Line #175 VideoGame/NeedForSpeedUnbound


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/need_for_speed_unbound.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:''[[Music/ASAPRocky Shittin' me? You ain't got shit on me...]]'']]
3
4	->''"You say it pays the cost to be the boss, right? Let's show 'em who's in charge."''
5	-->-- '''Music/ASAPRocky''', Takeover introduction
6
7	[[JustForFun/TheOneWith The one]] with cartoon aesthetics and [[PimpedOutCar wacky customizations]] aplenty.
8
9	''Need for Speed Unbound'' (stylised as ''NFS Unbound'') is a 2022 RacingGame developed by Creator/CriterionGames (with support from Creator/{{Codemasters}}) and published by Creator/ElectronicArts for Platform/MicrosoftWindows, Platform/PlayStation5, and Platform/XboxSeriesXAndS. It is the twenty-fifth installment in the ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeed'' video game series, and the first installment since ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeedMostWanted2012'' ten years earlier to have Criterion as the main developer.[[note]]They co-produced ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeedRivals'' (2013) with Creator/GhostGames.[[/note]]
10
11	The game features an art style that merges street art elements like the cel-shaded and graffiti-inspired art style of ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedNitro Nitro]]'' with the more realistic art style of other ''Need for Speed'' games. The map is based in a fictional city called Lakeshore City, which is based on UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}}. Like previous entries in the series, it features an open world environment and will feature gameplay similar to that of previous entries in the series, being mainly focused on street racing. The game was first revealed by EA on October 6, 2022, and was released on December 2, 2022.
12	----
13	!!Hey Speedie! Time to make some tropes and examples. Go get 'em!!
14	[[foldercontrol]]
15	[[folder: Tropes A to M]]
16	* AlienGeometries: Vol. 6 adds "Infinity Rims and Plates", which are items with a deep 3D effect, added gratuitous TronLines, and both defy the laws of physics and geometry.
17	* AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs: [[spoiler:The catalytic event of the story has Rydell's Rydes raided and numerous customer cars stolen.]]
18	* AlwaysNight: As long as you drive well enough and avoid the cops, you can stay driving at night for as long as you like and the sun will never rise. If you return to Rydell's Rydes or a nearby safehouse, it'll switch to [[EndlessDaytime daytime]].
19	* AndYourRewardIsClothes: Since Vol. 6, the RewardsPass allows you to unlock "player skins", where said skin are actually the rival racers. So that means... you get to be as Justicia, Waru or Ross. Or... upgrade to Premium, and you can make Rydell come out of retirement and play as him!
20	* {{Animesque}}: ''Unbound'''s setting features CelShading combined with Japanese-style aesthetics, making the characters look like they came fresh out of an anime, similar to the style used in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild''.
21	* AnotherSideAnotherStory: ''Unbound'' has two game modes: a ''single-player story mode'' and ''Lakeshore Online'' with both having separate progressions when unlocking cars.
22	* AntiFrustrationFeatures:
23	** The game features High Heat delivery missions, essentially a NoDamageRun that requires you to deliver a car to a certain destination whilst escaping from the cops without taking any damage. However, if the car gets beaten up, the game also allows you to drive through a gas station for a full repair before reaching the destination, so you can still get the full payout being offered.
24	** Instead of just 3 gas station repairs per session, the game now allows for infinite uses with a 4-minute wait before it can be used again.
25	** If you do not have enough money to enter a Qualifier, you will repeat the two Friday sessions until you have enough.
26	** You can exit to the main menu during a cop chase if you feel like your car is underequipped against your current Heat Level. When you return to the game, you'll respawn in the city center without any penalty.
27	** The Vol. 2 update allows you to pin a challenge directly from a locked car, allowing you to keep track of your unlock progress during gameplay before the said locked car becomes available for purchase.
28	** The Vol. 3 update gives you the ability to [[ZipMode teleport to a Safehouse or a Meetup]], something handy if you don't want cops from your rear.
29	** A December 2023 update adds car sorting, so if you have a crap-load of cars collected, you can sort by name, price, rarity, etc. so that you won't waste time scrolling through your collection.
30	** Downplayed for the Vol. 6 update as you can progress through the RewardsPass in single player, with some items require purchasing a [[BribingYourWayToVictory Premium Speed Pass]] to obtain it.
31	** Crashed? Taking a while to respawn? Vol. 7 takes a page from Creator/BlackBox with the ability to reset back on track, with [[ResetButton manual resets]] enabled, perfect when you screw up in your sessions. You must be at least under 30 mph (48 km/h) to make it work.
32	* ArtShiftedSequel: While the characters of previous installments were depicted with either CGI or in live-action cutscenes, the characters of ''Unbound'' are rendered in a much more cartoony style akin to the one used in the ''[[WesternAnimation/SpiderManSpiderVerse Spider-Verse]]'' trilogy.
33	* ArtisticLicenseCars:
34	** A minor example. The BMW M3 GTR appears in the game with all the racing components lifted wholesale from RealLife and ''Most Wanted''. The only anomaly is that this race car has ''two'' seats.
35	** Many of the newly added cars, especially ones from the late [=2010s=]-onwards got the model year wrong.
36	*** The Lotus Emira is marketed as a 2021 model. While it was announced on July of that year, production of the Emira didn't start until the following year.
37	*** The 2018 Lamborghini Huracán LP 580-2 (and its Spyder variant), which returns from ''Heat'', is labeled as the Lamborghini Huracán RWD and it is marketed as a 2015 model, despite production of that car starting a year later. Also, while there is a "RWD" Huracán, it mostly refers to the facelifed Huracán EVO RWD than the LP 580-2.
38	* ATasteOfPower: [[spoiler:The prologue lets the player choose between [[StarterMon a 1969 Dodge Charger, a 1988 Lamborghini Countach, and a Nissan S14 Silvia]] to restore, tune-up and drive for a few races until Yaz drives off with it when Rydell's car collection is stolen.]]
39	* BearsAreBadNews: Downplayed. Bear Champs, which are collectibles in a form of a bear with boxing gloves and wearing a crown. Just simply drive over them and it's added to your collectible progress. The Vol. 2 update add Bear Champs as available items for your banner.
40	* BenevolentArchitecture: The smashable billboards around the city are always conveniently surrounded by ramped surfaces.
41	* BigBadDuumvirate: [[spoiler:Alec at first is the lone BigBad of the story, but later in the story, it reveals Tess showing her true colors that she is tied with Alec.]] [[spoiler:Both are also considered [[NonActionBigBad Non-Action Big Bads]] since neither Alec (being 100% TheGhost) and Tess battle against the player.]]
42	* BigEater:
43	** [[spoiler:Yaz tried to invoke this in a story where she ordered a "Jumbo Chili Sub with all the trimmings" and kept eating it until she threw up on Rydell.]]
44	** Rydell himself qualifies this trope straight. Just simply mention the word "burger" is enough to get him to crave for a bacon double cheeseburger.
45	* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:The player emerges victorious in the Grand and left Alec penniless for the things he had done for the garage heist. Yaz reconciles with the player and Rydell who accept their share of the blame in having driven Yaz away from them. However Tess, who is the mastermind of the garage heist, gets away scot-free with all the money she won from gambling against other racers, including the player, Rydell's Rydes isn't the garage it used to be back then as some of the cars in his garage that got stolen from earlier are still at large, and the fate of Lakeshore's future [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse remains unknown]] as the mayoral election is LeftHanging.]]
46	* BookEnds:
47	** ''Unbound'' starts with your PlayerCharacter and Yaz arriving at Rydell's Rydes with their starter junker and it [[spoiler:ends at the same characters above arriving at a now-diminishing Rydell's Rydes with their [[PimpedOutCar junker already souped-up]].]]
48	** At the beginning, your PlayerCharacter says "The Lake better watch out!!!" after showing Rydell their newly restored junker. [[spoiler:The same phrase was the last thing said in the story when Yaz reconciles with Rydell, hoping to start anew with their next car to build.]]
