As one of the longest-running racing franchises in gaming's history, Need For Speed has always been a beloved series for arcade racing enthusiasts. Although the fans have been experiencing tough times since 2015, the release of Need For Speed Unbound brought back trust in the series once again with the return of Criterion Games.
Need For Speed's golden era was full of back-to-back hits for Electronic Arts that are still worth revisiting. So, if you think you have missed those good old days, here we have a list of the best games in the series history.
10 The Need For Speed
The original Need For Speed was a spectacular effort to combine realistic cars with an illegal racing theme where players get to clash with police vehicles while trying to win the races. The game was launched with multiple point-to-point circuits as well as well-designed car models, including interior views.
At the time, Electronic Arts partnered with the Road & Track car magazine to simulate the look and handling of the cars in the game, which resulted in the popularity of this newborn racing franchise right off the bat.
9 Need For Speed Rivals
Probably the last stellar Need For Speed game that we remember is Rivals. Ghost Games' debut title was the first Need For Speed game to be published on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One with improved visuals and dynamic weather effects.
The gameplay of Rivals was quite similar to that of Hot Pursuit, but the visual superiority of Rivals made it a memorable experience. Also, the game's new AllDrive system made online play quite accessible in Rivals in a seamless way.
8 Need For Speed Carbon
Following the success of Need For Speed Most Wanted, EA Black Box developed Carbon in a quite similar format with a special focus on boss races on dangerous roads outside the city. If Carbon put more focus on customization options and an expansive set of content, it could easily stand next to 2005's Most Wanted.
That being said, Carbon was still a success for the franchise, thanks to its new creative approach to the races as well as its district-based progression system.
7 Need For Speed: Porsche Unleashed
If you have been playing Need For Speed since the original PlayStation era, then you probably remember Porsche Unleashed, a game that was entirely dedicated to Porsche cars. While it might sound a bit boring, Porsche Unleashed was indeed a great experience, including a wide variety of Porsche cars from the manufacturer's entire history.
Similar to most Need For Speed games of that era, Porsche Unleashed was also a circuit-based racing, but with some beautifully designed environments in different weather conditions, which was something quite rare back then.
6 Need For Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed
Before moving on to work on the Project Cars franchise, Slightly Mad Studios partnered with Electronic Arts to develop Need For Speed: Shift and Need For Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed, both of which were great experiences in adding up more simulation elements to the arcade DNA of the franchise.
Shift 2: Unleashed was one of the best circuit-based racing games of the Need For Speed franchise, which perfectly managed the balance between new simulation gameplay mechanics and the arcade nature of the series.
5 Need For Speed 3: Hot Pursuit
The first Hot Pursuit game ever in the Need For Speed franchise was incredibly successful, as it managed to introduce a new standard for the combination of racing and vehicle combat genres.
Need For Speed 3 was the first ever title in the series to allow players to drive a police car and stop illegal racers from finishing the competition. The fun fact is this mode was exclusive to the PC version, as in console versions, players could only play as racers. However, the game has been improved significantly in the case of gameplay mechanics, including the ways police cars could intervene with the racers.
4 Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2
As a direct sequel to Need For Speed 3, Hot Pursuit 2 was simply a revolution in the Need For Speed franchise when it launched. The developers managed to expand almost all the ideas of the first game in new creative ways.
Hot Pursuit 2 was simply based on the core gameplay of its predecessor but with updated visuals, a long list of available cars both for racers and cops and deeper gameplay mechanics for capturing racers, such as calling for backup units. The game's high replayability made it one of the best racing titles of history back then.
3 Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010)
There is no doubt that the reboot of Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit back in 2010 was an all-time peak for this sub-franchise. Everything was at the highest level it could be. Top-notch racing cars, high-octane pursuits between cops and racers, and a revamped police role with new creative ways to capture racers.
2010's Hot Pursuit, which also received a remastered version a few years earlier, featured some deep gameplay mechanics in the police mode that even Ghost Games' Need For Speed Rivals couldn't successfully inspire them.
2 Need For Speed: Underground 2
It's been many years since the original release of Need For Speed: Underground 2, and Electronic Arts still struggles to deliver a rework or reboot for this legendary racing title. Although Ghost Games made an attempt in 2015, that was not even close to Underground 2.
The deep customization and tuning options for cars in Underground 2 are one of the main reasons why people still love it. Aside from that, an open-world city with both real-time races and circuit-based ones gave players enough content to get entertained for months.
1 Need For Speed: Most Wanted (2005)
Need For Speed: Most Wanted was almost like a peak for the entire series, with everything at its best. New creative form of races, an interesting story to follow, a huge open-world map to roam around, a great list of cars, and a new approach to car customization.
Aside from all the great features above, what makes Need For Speed: Most Wanted stand out from other titles is the fully advanced police pursuits. In order to beat every boss, the player would need to have a certain amount of heat and to gain that, there was no other way than to begin a chaotic police pursuit in the city that could go as difficult as a Dark Souls game in the final stages.