Best Need for Speed Games: ALL 27 Games Ranked

Over the years, there have been many NFS titles but not all of them are worth playing. That is why we will show you the best Need For Speed games ranked so that you can find the best one and try it out.

For each title, we will mention the good, the bad, and the ugly so that you can know what each game offers. With that said, let’s dive right in and get started.

It should come as a surprise to see the OG NFS Most Wanted at the top of this list. The game is the best NFS game and even EA has tried to recapture the feeling over and over again.

One of the best parts about Most Wanted 2005 was its story. There were tons of characters (Blacklist) that you had to beat and get their pink slips. Making your way up the ranks felt good as all you wanted to do was take revenge on Razor.

Even after all this time, the cop chases in Most Wanted are the best in the series. As you progress through the story, cops deploy advanced tactics to stop your illegal racing. The cops would have SUVs ramming into you head-on while helicopters chased you in the sky.

Apart from that, the racing is quite fluid as well and can be highly intense at times. This is especially true if you are doing a 1v1 against a Blacklist member.

It also featured one of the most iconic cars in any racing game – the BMW M2 GTR. You can find this car in almost every NFS game that came after MW 2005 which is a great fan service.

Need for Speed: Underground 2 offered us the first open-world Need for Speed to play. You have to drive to events and activate them to start racing. If you are a fan of night races, Underground 2 had atmospheric nighttime races aplenty.

There are around 8 modes to choose from, but Outrun stands out. In Outrun, you need a 1000m lead on your rival racer to win.

While it had everything good going on for itself, there was one major flaw Underground 2 had: the story was non-existent and the cops were nowhere to be seen. This took away from the illegal night races as there was no one to stop you.

NFS Carbon is one of my favorite titles in the entire franchise. While the overall length is quite short, the game introduced some unique new ideas to the franchise.

One of which was “Canyon Duel”, a race mode where you have to stay close to the pack leader to accumulate points. The game also introduced team racing with a fairly decent teammate AI.

The graphics were impressive, especially the lighting at night (the game featured nighttime only). However, one of the biggest shortcomings of Carbon was the exclusion of cops. While they were there, they weren’t an integral part of the gameplay.

Carbon’s sort of bridged the gap between Underground and Most Wanted, with its excellent visuals, paired with the drift scoring systems of Underground to create something for fans of both camps.

Before you get mad at us for placing Rivals so high on the list, hear me out. Despite being short, the game was tons of fun.

Multiple gameplay elements made Rivals a thrilling ride, but the inclusion of weapons called “Pursuit Tech” made it stand out. Weapons like electromagnetic pulses, shock rams, spike strips, and stun mines can be used both by racers and cops.

The arcade-style racer had over-the-top cop pursuits that often became chaotic. Rivals improved upon the formula of Hot Pursuit and increased the action. It also introduced an All-Drive system, which uses data collected from players to form racing AI. 

The game also allowed you to play as a cop, taking down racers using shock waves, helicopters, and roadblocks.

If you are looking for a fun arcade experience, Rivals is one of the best NFS entries on this list.

This rebooted version of Hot Pursuit featured a new look and feel of the game surprised many and provided ample entertainment to thrill-seekers. 

 It also holds the record of being the best-reviewed Need for Speed game of all time. Criterion understood what the original developers were trying to do and managed to modernize a lot of the mechanics present in the original 1998 release.

The game took everything good from the previous Hot Pursuit entries and cranked that up to 10. This game is the perfect example of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

This is the game that introduced tuner culture to the need for speed franchise and became a blockbuster. Thanks to the massive success of The Fast and the Furious, NFS Underground took all the good things from that franchise and made it better.

At the time, the customization options were phenomenal as no other racing game came close to it. It was also the first game that introduced drifting as a more involved feature. The longer you drift around corners, the more points you gain.

Racing is also extremely fun as the controls are responsive and make each race feel intense.

Ghost Games made a fun city to explore, with open-world challenges to take whenever you like. The game rewarded you with exploring the map and finding secrets all around.

One of the biggest selling points of this game was the aggressive cops. Getting boxed in by 4 Corvettes after getting rammed head-on by a heavy SUV makes you think about your in-game choices.

The day-night mechanic introduced in the game also refreshes the standard Need for Speed formula. During the day, you are doing legal circuit racing with no interference from cops.

During the night, however, you’re taking part in illegal races and earning a reputation. The greater your reputation, the more parts/cars you’ll unlock.

The latest entry is the long-running franchise, Unbound has a unique artstyle that is quite pleasing to look at. Expanding on Heat, Unbound is a colorful title, packed to the brim with visual effects on display that somehow manage to blend the realistic and animated styles to create something wholly unique and exciting.

It packs a lot of the best mechanics the series is known for and provides a lot of customization options for players to personalize their vehicles and characters. The story is the weakest link here, but that’s never really been a strength for most of these games anyway.