49	* {{Bowdlerize}}:
50	** Subverted. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2Y8XCe7F9E The official reveal trailer]] features an original song called "Shittin' Me" by Music/AsapRocky. The swearing in both the title and the lyrics is uncensored in the video whereas the official website censors it.
51	** Also subverted in the European Spanish dub in regards of Rydell's ArcWords[=/=]CharacterCatchphrase "Don't just say shit, win shit". When he first says so, it's translated as "''Menos hablar y mas ganar''" ("Less talking and more winning"), but when he repeats it again later to Yaz and the player during a call, they say a more exact translation of the original.
52	* BribingYourWayToVictory: Remember the "Keys to the Maps" DLC back in ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedHeat Heat]]''? It's back. This DLC was released during March 2023's Vol. 2 update, which uncovers the locations of all collectibles scattered around Lakeshore City.
53	* BrickJoke: In the prologue, Rydell tries to make a TitleDrop of the name of the franchise but can't remember the last word. [[spoiler:At the end of the game, when the player is driving to the spot for the final race, he finally does.]]
54	--> '''Rydell:''' Right. And I'm [=LeBron=]. Look, I'm not going to tell you not to race. I know what it's like to feel that need for... Uh, that... you know, the need for uh...
55	--> '''Yaz:''' For what?
56	--> '''Player:''' That's the gasoline talking.
57	-->''[later]''
58	--> '''Rydell:''' [[spoiler:Hey Kid, I don't know if I ever told you this, but if you feel that need, you know that need for... umm. Wait, what was it? The Need for... Shit, I always forget this.]]
59	--> '''Rydell:''' [[spoiler:Oh!! SPEED. SPEED! THE NEED FOR SPEED!]]
60	* BurningRubber: The premium reward of the Vol. 7 RewardsPass has this Driving Effect that leaves a burning trail of fire.
61	* TheBusCameBack:
62	** Various car models not seen since the "tuner era" of ''Need for Speed'' make their return in this game. One of the promotional images for the game includes a Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX which, unless you count the mobile ''No Limits'', had previously only appeared in the ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedUnderground Underground]]'' games (1, ''2'', and ''Underground Rivals'').[[note]]Other types of Eclipse went as far as to appear in ''Undercover'' and the now-defunct online ''World''.[[/note]]
63	** Bugatti as a brand makes its return to the series in ''Unbound'' after sitting out from three consecutive games after ''Rivals'',[[note]]aside from the mobile ''No Limits'' and ''Hot Pursuit Remastered'', which as its name indicates, is a remastered version of the 2010 ''Hot Pursuit'',[[/note]] with their Chiron making a non-mobile ''NFS'' debut.[[note]][[https://www.behance.net/gallery/133697225/Black-Market Posts made by a UI artist]] who worked on ''Heat'' revealed that the game's Black Market DLC was supposed to have a second drop that would have included the Chiron alongside the 2018 Lamborghini Aventador SV Roadster, but was canceled after Ghost Games lost their rights to develop ''NFS'' games.[[/note]]
64	** Vol. 7 brings back drag racing after last being seen in ''Payback''. But not just any drag race, it's a mix of the classic with the modern; an ''Underground''-style 4-way drag race (complete with lane switching) and ''[=ProStreet=]''/2015-style tire warm up sequence. Bonus points for the HeadsUpDisplay that looks even identical to the one used in drag events. And while drift events already existed in the game, the update also introduces "Drift Pro", a new form of drifting with new physics and camera angles similar ''Underground'', complete with on-screen messages depending on your progress like "Nice Drift", "Good Drift", "Great Drift", and so on. However, so far those modes are restricted to Lakeshore Online multiplayer only.
65	* CallBack:
66	** Once again, the '''BMW M3 GTR''' from ''Most Wanted'' makes another comeback. Prior to the Vol 3 update, it is restricted to online only and you must be an EA Play member if you want your hands on this iconic car. [[spoiler:One of the High Heat Deliveries lets the player drive the BMW M3 GTR. Yaz says the client is someone calling themselves "The Blacklist", told Yaz that the car is under heavy police attention, and Yaz later finds out the client was just released from jail and the car was the first thing he wanted, the latter implying that it's Clarence "Razor" Callahan, especially with the player saying that they feel like they're "living on the razor's edge" due to the danger of these assignments.]]
67	** Confirmed with the Vol. 4 update, it adds the legacy custom cars over the franchise, such as Eddie's Nissan Skyline GT-R [=R34=] from ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedUnderground Underground]]'', Rachel Teller's Nissan [=350Z=] from ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedUnderground Underground 2]]'' and Joe's Polestar 1 from ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedHeat Heat]]''. This time, these legendary cars are part of a Premium DownloadableContent and are [[BribingYourWayToVictory locked behind a paywall]].
68	** The [[https://www.ea.com/games/need-for-speed/need-for-speed-unbound/news/y2-roadmap Y2 ROADMAP]] in which they emphasize ''kaizen'' [[note]]A Japanese term that means change for better or continuous improvement.[[/note]] reveals future game modes fore every volume, such as Drift & Drag inspired by ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedUnderground Underground]]'', [[note]]Weirdly enough, the roadmap mentioned that drift events will be back even though the base game ''already'' had drift, though it's implied among the criticisms the game got was the drifting mechanics, so maybe they refer to an improvement on that.[[/note]] and a Cops vs. Racers mode inspired by ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedHotPursuit Hot Pursuit]]''.
69	** Newly added to Vol. 6 adds this ''NFS'' legend, and that would be Darius's Legends-inspired custom R8 Coupé (2019), a modern take on his ride in ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedCarbon Carbon]]''.
70	*** Also in Vol. 6 there's a multiplayer [=PvP=] pool called "The Need for Speed", which is inspired from 1994's ''VideoGame/TheNeedForSpeed'', the franchise's very first game. Even the banner imitates the cover art, featuring the Ferrari Testarossa in it.[[note]]In the original game, the car used is actually a Ferrari 512 TR, a revised variant of the Testarossa.[[/note]] One of the race events is even called "Road & Track", a reference to the automotive magazine of the same name that collaborated with EA for that game.
71	** In the ''Underground''-themed Vol. 7 update, one set of LED rims (a premium reward for reaching level 7 of the RewardsPass) [[https://x.com/NeedforSpeed/status/1791121622834827713 features an animation of a turbo gauge]]. That's the exact same turbo gauge design used in the HeadsUpDisplay of ''Underground''.
72	*** Also in Vol. 7, the new banner titles are references of soundtracks of the ''Underground'' sub-series. Banner titles like "[[Music/LilJon Get Low]]", "Supermoves" and "[[Music/QueensOfTheStoneAge In My Head]]".
73	* CasualDangerDialogue: ''Everyone'', including the PlayerCharacter, tends to talk about social media, self-expression and lots of pop-culture gossip while they are supposed to be focused on illegal street racing.
74	* CharacterCustomization: Character customization from ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedHeat Heat]]'' returns. While you are given 8 presets, your avatar can be altered now with different hairstyles, masks, and clothing, but now you can also individually choose the skin tone, hairstyle, eye and hair color and facial hair ([[GirlsWithMoustaches included also for female avatar]]), as opposed to the previous where you need to select another preset just to change the skin tone. You can now also even change your profile banner and your character's VictoryPose.
75	* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: In the game's base release, Audi and Toyota are completely absent from the car lineup, which in the latter's case has been the norm ever since after ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeed2015''. Ultimately averted in Audi's case when a Vol. 6 update saw the return of the Audi R8 and S5 Sportback, last seen in ''Heat'', plus a new generation 2020 RS 6 Avant added on the bundle.
76	* CollectionSidequest: Returning from ''Payback'' and ''Heat'' has activities like smashing billboards and hitting speed traps, as well as colletibles such as street are and [[BearsAreBadNews bear champs]]. Completing certain sidequest to unlock special items.
