EA has revealed the next Need For Speed game, this time by Criterion Games. And as the early leaks and reports suggested, it’s something else, visually.

Need For Speed Unbound is unbound by realistic graphics. It has a stylised look where characters are rotoscoped, not quite anime-style cel-shading, featuring rapper A$AP Rocky wearing branded apparel (credited in the trailer’s description) and has some role in the game’s story.

Cars now have stylised effects (dubbed Driving Effects), leaving colourful dust trails and symbols, wheels have floating circles, and cars spout wings when in the air.

It’s a drastic change in art direction, as the Need For Speed series has always been on realistic graphics, even their mobile games and Wii spin-offs. And not only that, the street art graffiti bleed into the in-game world, and not just the UI style as seen in something like Need For Speed Pro Street. It didn’t go full-anime, at least not yet judging from this trailer.

But the licensed cars are still all rendered realistically, but in true Need For Speed fashion, highly customised with bodykits, wraps and window stickers. The trailer features a mix of JDMs, European supercars and saloons and some American muscle.

Cop chases make a return as well, with the usual roadblocks and helicopters.

Need For Speed Unbound is set in the fictional setting of Lakeshore City where you must “race against time, outsmart the cops, and take on weekly qualifiers to reach The Grand, Lakeshore’s ultimate street racing challenge.”

The single-player story mode will revolve around the story of you being a rookie and climbing the ranks to be the top racer, and reclaiming a stolen car while you at it. Taking cues from Need For Speed Most Wanted (2005), it seems, eh?

Need For Speed Unbound is indeed a next-gen only title, releasing for PS5, PC and Xbox Series X|S, on December 2.