Cops vs Racers returns in Need for Speed as Unbound draws inspiration from Hot Pursuit!
One of the very finest of all the Need For Speed games is that of Hot Pursuit. In fact, it’s a game that we reckon is right up there in the top two of those racers, sitting pretty alongside the original Most Wanted. It’s that game which EA and Criterion are drawing on with the latest update to Need for Speed Unbound, as Vol 8: Cops vs Racers plays out.
It’s time for a Hot Pursuit
If you’ve a copy of Need for Speed Unbound, then you will know that the live service side of things allows that game to change on a frequent basis. New events, new features, new ideas have all been dropped in since it launched back in 2022. The latest though, Vol 8, is possibly one of the most exicting yet.
It sees the return of Hot Pursuit mode, adding in all new Pursuit tech, Cop Progression and a couple of cars – the Porsche 959 S ’87 and the Lotus Evija ’23. Whatever, it very much looks to do what it says on the tin, embracing those old-school Hot Pursuit ways.
Rolling down the highway
Available and rolling out today for Need for Speed Unbound, Vol 8’s new Hot Pursuit mode will see players reliving the thrill of the chase, going 4v4 in some high-octane action. It puts the cops up against the racers, across a couple of rounds of play, swapping roles as you go. The goal? Well, as a racer it’s to get to te finish line first. As a cop? To bust their ass.
It’s with the blues and twos flowing that a new range of tech comes to the fore too – Spike Strips, EMPs, an ESF battering ram and squad suport from AI units. Consider that there are nine unlockable customs available as you climb the ranks, and Unbound may never have been more appealing.
“Vol. 8 bridges the past and present of the Need for Speed franchise and brings back the fan-favourite Cop Vs Racer battles that our players crave in this Hot Pursuit mode,” said John Stanley, Senior Creator Director at Criterion Games. “We’ve captured the essence of the iconic heart-pounding chases that are at the core of the Need for Speed DNA and infused them with modern thrills that we hope everyone will enjoy.”
Further, in Vol 8, The League, Free Roam’s single-player progression system first introduced in Vol 7, is also refreshed with new opponents. Also, Speed Pass offers more cars and cosmetics up for grabs, as racers can unlock 45 tiers of customisation content, including the Lotus Evija ‘23, a futuristic and fully customisable hypercar with nearly 2000 horsepower. The Vol. 8 Premium Speed Pass brings 30 additional tiers of unlockable content, the 80s legendary Porsche 959 S ’87, fully customisable with three bodykits, and an additional five Rare Custom versions of both new cars arriving in this volume, including two original Speedhunters designs and two NFS Legends customs.
Need access?
How to get involved? It’s simple really – just fire up your copy of Need for Speed Unbound on Xbox, PlayStation or PC and wait for that update to hit.
if you don’t have a copy, let us point you towards the Xbox Store.