77	* ColorCodedItemTiers: Driving effects, vanity items, banners and winning poses are divided into 4 tiers of rarity levels; green for common, blue for rare, purple for epic and yellow for legendary.
78	* ColorMotif: The game loves the color green. One of ''Need for Speed''[='=]s promotional tactics for the game was to change the covers of ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedHotPursuit Hot Pursuit Remastered]]'' (2020), ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedHeat Heat]]'' (2019), and ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedPayback Payback]]'' (2017)--the last three games released prior to ''Unbound''--on Steam, [=PlayStation=] (Store and consoles), and Xbox (Games Store and consoles) into [[DeliberatelyMonochrome grey versions of them]] [[SplashOfColor except for their main cover car]] and featured each respective game's logo in white (for ''Need for Speed''/''NFS'') and green (for the subtitle), the same color scheme as ''Unbound''[='=]s logo.
79	* TheComputerIsACheatingBastard: The [[RubberBandAI AI rubberbanding]] can be rather egregious on Intense difficulty. One example is [[https://youtu.be/QvVdj2joBAk a race]] against Music/AsapRocky, where he ends up building a 2 kilometer lead on the player who's driving a heavily upgraded Nissan GT-R and finishes a race in 3 minutes and 11 seconds. After a restart, Rocky manages to shave '''14 seconds''' for a race time of 2 minutes and 57 seconds.
80	* ContinuityNod:
81	** As with ''Heat'', the game features a fictional custom aftermarket part brand named "The Alchemist", which people who played ''Payback'' will recognize as the nickname of Rav, the mechanic of Tyler Morgan and his crew from that game. It still has its custom aftermarket parts available for use, as well as a handful of new parts as well, plus other fictional custom part brands from ''Payback'', like Chidori and Carbon.
82	** The Street Art collectibles from ''Heat'' which become decals once collected have carried over to ''Unbound'' as regular decals available for use.
83	** There's a Creator/{{Codemasters}} (who provided support of) decal category, featuring designs that were used in ''VideoGame/{{Onrush}}'' and ''[[VideoGame/{{DIRT}} DiRT 5]]''.
84	* CoolCar: It ain't ''Need for Speed'' without cool cars.
85	** Among the returning cars from ''Heat'', there are more convertible variants of existing models, (including the Ford Mustang GT Convertible in its 2019 post-facelifted model), A$AP Rocky's Mercedes 190E as seen in the cover, and the Bugatti Chiron Sport, one of the hypercars that can battle with the likes of the Regera and the FXX-K Evo. Amongst the new cars of the 2020s, it adds the Lotus Emira and the Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4,[[note]]the latter which also appeared in ''No Limits'', 4 months before ''Unbound's'' release[[/note]] making their debuts in the franchise.
86	** For every "Vol. X" major update, it comes with one brand new car added in the lineup.
87	*** The Vol. 2 update hyped up the addition of a so-called "Ultimate Luxury" car. And that turned out to be "the most luxurious car in the world", the Mercedes Maybach S 680.
88	*** The Vol. 3 update adds a blast from the past; the [[Franchise/BackToTheFuture DMC DeLorean]], complete with BurningRubber driving effect. Great Scott indeed. As bonus points, you can fit it with a time machine {{Expy}} body kit![[note]]This is not the first time the franchise adds a [=DeLorean=], as this car also appeared in ''No Limits'' as part of the Future Past update in December 2020.[[/note]]
89	*** To celebrate 75 years of Porsche, Vol. 4 adds the [[GreenAesop 2022 Porsche Taycan Turbo S]], the first electric car since the Tesla Roadster from ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeedMostWanted2012''.[[note]]The in-game update description stated that the Taycan is "the first electric vehicle to join the ''Need for Speed'' roster. Looks like Creator/CriterionGames has forgotten their own game history.[[/note]] Since it is an electric car, the Taycan has a unique [[TechTree upgrade tree]], such as battery cooling, power system, motor components and overcharge which replaces induction, fuel system, exhaust and nitrous respectively.
90	*** While the BMW M2 Competition from ''Heat'' is already in the game, Vol. 5 now adds the second-gen BMW M2 ([=G87=]), included with boxy body kit designs from Avante Design House.
91	*** With an Audi-themed update for Vol. 6 [[TheBusCameBack marking the brand's return]], enjoy the ''Vorsprung durch technik'' experience with the return of the S5 Sportback, the 2019 R8 Coupé, and fresh off the boat, the new 2020 Audi RS 6 Avant. Body kits of said Avant allows it to resemble the Group B Sport Quattro rally car.
92	*** Vol.7 adds not one but ''two'' new cars fresh from oven; the new seventh-generation Ford Mustang Dark Horse and the BMW M3 Competition Touring (G81), both having a Drag-spec and Drift-spec Speedhunters Edition for the two respective new rides. For the former, it can be fitted with body kits from its [=GT4=] racing counterpart or one from the Mustang GTD. For the latter, like the G87 M2, the M3 wagon can be fitted with body kit designs from Avante Design House.
93	* CoolGarage: Rydell's Rydes, which also plays significance to the story.
94	* CoolPeopleRebelAgainstAuthority: Many rival racers like Cha Cha and Anechka express disdain toward [[MayorPain Mayor Morgan Stevenson]]. [[spoiler:The former wishing to steal funds to give an opportunity to his community and the latter [[DefacementInsult graffiting her campaign billboards]], labeling the mayor as a "FAKER".]]
95	* CowboyCop: The LPD is this in spades, as the cops put in some colorful language, act unprofessionally, become impatient and often use aggressive tactics when pursuing racers. While some cops often call suspects as "perp" (short for "perpetrator"), others will use rather insulting ones like "clown" or "moron".
96	-->'''Officer:''' Pull over, asshole!
97	-->'''Officer:''' 2240 shook me, dammit!
98	-->'''Officer:''' ''[furious, when you damage their car]'' '''MY CAR!!!''' You assholes!/You dingleberries!
99	-->'''Dispatch:''' ''[angrily]'' Find this perp at all costs.
100	* CrapsaccharineWorld: Downplayed. Lakeshore City appears to be a decent urban city, but underneath is far grittier and more corrupt than Palm City, due to the surge of street racing and having a corrupt mayor who is failing in her job. The Lake is no doubt full of {{Cowboy Cop}}s who use lots of aggressive tactics and a very colorful mouth to boot.
101	* CutAndPasteSuburb: Downplayed. While Lakeshore's neighborhoods don't look the same, the rivals' safehouses all look identical, especially during Racer SOS {{Escort Mission}}s.
102	* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist: Well, not death, but rather getting arrested. Getting a huge fine after getting busted? Nah. They still won't impound your car.
103	* DemotedToExtra: The police, unlike in ''Payback'' or ''Heat'' plays no significance in the main story, other than to pester you during races. [[EscortMission Racer SOS]] or High Heat Deliveries though feature or mention the LPD, though these are side missions, which are optional for you to take.
104	* DenserAndWackier: Lots of crazy things are happening in ''Unbound'', mainly in regard of [[PimpedOutCar overexagerrated customization options]], CelShading characters, customizable [[VictoryPose Victory Poses]], over-the-top driving effects and tags, and so on.
105	* DoWellButNotPerfect: {{Implied\|Trope}} during an in-game tip in the LoadingScreen that places importance on winning money from races over winning the races themselves, saying that "if you're making money you're winning; it's not just about coming first".
106	* DuelBoss: While there is already a head-to-head in single player, especially that one with Music/AsapRocky, Vol. 6 also inclues head-to-head races for multiplayer as well.
