Several leaked screenshots have made fans question the newly introduced Need for Speed Unbound anime graphics, which transforms the more realistic driving series into what looks like some kind of Suda51 game. The announcement of the next Need for Speed by Electronic Arts was meant to be slated for tomorrow, October 6, but retailer Neowing has opted to release several screenshots as well as the game’s release date of December 2, 2022, as reported by our sister site PlayStation LifeStyle.
Does Need for Speed Unbound have cel-shaded graphics?
We recommend looking at some of the leaked shots posted by Gematsu’s official Twitter account above to come to your own conclusion. Both the cars and the NPCs look to be cel-shaded (though technically the style can be done without using this particular technique). While the screenshots don’t seem to show that NFS Unbound’s cel-shaded style is as pronounced as, say, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker and Dragon Ball FighterZ, the NPC models appear to use the cel-shading technique more than the cars do.
So far, fans reacting to the tweet are somewhat mixed on the results. Some think that that it gives the franchise a welcome coat of fresh paint, so to speak, making it look like the popular Initial D anime, while others think this style looks awful and can’t stand the new artistic direction. We would recommend waiting until NFS Unbound is fully revealed with gameplay footage, though, before making any judgments on it.