I've somehow managed to play the past 3 Need For Speed titles by complete accident. Not really much of a conscious effort on my part, more just the fact that there's always an arcade racer itch that I like to scratch every once in a while, that just so happens to loosely follow how often these games drop. And because of the current Steam Spring Sale that's going on as I'm writing this, $9 CAD was too good a deal to pass up. I'm conflicted, because while the game didn't exactly blow me away, it did in fact scratch that itch. Criterion have things like the physics of driving and the new implementation of burst nitro which are both really good things. Burst nitro works on both drift to turn (which has been common in the past 2 NFS'), but also actual grip driving which is awesome to see! But then there's also the tiered system of vehicles, where you'll inevitably encounter the moment of "If I upgrade this car more, it will no longer be in B class so I can't upgrade my car anymore." which feels incredibly fucking shitty. The story while seemingly pretty engaging at first, ends up being similar to the past 2 NFS' as well so there's not exactly much to write home about. The visuals which have been a major point of contention while discussing this game are something I really liked. It's quite a bold choice for all these fun cool effects and it was never going to be everyone's cup of tea anyway, so I'm really glad they even took that risk. Overall I feel like for the price that I paid for ($9 CAD) I definitely got my money's worth, but I do also recognize that people who paid $70 USD for this game and are now complaining that there might not be enough content, are valid for that opinion. The best way to really put it is if you like arcade racers or have even played NFS in the past, of course it's serviceable. It won't blow you away and I would definitely recommend getting it while it's on sale, but I did have a pretty good time with it. As for the future of the franchise, I'll probably end up playing the next one by accident too, so I guess I'll see y'all on the grid.

Excellent graphics and an interesting and engaging art style (even if sometimes distracting).
However, the story is mediocre at best. It is so short that it locks "story events" after a "weekly-type" progression that is made to give the impression that the game is longer than it actually is.

The logic of the game is: Sunday through Friday, you do "chores" or run different (yet always very similar) races to earn money. The main events (the ones that progress the story) all require a minimum amount, so you need to grind during the week to play the story.
Oh, and the iconic BMW M3 GTR GT is for multiplayer only :)
Terrible.

really charming world and an admirable attempt to mix underground 2 and most wanted, but some things really fell apart, absolutely HATED the checkpoint system, i think the heat system / police needed to be worked on better (shaking off the helicopter shouldn't be this easy lol) and i wanted to outrun the NPCs considering they talk a lot and have real personalities. anyway for anyone picking this up they should get a lamborghini or similarly super-fast car as early as possible that made the game so ridiculously fun to play

I'll forever curse The Fast and the Furious for making game developers think their racing game needs plot.

Unbound is slightly better than Heat as at least it's visuals stand out but I just don't get who is this game for?

Are there arcade racers who actually enjoy rigging and customizing their cars down to the side mirrors and exhaust pipes?
Is slowly grinding high risk low reward satisfying to anyone?

Burnout Paradise starts you in a solid car and within five minutes lets you Smash and grab your 2nd ride. The game for all its age riddled flaws - had a flow.

Unbound gives you a high end car for the intro and then lets you pick a fixer upper for the first chunk of the game - better do this blind pick right because there's no backsies and time and money are on short supply.

My entire time with the game felt like it teased me that it will get good soon™, incredibly frustrating.

Just make a new Burnout man, hell I'll take any arcade racer that's actually fun.