107	* EarlyGameHell: The early game is equal parts slow and difficult for various reasons: your starter car barely has the performance rating to beat the top racers of your class (meaning there's a slim chance of finishing in first place), there are very few events to take part in until you have enough cash to upgrade the garage the offer better upgrades, and it can be very grueling to deal with the increased heat after every race, to the point it's possible to reach heat level 5 at the very beginning, meaning you will have to go against the unforgiving Heavy units, against which you'd possibly won't stand a chance if your car is underequipped. But as you upgrade the garage and fit high-end upgrades, you're sure enough to pull away from the competition by miles or even outrun the LPD with ease, and earn a ton of cash, despite the slightly expensive buy-ins.
108	* EndlessDaytime: You can drive during the day all you want and it will never become nighttime. If you return to Rydell's Rydes or a nearby safehouse, it'll switch to [[AlwaysNight nighttime]].
109	* EqualOpportunityEvil: Subverted. Majority of the racers in Lakeshore are of various nationalities from outside the U.S., and all are there just to simply race and express themselves freely. Not to the fact that street racing is obviously illegal.
110	* EscortMission: Racer SOS missions consist in helping out one of your rival racers in trouble with the LPD and drive them to a safe house. Completing them unlocks the safe house where you can stop at to bank your money at the end of a session.
111	* EverythingIsSmashableArea: Carrying over from ''Heat'', it allows you can smash barriers to lamp posts, even palm trees, telephone poles, and stone walls without taking damage or losing too much speed. Shame you can't do that to pedestrians though.
112	* ExactWords: [[spoiler:When the player shows Tess Rydell's garage, she is admiring a wrench taken from a tool cabinet when Rydell jumps out with a baseball bat and she drops it. When she picks it up, Rydell says "No touching!" and she drops it again instead of putting it back. Subverted in the same cutscene as she then finds the book Rydell bought and holds on to it even after he repeats his no touching rule.]]
113	* ExcusePlot: ''Unbound's'' premise: The garage you worked and lived in (Rydell's Rydes) gets raided and your friend may or may not be involved, but nonetheless abandons you after [[letting fame go to her head]] [[InWithTheInCrowd in favor of a new, "cooler" crowd]] Your solution? Go street racing for fame and money and a chance of defeating her. There's also something or other about the [[MayorPain corrupt mayor]] being very moronic in doing her duty, but it does not affect your story and is squarely on the background.
114	* ExperienceBooster: The Vol. 4 update adds "Boosted Events" where cash and experience you accumulated from Linkups and Playlists will be "boosted" for a limited time. And no, [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant we're not talking about Boost the]] OccidentalOtaku.
115	* FakeDifficulty: ''Unbound's'' difficulty can be quite broken, whether on Relaxed difficulty, there is RubberBandAI, or whether on Intense difficulty, there is ArtificialStupidity, and vice versa.
116	* FisherKing: Since the Vol. 4 update, which is focused on Porsche, has the Kennedy Test Track getting a Porsche makeover with banners and art of the titular manufacturer scattered around the area, reflecting the 75th anniversary of the brand.
117	* {{Foreshadowing}}: [[spoiler:During the prologue, Rydell states his displeasure of her keeping secrets from him and cutting corners by having the player drive to meetups at Cyrill Heights are in hindsight clear indicators of her siding with Alec, with the information she gives Alec eventually leading to the Rydell's Rydes heist. Another is when Yaz stated that her wish is to one day host the meetups herself, which she eventually does when hosting The Grand.]]
118	* GameplayAndStorySegregation: During the prologue, you'll be offered a custom body kit to go with the restored junker, which is essentially a [[PimpedOutCar Legendary Customs body kit]], and Yaz in particular will express her desire to install it. The game doesn't stop you from not selecting it, so you can enjoy driving the car with whatever customization you have up until the part where Yaz drives away with the car following the raid of Rydell's Rydes. However, when Yaz shows up at a meetup announcing The Grand following the TimeSkip, the car will be equipped with said Legendary Customs body kit for some reason.
119	* TheGhost: Alec, [[spoiler:the game's BigBad alongside Tess]] who is constantly mentioned and referred to by numerous characters, is actually never seen or heard.
120	* HalloweenEpisode: Vol. 5's Trick or Street pack is essentially a video game equivalent, as it comes with a RewardsPass full of ghost and {{Calacas}} decals, a Halloween-themed Mini Cooper Countryman and a Skeleton head mask.
121	* HammerspacePoliceForce: To an even bigger degree than ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedMostWanted Most Wanted (2005)]]''. At Heat Level 5, cops have a very short spawn time and very quickly swarm towards the player -- to the point you might sometimes be tracked down by ''two'' helicopters at the same time.
122	* HappyEndingOverride: The ending of ''Heat'' had the BMW M3 GTR, after it somehow ended in the hands of the main antagonist Lt. Frank Mercer, being taken by the protagonist after Mercer is defeated. However, here the M3 GTR reappears as one of the delivery mission cars, and the dialogue during the mission strongly imples that the person who commisioned the car to be delivered to them is none other than ''Razor'', the antagonist from ''Most Wanted'' (2005) himself.
123	* HiddenInPlainSight: LPD's Undercover units (upon reaching Heat level 4) are black, unmarked Chevrolet Camaro [=Z28s=], [[VillainousLegacy akin to Danny Shaw's car]] in ''Heat''. They're not visible on your map and blend in with the traffic, especially at night, making these units a pain to deal with when not in pursuit. Oh, and look out for [[PopTheTires spike strips]] too.
124	* IdiosyncraticDifficultyLevels: The game's levels are Relaxed, Challenging, and Intense, representing Easy, Normal, and Hard, respectively.
125	* InterfaceScrew:
126	** The game's HUD glitches whenever you collide or land from a jump.
127	** Equipping Drift Pro tires will cause the camera to sway to its side during a drift.
128	* InvulnerableCivilians: For the first time in an ''NFS'' game, this game introduces pedestrians, scattered around the urban areas of Lakeshore. They will dodge and run back when you attempt to run them over. [[WhatTheHellPlayer They'll also call you out for this]].
129	* {{Itasha}}: Anime decals are available to be applied in you car via Wrap editor. One notable example is the [[https://media.contentapi.ea.com/content/dam/ea/need-for-speed-unbound/common/news-page/2022/10/exc-rev-screenshot-03-streetrace-web-1920x1080-logo.png.adapt.1920w.png Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX wrapped in a kawaii anime design]], [[spoiler:which belongs to Boost, a racer who is in love with anime itself.]]
130	* LeftHanging: [[spoiler:There are many loose-ends at the end of the storyline... we don't get to see who won the mayoral election after the ending, and Tess gets away scot-free. It is unknown whether the resolution would come in future major updates.]]
131	* LevelGrinding: Each Qualifier requires at least a certain amount of cash needed for a buy-in and at least a car of a specified class. It maybe a chore to earn enough, due to the fact that some races require buy-ins and having to tackle with LPD's heat for each day. [[spoiler:The Grand on the other hand requires 4 cars of a specified class for each and at least $200k for the buy-in.]]
132	* LighterAndSofter: Compared to ''Heat'', the cops here doesn't resort to imprisonment, brutal (though offscreen) beatdowns, and near-murder when dealing with racers. In fact the "city officials" side of characters here are shown as comical caricatures of American politics.
133	* LightningBruiser: At Heat Level 5, be on a lookout for Heavy units joining the pursuit. They appear as modified Ford F-150 Raptors and you expect them to be slow and easy to outrun due their size, but they turn out to be absurdly fast and capable of driving off road easily. Simply put, they're ''Unbound''[='s=] equivalent of the Supercharged Rhino [=SUVs=] from ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedMostWanted Most Wanted]]''.
134	* LightningGlare: [[spoiler:The end of the third week of the qualifier shows a cutscene with you and Yaz tensely glare at each other, complete with lightning effects arcing back and forth between their eyes, indicating how much friction between the two had developed over the course following the garage raid.]]
135	* LocalHangout: Meetups are hangout spots from where multiple events are raced at. Simply put, they're like the race days from ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedProStreet ProStreet]]'' but in illicit street racing form. Also qualifies as a BadGuyBar since meetups are hangout spots for illegal street racers.
