Driving Effects in Need for Speed: Unbound are customisable flamboyant aspects of the player's owned cars, allowing them to alter the effects produced or emitted by their vehicles whilst driving.
The styles for the effects were created by a diverse collection of street artists including Sentrock and JC Riviera, with their creations also available as wraps.
We wanted to deliver an art style that matters for gameplay, one that clearly celebrates player actions, enhances the player experience, and rewards them along the way.
We wanted to take players to that next level in Need for Speed Unbound with our driving VFX, which we call 'Tags.'
'Need for Speed Unbound's realistic-looking world and cars really help ground the visuals
Taking inspiration from street art and other media, we creatively subvert the characters and visual effects, turning them into expressionistic illustrations of 'you' and 'your actions.' It’s literally 'graffiti-coming-to-life.'
Street art has always been an important aspect of street culture, with an irreverence that has long inspired Need For Speed. “It is an incredibly creative form of self-expression, and like street racing, it represents an unruly freedom to express yourself against rules and restrictions.
It is an incredibly creative form of self-expression, and like street racing, it represents an unruly freedom to express yourself against rules and restrictions,
We wanted to take players to that next level in Need for Speed Unbound with our driving VFX, which we call 'Tags.'
'Need for Speed Unbound's realistic-looking world and cars really help ground the visuals
Taking inspiration from street art and other media, we creatively subvert the characters and visual effects, turning them into expressionistic illustrations of 'you' and 'your actions.' It’s literally 'graffiti-coming-to-life.'
Street art has always been an important aspect of street culture, with an irreverence that has long inspired Need For Speed. “It is an incredibly creative form of self-expression, and like street racing, it represents an unruly freedom to express yourself against rules and restrictions.
It is an incredibly creative form of self-expression, and like street racing, it represents an unruly freedom to express yourself against rules and restrictions,
— Darren White, Art Director[1]
Each effect has a rarity tied to it, which can be either common, rare, epic, or legendary.
Simplified Samples and Tags can be equipped for players displeased with the in-game visual look, with a "cloaked" Tag emitting basic tyre smoke and trails as well as a "silent" Sample to reduce stylised audio.
Tags[]
Tags are a set of effects that emit from a player's at certain points during gameplay such as boosting, drifting, earning near misses, and getting air time.
Players can choose from a diverse selection of tags, colours, and illustrations including an option to use basic effects.[2] The default Tag is Witness Me.
Common[]
Common Vol. 5 (5.1.0)
$0
"Original"
Available from the beginning
Common Vol. 7
$0
"Original" - Emerald Green
Available from the beginning
(DLC: Vol.7 Catch-Up Pack - Free)
(DLC: Vol.7 Catch-Up Pack - Free)
Common Vol. 7
$0
"Original" - Sapphire Flame
Available from the beginning
(DLC: Vol.7 Catch-Up Pack - Free)
(DLC: Vol.7 Catch-Up Pack - Free)
Common Vol. 1
$0
Black Widow
Available from the beginning
Common Vol. 1
$0
Blood Cells
Available from the beginning
Common Vol. 1
$0
Cloaked
Available from the beginning
Common Vol. 1
$0
Cloaked Blue
Available from the beginning
Common Vol. 1
$0
Cloaked Green
Available from the beginning
Common Vol. 1
$0
Cloaked Red
Available from the beginning
Common Vol. 1
$0
Cloaked Yellow
Available from the beginning
Common Vol. 1
$0
Electric Blue
Available from the beginning
Common Vol. 1
$0
Flame Dancer
Available from the beginning
Common Vol. 1
$0
Golden Lining
Available from the beginning
Common Vol. 4
$0
Grass Green and Light Green
Skill Challenge: Escape a Heat 5 cop chase in a Porsche Taycan
Common Vol. 1
$0
Hot Smog
Available from the beginning
Common Vol. 1
$0
Incredible Bulk
Available from the beginning
Common Vol. 3
$0
Jungle Boogie
Skill Challenge: Successfully complete all rounds of a Linkup in the DeLorean
Common Vol. 1
$0
Midori Dreams
Available from the beginning
Common Vol. 1
$0
Mojito
Available from the beginning
Common Vol. 1
$0
Moon Shadow
Available from the beginning
Common Vol. 7 (7.1.0)
$0
Origin Trail
Available from the beginning
Common Vol. 1
$0
Pastel Dust
Available from the beginning
Common Vol. 1
