In previous games, players press down the accelerator at the right time during the countdown to get a big boost. In Need for Speed Unbound, players have to be a little more measured to achieve a perfect start, and it doesn’t simply propel them forward suddenly. It’s a unique tweak to a well-known mechanic, and it’s one indication that Need for Speed is trying out a bit of realism.
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Getting a Perfect Start
To get a perfect start in Need for Speed Unbound, players need to press their accelerator just enough to keep the RPM needle within the small white indicator that appears above the speedometer at the start of the race. The indicator turns green when the needle is in the right place. If the player can keep it there when the countdown ends, they’ll get a perfect launch off the line.
A perfect start isn’t simply a boost like in many other racing titles. In Unbound, a perfect launch simply eliminates spin-out, so the tires won’t spin out if the player is over-accelerating. For those few brief seconds, the car gets to enjoy pure, unfettered acceleration. Meanwhile, the player gets to enjoy all the flashy driving effects.
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Additional Tips
Getting a perfect start takes practice because that RPM needle is twitchy. Here are a few tips for how to achieve a perfect launch:
Try to get the needle in place early to identify just how much pressure is needed to keep it where it needs to be. Then, hold it steady until the countdown is over. The indicator shows up in a different place above the speedometer for every car in Unbound. The faster the car, the further to the right the indicator shows up. If the perfect start works, players should blast the nitrous hard through the effect to get some extra acceleration. The player’s car is outlined in blue for the length of the perfect start’s effect. After that, players should be careful with the accelerator to avoid spinning out and losing the acceleration they’ve gained. Aim to line up behind another car by the time the launch is over. Draft them for a bit then blast the nitrous again to keep the acceleration going.
Need for Speed Unbound is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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