136	* LogoJoke:
137	** Shortly before the reveal of ''Need for Speed Unbound'', EA changed the app artwork of ''Need for Speed Payback'', ''Need for Speed Heat'', and ''Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered''[[note]]except for the Switch version of that one[[/note]] so that their logos had the same white/green color scheme as ''Unbound''[='=]s logo and [[DeliberatelyMonochrome made the rest of their artwork greyscale]] [[SplashOfColor except for their main cover cars]].
138	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wapZRz-OPFI In the game's]] {{start screen}}, various Electronic Arts, Criterion Games, and [[MediaNotes/GameEngine Frostbite]] logos glitch in and out with street art à la ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse'', with [[FreezeFrameBonus blink-and-you'll-miss-it]] appearances of past logos of all three. Plus, the ''Need for Speed'' speedometer 'N' logo used from ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedUndercover Undercover]]'' to ''No Limits'' appears at the beginning and end of the start screen's video of a bumper cam drive through downtown Lakeshore.
139	* LuredIntoATrap: The prologue has Alec contacting Yaz and the player about a Nissan Z Prototype that needs to be delivered. While Yaz accepts the offer and the player picks it up, [[spoiler:it turns out it was a scam when this job lured the player away from the garage, left Yaz in possession of the player's car, and allowed the catalytic heist to occur.]]
140	* MadeOfPlasticine: The cop cars in ''Unbound'' are far more fragile than ''Heat'', where even a slightest brush would cause their car to get destroyed. It's possible for even a supercar to easily takedown an AWD or a Heavy ''head-on'' and not receive any damage from your car.
141	* MarathonLevel: Basically any Endurance event falls under this trope. It's basically a simple street race on an excessively long distanced route.
142	* MayorPain: [[spoiler:The game features radio ads and podcasts showing how Mayor Morgan Stevenson is a disgraceful asshole to Lakeshore, ranging from {{Nepotism}} to showing callousness regarding the safety of the Lake's citizens, to even firing her own campaign team and hiring a new one that can only come up with asinine ads that don't work.]]
143	* MissionPackSequel: Not so much the game itself, but the car lineup. Basically, about ''all'' of the cars from ''Heat'', including almost all of the bonus cars, except Audi, are carried over in the base release of ''Unbound'' with just a few added cars (and Audi would eventually be added in an update).
144	* TheMountainsOfIllinois: Lakeshore City is a very obvious {{Expy}} of UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}}, except that it happens to reside besides mountainous and hillside roads, instead of the flat plain Chicago actually sits on.
145	[[/folder]]
146	[[folder: Tropes N to Z]]
147	* {{Nerf}}: Remember the Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 2.8, a notorious GameBreaker from the previous three games? Here, it's given substantially slower acceleration, weaker top speed, and sluggish steering angle. Plus, attempting to compete with more powerful cars like the Koenigsegg Regera and Bugatti Chiron in the [[HarderThanHard S+ Class]] will result in the [=RSR=] [[CurbStompBattle getting curbstomped by the latter two]].[[note]]Originally (as in, up until ''Heat''), the [=RSR=] was able to reach 240 MPH when maxed out. In ''Unbound'', its top speed got capped to around 225 MPH (while the Regera and Chiron can reach 245, the game's top speed limit).[[/note]]
148	* NiceDayDeadlyNight:
149	** ''Unbound's'' plays a downplayed version of ''Heat'', as the format goes more into a "more rewards for higher risk" premise. Nighttime races net you bigger payouts but may attract higher heat from the LPD, despite that there are no heat mulipliers. Heat accumulated from the day session is carried over into the night session. After your night session, your heat level resets back to 0 on the next day.
150	** This also carries over to there being two different delivery missions depending on the time of day. Low Heat Delivery missions that are offered by Rydell only occur during daytime where there the purpose is to deliver the customer's car to its destination within a given time. High Heat Delivery missions provided by Tess ([[spoiler:and later by Yaz]]) occur only at night and this is where the aggressive cops attempt to stop you whilst delivering the car to its place without denting it.
151	* NitroBoost: This time, it works in a slightly different way. While there is normal nitrous (indicated in blue) which is filled up over time or by using a gas station, there are also three bars of Burst Nitrous (indicated in yellow) that are filled up by doing stunts like near misses, drifts, and jumps, and can be used in conjunction with the normal boost to reach even higher speeds or to have a quick burst of acceleration out of a corner. In the Vol. 7 update, Burst Nitrous is solely used for drag events and the number of bars are determined based on how long you burnout at the right optimal temperature.
152	* NoDamageRun: High Heat delivery missions require you to deliver the car to its destination whilst escaping from the cops without taking any damage. However, if the car gets beaten up, you can just simply drive to a gas station for a full repair before reaching the destination to get the full payout being offered. Since these have no time limits, you can take your time to drive carefully to its destination whilst being cautious for cops around the area.
153	* NoPartyGiven: Neither the incumbent mayor of Lakeshore nor the candidate challenging her are assigned a named political party, though both of their platforms combine aspects from both sides of the American political spectrum.
154	* NoodleIncident: [[spoiler:When a live podcast that focuses on the political landscape of Lakeshore is interrupted by the host's mother, the player compares it to being as awkward as the time Rydell served his brisket at a vegan food festival.]]
155	* OldSaveBonus: For those who have played ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeedHeat'', as bonus, you get rewarded the custom [=McLaren=] [=F1=], complete with its special Black Market body kit. May count as a DiskOneNuke since it also saves you lots of money from buying an S+ Class car.
156	* OnlyOneName: The majority of the characters and racers are only known by their given names. Averted for the two politicians, Mayor Morgan Stevenson ([[spoiler:and if you also count the podcaster]], [[spoiler:Aaliyah Michelle Stevenson, who is actually the mayor's daughter]]) and Holden Parker III as they are the only 2 two to have a surname.
157	* OptionalTrafficLaws: As long as you don't hit any cops and within no heat, the LPD will ignore you even if you speed, drive the oncoming lane or hit traffic.
158	* PaletteSwap: The convertible and track-only variants of the base models (e.g. the roadster version of the BMW [=i8=] or the Performante version of the Lamborghini Hurácan) return from ''Heat'' (including its DownloadableContent). The lineup (including the custom, ''Palace Edition'' and major updates) now has six different Lamborghini Aventadors and six different AMG [=GTs=].
159	* ThePhilosopher: Majority of the Lake's racers use street racing as means of "self-expression".
160	* PimpedOutCar:
161	** The game's cover features a Mercedes-Benz 190E [=2.5-16=] Evolution (which in the game appears to belong to Music/AsapRocky), which if not for the fact that it's not what you'd exactly call cheap, would basically count as a RiceBurner, as its customization includes a huge spoiler, being painted half-black and half-white, a gilded grille, taped headlights, and having its rear bumper completely removed.
162	** The car customization itself goes insanely further. If you thought vanity items like flashy car neons or rainbow tire smoke ain't enough, here, the game introduces "Driving Effects", a new customization feature that allows players to express or represent themselves with Tags floating above the car's roof, and street art-inspired effects such as cartoon tire smoke and artistic wings when you're airborne, in a similar vein as ''VideoGame/TheCrew2''. Prior to the Vol. 2 update, effects were applied to all of your cars and applied by default until the said update gives you the ability to apply effects to each individual car, allowing you to pick a unique style for each of the cars you own.
163	*** With the December 2023 update, you can choose the "Original" Driving Effect, which means realistic smoke without the {{Animesque}} street art coming out of your drift, which would [[SubvertedTrope subvert]] this trope. Vol. 6 also adds realistic colorful tire smoke obtained via RewardsPass, something the previous [[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedPayback two]] [[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedHeat games]] already did. Realistic or stylistic? All up to you.