$0
Pop Punk
Available from the beginning
Common Vol. 1
$0
Purple Haze
Available from the beginning
Common Vol. 1
$0
Purple Turtle
Available from the beginning
Common Vol. 8
$0
Rose
Available from the beginning
(DLC: Vol.8 Catch-Up Pack - Free)
(DLC: Vol.8 Catch-Up Pack - Free)
Common Vol. 8
$0
Teal
Available from the beginning
(DLC: Vol.8 Catch-Up Pack - Free)
(DLC: Vol.8 Catch-Up Pack - Free)
Common Vol. 7
$0
Twin Colour - Green & Red
Available from the beginning
(DLC: Vol.7 Catch-Up Pack - Free)
(DLC: Vol.7 Catch-Up Pack - Free)
Common Vol. 7
$0
Twin Colour - Green & White
Available from the beginning
(DLC: Vol.7 Catch-Up Pack - Free)
(DLC: Vol.7 Catch-Up Pack - Free)
Common Vol. 7
$0
Twin Colour - Orange & Blue
Available from the beginning
(DLC: Vol.7 Catch-Up Pack - Free)
(DLC: Vol.7 Catch-Up Pack - Free)
Common Vol. 7
$0
Twin Colour - Red & White
Available from the beginning
(DLC: Vol.7 Catch-Up Pack - Free)
(DLC: Vol.7 Catch-Up Pack - Free)
Common Vol. 1
$0
Witness Me
Available from the beginning
Rare[]
Rare Vol. 8
$0
Lime
Available from the beginning
(DLC: Vol.8 Catch-Up Pack - Free)
(DLC: Vol.8 Catch-Up Pack - Free)
Rare Vol. 8
$0
Magenta
Available from the beginning
(DLC: Vol.8 Catch-Up Pack - Free)
(DLC: Vol.8 Catch-Up Pack - Free)
Rare Vol. 8
$0
Pink Wall
Available from the beginning
(DLC: Vol.8 Catch-Up Pack - Premium)
(DLC: Vol.8 Catch-Up Pack - Premium)
Rare Vol. 1
$0
Puro Fuego
Purchase a garage upgrade
Epic[]
Epic Vol. 8
$0
Blue
Available from the beginning
(DLC: Vol.8 Catch-Up Pack - Free)
(DLC: Vol.8 Catch-Up Pack - Free)
Epic Vol. 7
$0
Burn Up the Road - Blue
Available from the beginning
(DLC: Vol.7 Catch-Up Pack - Premium)
(DLC: Vol.7 Catch-Up Pack - Premium)
Epic Vol. 7
$0
Burn Up the Road - Orange
Available from the beginning
(DLC: Vol.7 Catch-Up Pack - Premium)
(DLC: Vol.7 Catch-Up Pack - Premium)
Epic Vol. 8
$0
Lemon
Available from the beginning
(DLC: Vol.8 Catch-Up Pack - Free)
(DLC: Vol.8 Catch-Up Pack - Free)
Epic Vol. 7
$0
Rip Up the Road - Diamond Dust
Available from the beginning
(DLC: Vol.7 Catch-Up Pack - Premium)
(DLC: Vol.7 Catch-Up Pack - Premium)
Epic Vol. 7
$0
Rip Up the Road - Lava
Available from the beginning
(DLC: Vol.7 Catch-Up Pack - Premium)
(DLC: Vol.7 Catch-Up Pack - Premium)
Legendary[]
Legendary Vol. 8
$0
Blue Wall
Available from the beginning
(DLC: Vol.8 Catch-Up Pack - Premium)
(DLC: Vol.8 Catch-Up Pack - Premium)
Legendary Vol. 8
$0
Pink Wall
Available from the beginning
(DLC: Vol.8 Catch-Up Pack - Premium)
(DLC: Vol.8 Catch-Up Pack - Premium)
Pursuit Vehicles[]
Rare Vol. 8
$0
"Lock It Down !" LED Trails
Available from the beginning
(DLC: Vol.8 Catch-Up Pack - Premium)
(DLC: Vol.8 Catch-Up Pack - Premium)
Rare Vol. 8
$0
"Police ! Slow !" LED Trails
Available from the beginning
(DLC: Vol.8 Catch-Up Pack - Premium)
(DLC: Vol.8 Catch-Up Pack - Premium)
Legendary Vol. 8
$0
"Protect + Swerve" LED Trails
Available from the beginning
(DLC: Vol.8 Catch-Up Pack - Premium)
(DLC: Vol.8 Catch-Up Pack - Premium)
Samples[]
Samples are stylised sound effects emitted from the player's car when performing key driving actions such as reading a high speed or changing gears.
Common[]
Common Vol. 1
$0
Base
Available from the beginning
Common Vol. 1
$0
None
Available from the beginning
Rare[]
Epic[]
Legendary[]
Trivia[]
- Each Rival in Unbound has their own set of Tags for their Driving Effects:
- Heróyam Sláva for Anechka
- Flacko for A$AP Rocky
- Akina's Ghost for Boost
- Puro Fuego for Cha Cha
- Riot Child for Chase
- Yaadi Funkadelic for Chilton
- Khoom Kicker for Dal-Rae
- Force Majeure for Eléonore
- Super Bass for Harlow
- Supernova for Justicia
- Electric Sheep for Lyric
- Free-dome for Maya and Racer X
- Metallica Snake for Medusa
- Doctor Gótico for Obi
- Marinara Haze for Ross
- Strassenbande for Rüdiger
- Synth Scream for Shimizu
- Solid Rock for Waru
- Purple Swag for Yaz
- Syrian Sage for Youmna
- While not seen driving around, it can be assumed that Rydell's Tag would've been 100 Bands simply for the fact that Rydell himself made the rides for the Rydell's Rides missions in Story mode.
References[]
- ↑ Website: needforspeed.com (2022) The World is Your Canvas. Available at: https://www.ea.com/en-gb/games/need-for-speed/need-for-speed-unbound/news/the-world-is-your-canvas
- ↑ Twitter: @NeedforSpeed (2022) Hey guys, #NFSUnbound update from your boy - Basic Tail Smoke and Trail Lights can’t be disabled, everything else can be though 😎. Available at: https://twitter.com/NeedforSpeed/status/1579868621874270208