Summary
Racing games usually don’t have anything outside of putting players in races. However, when racing games add other elements that expand the experience, it helps bring in all types of players. TheNeed For Speedfranchise does just that, by making the games more than racing, which has made the series an iconic one. One of the main reasons why theNeed For Speedgames are so iconic is because not only do theyhave great stories, but many in the series put players in an open world, which gives the games a more immersive feel.
There are manyNFSgames that players can check out and get lost in, withNeed For Speed: Unboundserving as the latest immersive open-world racing game in the series that fans can try out. Players love the idea of driving across a vast and engaging open world, and many racing games provide the same kind of action in theNeed For Speeduniverse. Thebest open-world games in theNeed For Speedseriesare numerous and quite beloved in their own right.
Updated July 07, 2025 by Ritwik Mitra:Need for Speed is one of the most popular racing series in gaming history, with its legacy enduring for multiple decades as more and more people fall in love with its high-speed gameplay. Featuring a healthy dose of cop races, street action, and open-world goodness, it’s easy to see why players can’t get enough of Need for Speed.
The games may vary in quality, but there’s no denying that the tight racing gameplay never ceases to be entertaining. With the franchise heading towards a direction where open-world environments will be a permanent fixture of the series, fans may be interested in seeing the quality of the open worlds present in each game.
Hot Pursuitcontinued the trend of theNeed for Speedgames rebooting their classic titles. One such title isHot Pursuit,a game that is a ton of fun to playand makes police chases more engaging than ever before. The stakes involved during these high-speed chases are massive and leave players sweating as they try to evade powerful cops who can take them out at a moment’s notice.
The best part about this game is when players take on the role of the cops themselves and try to chase down and arrest racers who are giving them a hard time. It was a much-needed breath of fresh air from the usual vanilla racing that the series had relied on for so long, and its inclusion inHot Pursuitwas lauded by fans and critics alike. Suffice it to say, thisNeed for Speedgame was a massive hit, and it helped that players loved the open world.
The idea of playing aNeed for Speedgame with RPG elements may sound rather odd, but that’s precisely what makesNeed for Speed: Worldsuch an interesting anomaly. The game is the first high-budgetNFStitle to be completely free-to-play, trying to be a racing MMO in a valiant effort thatrewarded progression steadily. The idea was great, butNeed for Speed: Worldstumbled quite a bit when it came tothe execution, leading to a game that was eventually axed before it could gain any more popularity.
However, the game did something right since a group of fans went so far as to bring it back from the grave after its servers shut down. Players who want to check this game out for themselves will like the work and effort that was put into the open world, even if the progression systems can be a bit of a pain to deal with. Regardless, the racing action is as fun as ever and one of the biggest reasons why many people giveNeed for Speed: Worlda pass despite some of its missteps.
MostNeed For Speedgames are set in densely populated cities similar to Los Angeles, Miami, and others, the reason being that they can be diverse. Players can jump on a highway, and then a moment later they’re in a major urban center.Need For Speed: Paybackdoes that, but to a degree, and with a setting that’s like Las Vegas, players would think there’s only so much they can do.
However, it’s the opposite, the vast desert landscape that feels like it goes on forever has a lot of opportunities to give players a unique experience that they can only find here. MostNeed For Speedgames that have open worlds have the off-road mechanic, but it’s not as big or as rich asNeed For Speed: Payback’s,which is why off-road locations are the best roads to see the real beauty of the game. Going to these locations isn’t that hard, sinceNeed For Speed: Paybackis littered withhigh-quality off-road carsthat can be taken anywhere and everywhere.
ThisNeed For Speedgame probably has the most distinct environments. Players will be racing from coastal roads that overlook the ocean to windy paths of mountain trails.Need For Speed: Rivalsdoes a great job at getting the player fully immersed in the world since racing and just causally driving will change immediately due to how different each section is. Adding in cops plus a new weapons system makes players want to drive more aggressively.
While both those features allow players to do more, the open world can be their enemy or friend depending on how they use them. InNeed For Speed: Rivals,when players are more versatile, any road with any condition becomes drivable. On top of that, each area has its own characteristics, meaning the more flat-out roads with fewer turns can be handled by certain cars, whereas the more technical roads can be driven best by another class.
