Difficulty Settings & New Game+

Select the right challenge level in Need for Speed Unbound. master Difficulty Settings and leverage New Game+ to dominate Lakeshore City and The Grand.

Lakeshore City offers a diverse range of challenges for every street racer, from casual cruisers to hardcore speed demons. Understanding the difficulty settings and how to leverage New Game+ is crucial for maximizing your experience and dominating The Grand.

Choosing Your Initial Difficulty

When starting a new game in Need for Speed Unbound, you'll be presented with three core difficulty options. Your choice impacts AI aggression, police presence, and the financial rewards from races. Consider your experience with racing games and your desired level of challenge:

• Easy: Ideal for new players or those who want to focus on the story and car customization without intense pressure.
  • AI opponents are less aggressive and make more mistakes.
  • Police pursuit intensity is significantly reduced; they are easier to evade.
  • Race payouts are standard, allowing for steady progression.
  • Perfect for learning race lines and experimenting with different vehicle builds.
• Normal: The recommended starting point for most players seeking a balanced challenge.
  • AI opponents offer a fair challenge, requiring good driving skills.
  • Police pursuits are more frequent and require strategic evasion.
  • Race payouts are slightly increased compared to Easy, rewarding consistent performance.
  • This difficulty provides a solid foundation for mastering the game's mechanics and preparing for higher tiers of The Grand.
• Hard: For seasoned racers who crave a true test of skill and endurance.
  • AI opponents are highly competitive, often utilizing advanced tactics and maintaining tight race lines.
  • Police response is immediate and relentless; expect high-heat pursuits with multiple units, including Rhinos and Helicopters.
  • Significantly increased race payouts, but the risk of losing your buy-in is also higher.
  • Requires a deep understanding of car tuning, race strategies, and effective police evasion techniques. Maxing out your skills and having a diverse garage of precision-tuned rides is highly recommended before tackling this setting.

Actionable Step: You can adjust your difficulty setting at any time from the Main Menu under "Options" > "Gameplay" > "Difficulty." However, changing difficulty mid-week will not retroactively alter previous race payouts.

New Game+ Explained

Upon successfully completing The Grand and becoming Lakeshore's ultimate street racing champion, you unlock the coveted New Game+ mode. This allows you to restart the story with significant advantages, offering a fresh perspective and new challenges.

What Carries Over?

New Game+ is designed to reward your dedication and progress. The following elements will carry over into your new playthrough:

• All Owned Vehicles: Every car in your garage, from your starter ride to your custom-built hypercars, will be available from the beginning. This includes any unique vehicles acquired through challenges or special events.
• Cash Balance: Your entire accumulated cash reserve will transfer. This allows for immediate upgrades and purchases, giving you a significant economic head start.
• Customization Items: All unlocked visual customization parts (body kits, rims, wraps, decals) and character apparel will be accessible from the start.
• Performance Parts Inventory: Any performance parts you've purchased but not yet installed will be in your inventory.
• Unbound Skills & Perks: Your character's progression, including all unlocked Unbound Skills and Perks, will remain active. This means you'll have access to advanced abilities like "Nitro Surge" or "Perfect Drift Boost" from day one.

New Game+ Strategies & Benefits

New Game+ isn't just about replaying the story; it's about experiencing it differently and pushing your limits.

1. Early Dominance: With your high-tier vehicles and maxed-out skills, you can dominate early-game races, earning substantial cash quickly. This allows you to experiment with less conventional builds or focus on acquiring specific rare vehicles.
2. Tackling Hard Difficulty: New Game+ is the perfect opportunity to experience the story on Hard difficulty. Your carried-over assets provide the necessary edge to overcome the more aggressive AI and relentless police.
3. Unlocking Missed Collectibles: Use your advanced vehicles to easily reach previously inaccessible areas or complete challenging stunt zones to find any remaining collectibles like "Street Art" or "Bear Tags."
4. Experimenting with Builds: With a healthy cash reserve, you can freely experiment with different car builds and tuning setups without the financial constraints of a first playthrough. Try out a drift-focused build for a grip-heavy race, or vice-versa, just for fun.
5. Speedrunning Potential: For those who enjoy optimizing their playthroughs, New Game+ offers the ultimate speedrunning environment. With top-tier cars and skills, you can blast through the weekly qualifiers and The Grand with unprecedented efficiency.

Actionable Step: To start a New Game+, select "New Game" from the Main Menu after completing the story. You will be prompted to choose whether to start a "Fresh Game" or "New Game+."