress, with lots of construction going on. This is something players can use to their advantage to cause destruction or mess with the police. It isn't just city streets, however. There are also highways and more gritty roads thanks to Lakeshore Quarry and the mountain roads.
Unlike Most Wanted's Rockport, Lakeshore is populated by people. As gamers drive through the city, they can see pedestrians walking along the sidewalks and plazas. If players veer their way, the pedestrians will quickly leap for safety while screaming, making human collisions impossible. Nevertheless, the inclusion of humans does make the city feel more alive. This is a good thing because Lakeshore unfortunately doesn't have the amount of personality that Rockport does. While Rockport is so unique that it is easy to begin remembering segments of the map by heart, Lakeshore lacks that special something, and instead gamers are left with a shiny yet somewhat monotonous city that is likely to be forgotten quickly.
Need for Speed has been through highs and lows, but with Unbound, the series is beginning to find an identity that works for it in the modern gaming landscape. It does many things right, including adding a betting system that makes gamers rethink how they approach Unbound's racing events. With a bit more tweaking, the next Need for Speed game could prove that the series is capable of recapturing what made it so special during its Most Wanted years.
Need for Speed Unbound is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.