164	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np-4jX7EkJQ "The World Is Your Canvas" Gameplay Trailer]] features an absurdly souped-up [=S14=] Silvia, with the "Driving Effects" as mentioned above, complete with a huge spoiler and appendage, a roll cage visible and its roof completely chopped off. [[spoiler:This car is later to be revealed as one of the 3 main starter cars for the player.]]
165	** The [[https://www.ea.com/games/need-for-speed/need-for-speed-unbound/about/customization "Pull Up, Ride Out"]] deep dive on customization shows more of the available customization options, with one of the standouts being a UsefulNotes/{{Bosozoku}} style bodykit for the Nissan [=240ZG=]. [[spoiler:It is driven by Waru, an Australian-Japanese driver and one of the AI-controlled rivals.]] [[spoiler:The Vol. 2 update makes this car PromotedToPlayable, however it's restricted to EA Play members.]]
166	** The Porsche Cayman [=GT4=] and the 718 Boxster Spyder have a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg2VDAAyYUc crazy]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO3RhgOvAGE body kit]] that resembles the 991.2 911 [=GT3=] RS, headlights included. Both also have a rear fender option that resembles the extended tail on the 2019 [=Porsche 935=].
167	** Colored window tints make a return since ''Shift 2: Unleashed'', but it doesn't stop there: Now you can even color your headlights.
168	** Apart from customizing the exhaust sound, you can now adjust the sound and volume of your forced induction.
169	** Subverted for pre-tuned and specialty vehicles which have no body kits, and you can only change the license plate, wheels, colors, wraps, stance and driving effects. Cars like the [=McLaren P1=] GTR, the Lamborghini Huracán Performante, the Ferrari 488 Pista and even the new Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 get this treatment.
170	** Vol. 3 adds a [[https://media.contentapi.ea.com/content/dam/ea/need-for-speed-unbound/common/vol-3/speed-pass-page/nfs-vol3-sp-newcar-16x9.jpg.adapt.1456w.jpg glyph-patterned glow-in-the-dark Legendary Customs Dodge SRT Viper with a color-shifted turbofan front wheels and its turbocharge sticking out of the exhaust]]. Alongside the said Viper adds... a [[ExaggeratedTrope ridiculously modified Mazda RX-7]] with a ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}''-style body kit... and a Legendary Customs Ford Mustang with animated taillights and a body kit akin to the Aston Martin Victor. And a disco-style Volkswagen Golf GTI, too. Finally, for those with EA Play subscription... behold, the [[https://traxion.gg/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Need-for-Speed-Unbound-Vol-3-EA-Play-Nissan-Skyline-1024x576.jpg Custom Nissan [=R32=] Skyline with a GT-R LM style body kit]]. The Pimped out part? Half of the bonnet is cut off, revealing its exposed engine.
171	** The [[https://media.contentapi.ea.com/content/dam/ea/need-for-speed-unbound/common/vol-4/news-articles/vol-4-uth-article/exc-vol4-gif05-legendarycustompack-lotusexiges-2006-16x9-logo.gif Legendary Customs Lotus Exige]] in the Vol. 4 update gets a monstrous treatment. ''Literally.'' Also the [[https://media.contentapi.ea.com/content/dam/ea/need-for-speed-unbound/common/vol-4/news-articles/vol-4-uth-article/exc-vol4-gif07-swagpack-mercedesg63amg-2016-16x9-logo.gif Hip Hop Origin Swag Pack Mercedes-AMG G 63]] gets not just a widebody, but also windshield stickers that ''completely obstruct'' the driver's vision. And it doesn't stop there. The Legendary Custom Porsche 993 Carrera in the Vol. 4 update gets also the 935 treatment too, complete with graffiti text of the names of the cities of past ''NFS'' games.
172	** Vol. 5 adds a Legendary Customs [[https://media.contentapi.ea.com/content/dam/ea/need-for-speed-unbound/common/vol-5/news-articles/uth-vol-5-blog/nfs-vol5-dlc-trick-or-street-16x9.jpg.adapt.1920w.jpg Mini Cooper Countryman JCW, with a body kit and spoiler reminiscent of a Pikes Peak Hillclimber]] and a [[PimpedOutCar pimped out]] [[WhatAPieceOfJunk Volkswagen Beetle]]. Other custom cars adds [[https://media.contentapi.ea.com/content/dam/ea/need-for-speed-unbound/common/vol-5/news-articles/uth-vol-5-blog/nfs-vol5-dlc-customs-16x9.jpg.adapt.1920w.jpg the Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport, the Mercedes-AMG [=C63=] Coupe and the BMW i8]], all in its custom body kits that were actually K.S. Edition kits from the ''Deluxe Edition'' from ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedHeat Heat]]''. Also, EA Play players get a custom purple Mercury Cougar. Last, reach level 50 in the RewardsPass and you get a Drag-spec Buick GNX, complete with braking parachute and exhausts on the bonnet.
173	** Introduced in Vol. 6 is the [[https://www.gtplanet.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/image-1-7.jpg "Michèle" - Custom RS 6 Avant]], with its body kit and livery design inspired by the Group B Audi Quattro S1 E2 that was driven by Michèle Mouton (hence the name) when she competed in the 1985 UsefulNotes/WorldRallyChampionship. Other Audis added in the bundle has the Nextech Tourenwagen S5 and a 2019 Audi R8 Coupé, complete with a wrap to resemble [[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedCarbon Darius's car]].
174	** Remember the Mitsubishi Eclipse from the intro of ''Underground''? The car is finally yours to drive in the Vol. 7 update.[[note]]Though the game claims that it's Melissa's car, even though in ''Underground'' she actually drove a Nissan 350Z. This appears to be most likely due to a well-known promotional image for ''Underground'' that [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/nfs/images/6/67/NFSUG_Character_Melissa.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20220222105221&path-prefix=en showed Melissa alongside said car]].[[/note]] Plus, the Speedhunters Edition of the aforementioned 2024 Mustang Dark Horse, built for drag, [[https://media.contentapi.ea.com/content/dam/ea/need-for-speed-unbound/common/vol-7/optimized-assets/nfs-unbound-vol7-speedpasspremium-key-art-1.jpg.adapt.1920w.jpg complete with a drag spoiler, parachute, and a supercharged blower]]. The same would do for the [[https://media.contentapi.ea.com/content/dam/ea/need-for-speed-unbound/common/vol-7/optimized-assets/nfsub-vol07-content-03-speedpass-free-3840x2160-nologo.jpg.adapt.1920w.jpg Underground Dragster - BMW M3 Competition Touring, minus said blower]]. Additionally, there's now "Music Reactive Projections", which are animated underglows with crazy designs.
175	* PlayEveryDay:
176	** In-Universe, and through an in-game calendar set in a span of 4 weeks. [[EpicRace The Grand]] is the ultimate challenge Lakeshore has to offer, with $1,000,000 as the grand prize. To do so, you must participate in a Qualifier event every first 3 Saturdays of the month in-game before being able to be invited to The Grand which is held on the fourth week, [[spoiler:in which Yaz holds keys to your souped-up junker used in the prologue.]]
177	** This trope would play straight with RewardsPass for Vol. 3 and onwards (see below).
178	* PlayingBothSides: [[spoiler:Tess of all openly brags about it. She usually reminds the player that she bets both on them and against them to always get a bit of cash in return from the betting. This also helps her get away largely scot-free after her plans with Alec are thwarted.]]
179	* PowerUpLetdown: In the Vol. 7 update, the almighty Koenigsegg Regera is barred from entering drag races, possibly because the car only has a single gear, rendering shifting as unnecessary.
180	* ProductPlacement: Like with ''Heat'', players can customize their characters with licensed clothing from brands like Puma, Versace, Napapijri, Namilia, Vans and Palace Skateboards. The latter most does a special collaborative with this game for the deluxe release.
181	* ReadingsAreOffTheScale: The upgrade system (alongside its engine swaps) make a comeback from ''Heat''. With the right upgrades, your car's level will be displayed as S+/400+. The Koenigsegg Regera and the Bugatti Chiron are the only cars at '''stock performance''' to have an S+ tier and a 400+ rating.