While not as popular as the many other games in theNeed For Speedseries,Need For Speed: Undercoverbrought its own flair to the mix and became a cult classic. Sadly, it was delisted, which is unfortunate. Much like many otherNeed For Speedgames, the open world is primarily set in a dense city, however, even in a highly populated area players can see how the downtown core is different from the industrial area.
This helps makeNeed For Speed: Undercovermuch more immersive since players keep the same car but change how they race, which makes everything fun. Just like inNeed For Speed: Rivals,if players can change how they drive on the fly, every race and every cop chase becomes much more enjoyable. As mentioned before,Need For Speed: Undercoveris delisted, however, fans have been calling for aremake or a remaster, so there may be hope for a new generation of players to try this game out.
Building off the success of bothMost WantedandUnderground 2,players had a lot of things to look forward to inNeed For Speed: Carbon.First, the world has tons of mountains, which make not just races but driving in general really intense. If players are in a race or being chased by cops, so many bad things can happen at once, which is why they shouldn’t be aggressive. If players love the idea of tough racing, thenNFS Carbonis the game for them!
One of the reasons why players are callingfor a remakeofNeed For Speed: Carbonis that the world makes everything over the top. The mountain pass, for example, stands out in this regard because the roads are very windy, which forces the player to adapt faster. In turn, this makes them a better driver. Plus, when players start a sprint race in the canyons, this can be dangerous, but it highlights the vast world around the player inNeed For Speed: Carbon. They can see how different a lot of the locations are from one another in a snapshot.
The first true next-genNeed For Speedgame, and it shows a lot in this entry.Need For Speed: Unboundshares a lot of the same qualities as the usualNeed For Speedgames, but its massive open world is much more drivable than the others. The size not only gives players a chance to trythe many activitiesoffered but also helps players understand the scope ofNeed For Speed: Unbound.Plus being next-gen, players can drive and race in one of the most life-like settings in the series, which is great for immersion.
One of the best parts aboutNeed For Speed: Unbound’sworld is that the inner city is very different from the outer parts of it. So races in the country or less populated places will have players racing through forests and greenery. Then, when they go in more toward the city, the roads become wider, and the green becomes silver with sprawling skyscrapers that go on forever. This is great because it shows each area’s personality.
Not the best nor is it the worst,Need For Speedgarnered a mixed reception at launch. However,Need For Speedhad a good map with a bunch of different playstyles, which can change gameplay quite a bit. Being online only gives the game a bad name, but, what players found is that it helped make racing with other players easy and immersive.
Traveling in this massive open world with players and their friends driving around with their custom rides made this game a big deal. WhileThe Crewdid whatNeed For Speeddid, the latter did the community experience a lot better, which in turn madeNeed For Speedthe better game of the two. When players can drive in an open world with their dream car, with their friends, those are ingredients for a great open-world racing game. It helps that the city players explore looks drop-dead gorgeous at night and is one of the best parts of the experience.
The firstNeed For Speedto go open-world, and by doing that, it changed the course of the franchise, which is still being felt to this day. Considered one of thebest street racing games,Need For Speed: Underground 2had everything in the genre, giving players a wide amount of optionsfor car customization, and an open world that felt alive.
The reason why players want bothNeed For Speed: Underground: 1 and 2to be remasteredis because of how accessible it is for players.Need For Speed: Underground 2gave players a sense of uniqueness because not all cars are the same, and with the overwhelming customizations, players felt like the car they created was one-of-a-kind. This madeNeed For Speed: Underground 2a personal game for many players, which is why it’s such an important racing title.
After the massive success ofNeed For Speed: Underground 2,the follow-up took its open-world concept and dropped some classicNeed For Speedelements. InMost Wantedshifted to daytime, but still kept illegal street racing at its core.
On top of that, cops made a return, which made gameplay a lot more exciting. Not just in races either, as the cops could throw off the player even when they were exploring. This madeNeed For Speed: Most Wanteda very fun racing game at the time because most of the focus was on what else players could do, rather than the racing itself.
