Need for Speed Unbound: not the worst (Xbox Game Pass)

There’s nothing better than a racer that nails physics, presentation, and that itch to push further. I’ve mainly gotten that out of the Forza Horizon series in recent years, but have played a ton of Forza Motorsport and Gran Turismo in the past. Of course you’ve also got your older series like Test Drive, Burnout, and one off titles that died way too soon like Driveclub. And that’s the kicker – it’s damn sad to see the genre flatten out as time goes on.

So when Need for Speed Unbound recently hit Xbox Game Pass I had to at least try it out. It kind of approaches the aspects I look for in a racing game but never really gets there (at least in the first few hours). But it’s scarce for new arcade racers and you can’t exactly be choosy.

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Forza Horizon 4 review – still incredible in 2021 and beyond

sunset drive forza horizon 4

In many ways, Forza Horizon 4 has been the culmination of my favorite aspects of the racing genre. I’ve never dove off into the sea of hardcore sims, but at this point in my life I’ve poured over a 1000 hours into a mixture of simcade and arcade racers.

What started with the early era of Gran Turismo on the PS1 soon gave way to various Need for Speed entries, Project Gotham Racing, early Forza games, and a smattering of games in between.

To say the genre clicks with me would be an understatement, and above all, the ability to jump right in and play has always spoken to me. I’d call the Forza Horizon series a sort of open world spiritual successor to the PGR series, but what Playground Games ultimately does better than anyone else is provide the means for immediate driving fun.

Forza Horizon 4 is accessibility done right – an experience that appeals equally to fans of the genre and those completely new.

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New Content on July 30th for the Understated GT Sport

new cars gt sport july update

After falling out of the racing genre since playing the infinitely underrated Driveclub, I’ve had a lingering itch to dive back into something substantial. After initially passing on Gran Turismo Sport due lackluster reviews and feeling as though the content wasn’t up to par, I sat back and watched as Polyphony Digital’s service type approach came to fruition.

The studio has stayed true to its word from launch until now, releasing new content nearly every month, and by the end of July they will have added another notch to the constant stream of content.

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