182	* ResurrectTheWreck: A soon as you start the game, after you finished creating your character, the game then asks you to choose a beaten-up car to restore. Once selected, the opening cutscene will show your selected car fully refurbished.
183	* RewardsPass: The Vol. 3 Update adds the so-called "Speed Pass" where you get free driving effects, underglows, [[AndYourRewardIsClothes clothes]], [[VictoryPose winning poses]], etc., etc. All you gotta do is complete [[PlayEveryDay daily and weekly challenges]] between the certain time period. New Speed Passes were added for the major "Vol. X" updates. Missing out either of those and you'd rather [[BribingYourWayToVictory catch up by purchasing the previous passes]].
184	* RiceBurner:
185	** Big Country Labs, spoilers that are ridiculously taller than the roof, make a comeback here. And here adds more KS edition body kits from hidden cars from ''Heat''. Take that [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEym8KdrBoM Lamborghini Aventador]] for example.
186	** Some of the Legendary Customs body kits would have different spoilers in such ridiculous forms.
187	* RogerRabbitEffect: The game uses CelShading {{Animesque}} characters akin to those in ''Nitro'' or even the Lindbergh Era of ''VideoGame/InitialDArcadeStage'', combined with realistic environments.
188	* ScunthorpeProblem: The license plate name generator when customizing cars censors usage of swear words and insults, which also includes letters forming swear words inside of harmless ones (which is a bit odd for a game that features vulgar dialogue). Even phrases and names from third-party works such as "[[Franchise/TheFastAndTheFurious Toretto]]" or "[[Manga/InitialD Takumi]]" would be considered "profanity" though it's justified as that's more of a case of copyright prevention.
189	* ShoutOut:
190	** Expect some ''VideoGame/{{Burnout}}'' references. This is what you get from a [[Creator/CriterionGames Criterion]]-developed game.
191	*** If you crashed your car but landed on all four wheels attached and they are still functioning, you'll be given a message saying "[[VideoGame/BurnoutParadise Driveaway]]".
192	*** In the garage menu, you can clearly see a neon sign reading "Burnout" with a neon tube forming an image of the [[https://burnout.fandom.com/wiki/Carson_Annihilator Carson Annihilator]], one of the many [[{{Fauxrrari}} lookalikes to real-life cars]] [[note]]in this case, a combination of the 1971 Plymouth Road Runner (front and midsection) and 1971 Dodge Charger (rear)[[/note]] used in ''VideoGame/BurnoutParadise''.[[note]][[https://preview.redd.it/deep-easter-egg-in-nfs-unbound-the-neon-in-the-safehouse-is-v0-4kxnk1z1ax3a1.jpg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=3af3b42210d7a853ccad8f5278d7585ff661d820 This is actually the same neon sign used in]] Criterion's RealLife office[[/note]]
193	*** If you head out to Yams Park, you'll be seeing an abandoned car lying out in the open, complete with a Paradise City license plate.
194	*** If you change your profile picture, one of the profile images features a car, which is clearly a screenshot of the Carson 500 GT in the car select menu.
195	** The HUD resembles the one from ''VideoGame/{{GRID}}'' more than any other ''Need for Speed'' games, with heavy use of Eurostile font. [[note]]This is not the first time ''NFS'' uses Eurostile, however, as said font was previously used in ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedMostWanted Most Wanted]]'', the PSP version of ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedProStreet ProStreet]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedHotPursuit Hot Pursuit (2010)]]''.[[/note]] Appropiately enough, ''GRID'''s developer Creator/{{Codemasters}} assisted Criterion in development of this game.
196	** High Heat Deliveries can have a reference of its own:
197	*** The Ferrari Testarossa delivery his aptly titled "[[VideoGame/OutRun Outrunner]]". Besides this mission, the gas stations' brand in the game is named "[=OutRun=]", like in ''Heat''.
198	*** The Crown Victoria mission has this in courtesy of being proud of the location has one called "[[Film/FerrisBuellersDayOff Save Ferris]]".
199	*** [[spoiler:In the "Eastbound and Down" event, where you deliver a classic 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, once you finished it, Tess will claim that the delivery was a PR campaign for "a reboot of [[Film/SmokeyAndTheBandit an old movie about some wise-cracking mustachioed driver on the run from the law]]". In "Rebooted", where you deliver the same Firebird after it's revealed that in the first mission it was actually ''stolen'', Yaz states that the reboot didn't happen]].
200	*** The Subaru Impreza High heat delivery has the aptly called "Literature/ReadyPlayerTwo", with the iconic blue and yellow design {{Expy}} as the Subaru WRT that was driven by Petter Solberg, complete with a WRC 2006 body kit.
201	** [[spoiler:One of the delivery missions has you driving a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAE7BYXLzck gold Range Rover with a black top]]. This is identical to the [[https://igcd.net/images/247/269.jpg Range Rover]] shown in the teaser trailer for ''[[VideoGame/TestDriveUnlimited Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown]]'', which wasn't even released yet at the time of ''Unbound'''s release.]]
202	** One race is named "[[WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks The Boomdocks]]".
203	** In regards of Driving Effects:
204	*** One of the driving effects named [[Manga/InitialD Akina's]] [[Manga/MFGhost Ghost]].
205	*** Another driving effect, which has a blue and yellow color scheme, is named "Heróyam Sláva", a variation of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slava_Ukraini "Slava Ukraini"]], hence the effect's colors.
206	** Boost, who's established to be an OccidentalOtaku, tells the player that he watched an anime (which goes unnamed) about two street racers who drove around the mountains of Japan until one of them betrayed the other. This is pretty much the synopsis of ''Manga/InitialD'' [[spoiler:aside of being an apt description of the plot of this very game (except for the Japan setting)]]. Even Boost will TitleDrop this when you rear-ended him!
207	--->'''Boost:''' Initial D would not like that!
208	** The first radio campaign you hear about Mayor Morgan Stevenson is relating to "[[UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump making Lakeshore great again]]".
209	** Two of the sub-regions in Lakeshore are called Yams Park and Lake Virgil, references after the late A$AP Yams -- the founder of A$AP Mob of which A$AP Rocky comes from -- and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgil_Abloh Virgil Abloh]].
210	** During the prologue, when you catch air during a race, Yaz proclaims that "We got more air than Jordan". Guess she learned much from Nike.
211	*** Also during the prologue, there is a Mazda MX-5 (NA) parked in Rydell's Rydes, wrapped in an orange and green pattern akin to the Mazda [=787B=] that won the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans. This is not the first time the franchise has done this, as there is a crew in ''Carbon'' named Rotor-4 that drive Mazda rotary cars wrapped in the same orange and green pattern.
212	** Rydell mentioned about watching a RealLife Website/{{Vine}} meme. "Road work ahead, I sure hope it does!"
213	** Whenever a [[TheJuggernaut Heavy unit]] arrives, they exclaime that they'll be "here to kick ass and chew bubblegum. And we're all outta bubblegum." which is a reference to either ''Film/TheyLive'' or ''VideoGame/DukeNukem''.
214	** Tess mentioning when she need to know more about the crew Yaz hangs with, she says she is "gonna go all [[Franchise/ScoobyDoo Mystery Machine]] out there".
215	** The Vol. 3 adding the DMC [=DeLorean=] is a clear reference to ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture''. Bonus points if you drive exactly 88 mph for 3 seconds and the [=DeLorean=] will leave a trail of BurningRubber.
