For a series that’s been burning rubber since the mid-90s, Need For Speed has been passed between developers more than a set of worn-out drift tires. But there’s something about the Criterion Games era that hits differently. Maybe it’s the way they tried to recapture the raw thrill of a chase, maybe it’s their roots in Burnout, or maybe it’s just the chaos they bring to open-world racing. Either way, Criterion’s entries in the franchise have left their mark—some deeper than others.

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From stylized street racing to high-speed cat-and-mouse games, here’s a deep dive into every Need For Speed title developed (or co-developed) by Criterion, ranked from the ones that just missed the mark to the ones still skidding around in our memories.

4

Need For Speed: Most Wanted (2012)

Where Style Outran Substance

Released

October 30, 2012

ESRB

e

There’s a reason this one is sitting at the bottom of the list—and it has nothing to do with the quality of the driving. In fact, Most Wanted (2012) had some of the smoothest handling in the franchise, with high-speed crashes, heavy drifting physics, and the kind of visual chaos that only Criterion could pull off. However, beneath the surface-level thrills, something critical was missing.

The original Most Wanted from 2005 had a backbone—a narrative structure, a Blacklist of rivals, and an emotional arc to the street-racing climb. Criterion’s version stripped all of that away in favor of a “Beat the list by any means” setup that never quite felt personal. Sure, players could slam into billboards, outrun cops, and challenge the titular Most Wanted racers, but it all felt mechanical. No story, no real stakes, just a stylish sandbox with fast cars and loose goals.

Worse, the customization, which had long been a hallmark of NFS games, was barely there. Swapping parts was simplified to drive-through unlocks, and visual tuning was practically nonexistent. The open world was undeniably pretty, especially with Fairhaven’s dynamic lighting and elevation shifts, but it often felt like a Burnout Paradise sequel in disguise rather than a true Need For Speed game. It still plays well, and the cop chases are frantic fun, but this was Criterion trying to fit an NFS skin over a Burnout skeleton, and it didn’t quite stick the landing.

3

Need For Speed: Unbound

Smoke, Speed, And Stylization

Released

December 2, 2022

ESRB

Teen

This is easily the most visually distinct entry Criterion’s ever worked on, and that alone makes it hard to ignore. Unbound took a sharp turn from tradition, layering cel-shaded graffiti-style effects on top of ultra-realistic cars—a bold move that split the community but gave the series a desperately needed visual identity. And for once, it wasn’t all flair and no traction.

Gameplay-wise, Unbound finally brought back something the series had long been missing: actual risk. Every race felt like a gamble, thanks to the return of buy-ins, heat levels, and a day-night cycle that wasn’t just cosmetic. Players had to manage winnings, balance heat, and make it back to safehouses without wrecking their bankroll in a last-minute cop chase. It was gritty, tense, and genuinely rewarding in a way few modern arcade racers manage.

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The story, centered around a betrayal and a slow-burning comeback, won’t win any awards for originality, but it works better than expected. Characters are more expressive than previous entries, and while the dialogue sometimes slips into awkward territory, the presentation, with stylized character models clashing against photorealistic cars, at least makes it memorable.

Where Unbound stumbles is in its pacing. The grind, especially early on, feels heavy-handed, and the progression curve can be frustratingly slow without upgrades. Still, for a series in desperate need of reinvention, this was a confident return to form—just not quite Criterion’s best.

2

Need For Speed: Rivals

Two Sides Of The Same Coin, But One Drives A Koenigsegg

Released

November 19, 2013

ESRB

E // Mild Violence

This one’s a bit of a cult favorite, and for good reason. Rivals is a strange beast, part arcade racer, part online experiment, and somehow also one of the most atmospheric entries Criterion’s ever had a hand in. Co-developed with Ghost Games, Rivals introduced the AllDrive system, where single-player and multiplayer blurred together in a shared world. It was an ambitious move for 2013, and while the tech was rough around the edges, it laid the groundwork for what modern open-world racers would later embrace.

However, what makes Rivals so memorable is the structure. Players choose between two separate careers: Cop or Racer. Each path had its own progression system, story beats, cars, and tech. Racers were all about evasion, speed, and escaping with high-stakes rewards. Cops, on the other hand, had access to more aggressive vehicles and a full arsenal of pursuit tech, from EMPs to roadblocks.

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There’s an eerie detachment to Rivals, though—a deliberate emptiness that seeps through its storytelling. The Racer protagonist never speaks. The Cop campaign is filled with cryptic monologues about law, order, chaos, and control. It’s all strangely philosophical, hinting at a dystopian undertone that most players didn’t expect from a racing game. And that’s exactly what makes it stick.

Where Rivals suffers is in the lack of car customization and the rubber-banding AI, which often tips races into unfair territory. But there’s a poetic tension in the way it forces players to bank their speedpoints or risk losing them in one last greedy sprint. Every drive was a gamble, and that adrenaline rush kept Rivals from ever feeling stale.

1

Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010)

Sirens, Speed, And A Shot Of Adrenaline

Released

November 6, 2020

ESRB

E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Mild Lyrics, Mild Violence

This is the crown jewel of Criterion’s time with the series. Hot Pursuit (2010) didn’t try to reinvent the wheel—it just made it spin harder, louder, and with a trail of spike strips behind it. This was arcade racing in its purest form: no city to get lost in, no convoluted plotlines, just high-speed highway duels and cops that hit like freight trains.

What made Hot Pursuit shine was balance. Both the Racer and Cop careers were equally fleshed out, with their own cars, events, and unlock trees. Pursuit tech like jammers, spike strips, and helicopter support brought a layer of tactical chaos that elevated every chase into a warzone. And the handling was tight—responsive enough to drift at 200 mph, but weighty enough that mistakes mattered.

Autolog, Criterion’s biggest contribution to the franchise at large, also debuted here. It turned racing into a leaderboard warzone, constantly feeding players their friends’ lap times and daring them to do better. It wasn’t just about winning, it was about one-upping that guy who’s always just a tenth of a second faster.

Even visually, Hot Pursuit punched above its weight. Seacrest County had that perfect blend of alpine roads, coastal highways, and desert plains, and it all looked cinematic under dusk-lit skies. The soundtrack leaned into heavy synths and alt-rock, pairing perfectly with the pulse-pounding action. Sure, there weren’t any deep car customization options other than players being able to pick the color of their car (which is still more than what Need for Speed: Most Wanted allows), but the game wasn’t about the players trying to express themselves; it was about sheer adrenaline and survival. There’s a reason players still ask for more games like this. It was lightning in a bottle, and a reminder that sometimes, all it takes is a roaring engine, a winding highway, and a cop car trying to slam players into a guardrail to make a perfect Need For Speed game.

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