216	** Vol. 4 has several:
217	*** The Porsche focus on the DLC goes through the history of the brand. The colorfully graffitied Taycan is based on the [[https://cdn.motor1.com/images/mgl/G3BBrb/s1/porsche-taycan-turbo-s-art-car-2023-photofairs-shanghai.jpg Porsche Taycan's "Dream in Colour" livery]], while the Legendary Custom Porsche 911 Carrera S (993) is based on the [[https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5caed8960cf57d49530e8c60/645f38f6-48dc-4d4e-98d8-96d445994090/art-mg-porsche917-20+02.jpg iconic pig pink livery of the Porsche 917/20]] (which was already referenced in ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedTheRun The Run]]'' [[https://i.ibb.co/QrSXVC0/Screenshot-2023-08-16-at-2-11-46-PM.png as a livery]]). And regarding the brand's history with ''Need for Speed'' specifically, there's the race playlist named ''Porsche Unleashed'', which is an obvious one to [[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedPorscheUnleashed an older entry in the series]].
218	*** One of the [[VictoryPose victory poses]] in the Vol. 4 RewardsPass (upon reaching Level 28) has the PlayerCharacter [[https://youtu.be/_Zhl77Rr6GI?t=116 doing the "Night, Night" pose]], the signature celebration toast of the Golden State Warriors player, UsefulNotes/StephenCurry.
219	** Another ''Initial D'' reference has one of the Drift Pro events named "Myogi Nights", referring to the team Myogi [=NightKids=] of Takeshi Nakazato and Shoji Shingo. Another is named "Takahashi Special", after the [=RedSuns=] Rotary brothers Keisuke and Ryosuke Takahashi.
220	* SirSwearsALot: Remember back in ''Heat'' when hard profanity was used, mainly by cops who say "shit" or "assholes"? You can expect more of it in this game, as the majority of the characters will drop colorful language all the time, and one of the events is even named "This Shit is Tight". Even the music in the game has its swearing largely uncensored, in contrast to Black Box-era games' famous {{bowdlerise}}d edits. More vulgar words like "fuck" still remain unused, though.
221	* SocializationBonus: Vol. 3 adds Linkups for Lakeshore Online, where you work together with other players in completing stunts and other activities for rewards. Take it as [[VideoGame/BurnoutParadise Freeburn Challenges]] or [[VideoGame/{{Forza}} Horizon Arcade]] with cops.
222	-->'''Player:''' Always happy to help out another racer.
223	* SpecialGuest: ''Unbound'' features American rapper Music/ASAPRocky, in which he has his own spotlight in the game.
224	* StarterMon:
225	** As soon as you finish creating your PlayerCharacter, the game then asks you to pick a junker to restore, which will serve as your starter car for the game's story proper. The choice of cars are either a 1969 Dodge Charger, a Nissan Silvia [=S14=], or a Lamborghini Countach.
226	** After losing the aformentioned junker, starting with the Sunday of the first week, you're forced to buy new starter car.
227	** Its online counterpart instead offers you 3 different starter cars: A Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport, a Mercedes AMG G 63 Wagon or an [=R32=] Nissan Skyline. Unlike the main story, you get to keep your starting car.
228	* SubvertedCatchphrase: More like Subverted TitleDrop. In the prologue, Rydell mentions to know what it's like to feel "the need for...", inplying that he's about to pronounce the name of the franchise, but can't remember the last word. [[spoiler:As a BrickJoke, at the end of the game, he tries it again and he finally remembers.]]
229	* SuddenlyVoiced: While ''Heat'' has the first BlankSlate PlayerCharacter to speak, ''Unbound'' takes this trope to new heights by now having each of the regular opponents having a voice and personality mid-race, the first time since the Outrun opponents from ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedUnderground Underground 2]]''.
230	* TakeThat: [[spoiler:In the cutscene for the final race, the player's character takes a jab at ''Film/TheFastAndTheFurious''.]]
231	-->[[spoiler:'''Player:''' I dunno. Put a crew together, save the world, race home, pop a cold one, talk about "family", eat barbecue, do the same thing only different, like 8, 9 times?]]
232	* TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse: The racers of Lakeshore City. While some racers like Rüdiger, Cha Cha and Anechka are reasonable, not all of them would fit the mold. Thanks to ProductPlacement for clothes, many of them like Harlow, Eléonore, Chase, Medusa and Lyric are more like fashion models for a Vogue magazine than street racers. Justicia is more of a social media influencer encoraging in her "Insta" to do something illegal, and Boost is nothing but an OccidentalOtaku who just loves to gossip about anime.
233	* ThroughHisStomach: [[spoiler:Yaz thinks Rydell is attempting this as an apology for a disagreement as she points out that he didn't call her to ask if she was interested in having some of his barbecue brisket.]]
234	-->'''Yaz:''' [[spoiler:Then why didn't he call me? I put in the work, now dude thinks he can win me over with brisket? Nah, bruh.]]
235	* TimeSkip: [[spoiler:The game jumps forward two years after Rydell's Rydes was raided in the prologue.]] Ironically, the rivals' age remain the same.
236	* TitleDrop: Rydell tries to make one but it becomes a BrickJoke.
237	* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:The PlayerCharacter entrusts Tess to help bankroll Rydell's Rydes, only to discover that she was only using them to finance her gambling ring by betting for and against the player for money]].
238	* VanityLicensePlate:
239	** As with past ''NFS'' games (particularly the [[Creator/EAGothenburg Ghost Games]] entries), you can change the license plate text, frame, and backgrounds, which includes the background designs used since ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeedRivals''. However, for the first time ever, you can now use ''real'' [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_license_plate_designs_and_serial_formats designs from across the United States]],[[note]]although California's design (which has two variants in this game) already appeared in [[VideoGame/NeedForSpeed2015 the 2015 reboot]], as that game's setting, the fictional Ventura Bay, was stated to be located in that state,[[/note]] including UsefulNotes/AmericanSamoa, as well as a couple of Japanese plates (including one with a diagonal red line across the plate that indicates an unregistered car with a temporary registration, which has a history with JDM culture).
240	** Vol. 7 introduces animated LED license plates, which can be obtained as a premium RewardsPass item.
241	* VictoryPose: ''Unbound'' exhibits this trope a lot, as the game lets you choose a victory emote for your PlayerCharacter when winning an event. Poses like a VSign, KnuckleCracking, TalkToTheHand, PecFlex, or a ZombieGait in the Vol. 2 update.
242	* VillainHasAPoint: Despite the police being an antagonistic presence both in-game and in-narrative, some LPD officers at least justify their actions under the pretense of wanting to uphold public safety. They will occasionally call the player character out on their erratic driving over their PA systems while in pursuit, as well as among themselves on their scanners.
243	-->'''Officer:''' I swear they're crashing into people on purpose!
244	-->'''Officer:''' You are putting people's lives at risk! Pull over, NOW!
245	-->'''Officer:''' Stop, you're gonna kill someone!
246	* VisibilityMeter: The police now has a spotting meter that fills up when exposed to the cops' visual range. If the meter is full, then you're engaged in a pursuit. An auxiliary item makes cops spotting you even harder.
247	* WackyRacing: Lakeshore's street-racing scene features eccentric opponents (even for this series' standards) and outrageous locations, all mixed with wacky art styles and driving effects. All for the sake of RuleOfCool.
248	* WideOpenSandbox: Following ''Heat'', it's the second time in the ''NFS'' series that the game's open world allows players to drive off-road ''anywhere'' in the Lakeshore City countryside.
249	* YouBreakItYouProfit: Added in Vol. 3, you now have the ability to earn money for [[CopKiller wrecking cops]].
250	* YouHaveResearchedBreathing: For some reason, you need to pay to be able to remove certain parts of your car such as the front and rear bumpers. Inverted with bonus cars that you can unlock for completing certain races that lack specific parts that come as default, as you can install those for free.
251	* YoungerAndHipper: The game mostly features Generation Z characters (or zoomers), with some of them being as young as 19. This was possibly an attempt to capture a young generation who are new to ''NFS'' games.
252	[[/folder]]
253	----
254	-->''Yo Speedie! Are you finished reading? Then hurry up an index the page already! I've got a marathon series of catch up!''

Context VideoGame / NeedForSpeedUnbound