Hot Pursuit 2 was released just before Underground, and it’s considered one of the last games before tuner culture took over. There were multiple new cop vehicles in the game, including a helicopter.

It was an exciting game that allowed you to be reckless on the road. The soundtrack also had plenty of gems in it (Fever for the Flava is still one of my favorite tracks in any NFS game). Whenever your favorite OST comes on, you are bound to become a better racer.

The reboot from 2015 took advantage of the new consoles on the block and offered stunning graphics. Night-time races felt so real and alive which gave NFS 2015 its own identity.

The driving was also fine-tuned and somewhat realistic compared to other arcade racers, even in the NFS series, but it was the story that took the game back to its roots.

Like some older games, the story mode cut scenes were shot using real actors. Unfortunately, the story was half-baked and served as a prop to the racing. However, the game allowed you to race famous real-world drivers. 

The biggest downside was the always-online requirement – which is always a bad thing, in my opinion. It’s still a solid enough entry and made excellent use of EA’s Frostbite engine.

Fans of the original Most Wanted waited a long time for a sequel, and EA decided to reboot the series back from the ashes. The game had all the elements that made the first one a big hit, an open world, a blacklist to climb, and cops to lose.

Unfortunately, the story failed to capture the magic of the original. While the original was a mysterious story of redemption, the reboot was corny and sometimes downright tacky.

Thankfully, the new open-world city was fun to drive around. With a healthy selection of cars and with the tight arcade-style handling of the cars, it was a blast to play. If this game weren’t a reboot of Most Wanted but a standalone release in the series, it would’ve certainly been received far better.

I might get hate for putting Payback this high on the list but I enjoyed the game despite its major flaws. On paper, the game has all the ingredients to be one of the best NFS games of all time.

However, thanks to the plethora of loot boxes and microtransactions, the entire experience was ruined. The upgrade system was abysmal where you had to spin a slot machine after winning a race, and that determines what upgrade you get.

There is some fun to be had with good drifting and open-world exploration, however, the end game can be brutal in terms of microtransactions.

The game focused on delivering a simulation-like experience to the franchise. There was a cockpit view and a helmet camera, the latter became a staple way to play the game.

While the game didn’t appeal to the general fans of the arcade-style Need for Speed, it is still considered one of the best NFS games that tried something new.

Unlike its prequel, Shift 2 improved a lot of the complaints players had and made the game so much better. However, EA didn’t think that this direction was profitable and decided to end the series.

Playing NFS 2 with your friends was the best feeling for a lot of childhoods. The races felt so real at the time and unlocking the hidden FZR 2000 was amazing.

The knockout mode, which automatically knocked out the last racer in each lap, added another layer of tension to the races.

 It had some beautiful levels with tons of visual variety, a fine selection of vehicles popular at the time, and some great sound effects that were a step above everything else on the market.

Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed was a dream game for Porsche fans. The game only featured cars from one German manufacturer, starting from the 1950s to 2000. That did limit the scope of the game, but each car was incredibly well-designed.

The gameplay focused more on the simulation side rather than the classic arcadey NFS everyone was used to. However, the overall controls and racing feel fluid. Plus, you had to complete various challenges as well which kept the game fresh.

The original Need for Speed: Shift was the hard-core simulation spin-off that didn’t take off too much. I’m not a huge fan of simulation racing, and back in the day lacked the patience to learn physics-based simulation racing.

There was a decent variety of supercars and the customization was quite good as well. However, compared to what other juggernauts (Forza Motor Sports and Gran Turismo) in the genre offered, Need for Speed: Shift’s offerings felt lackluster.

NFS World is exclusive to PC and mixes classic NFS elements with MMO mechanics. World did have a huge map that connected Palmont from Carbon and Rockport from Most Wanted. There were more than 100 cars for you to obtain and drive which is a great thing.

There was also a new customization system that was done using skill points earned during races. This is one of those games that had some potential, but the execution was never up to par to keep it afloat for long.

EA turned off the servers for the game, so it is completely unplayable these days.

As the name suggests, you are an undercover cop trying to crack a case. While that sounds fun and fits perfectly in an NFS game, it just didn’t stick with the fans.

Gameplay-wise, Undercover checked all the marks. It had great street racing mechanics, action-oriented police chases, a fairly well-designed open world, and a lot of cars. So if you’re after a good quality racing experience, Undercover has that covered.

It also looks a lot like 2005’s Most Wanted, and there’s an obvious attempt to replicate the visual style of EA’s most popular racing game release of that time.

The original Hot Pursuit allowed you to be the cop and the racer. The game introduced split-screen racing on consoles and had serviceable graphics.

Hot Pursuit offered tight controls with a decent selection of cars. The formula of cops chasing racers was a unique one and made for some good quality couch console gaming.

While the game is quite fun, it is a bit outdated at this point. However, the sequels to Hot Pursuit are all great and improve upon the foundations.

High Stakes bought exciting modes like Knockout and High Stakes. In Knockout the last racer is knocked out of the race each lap. The game also introduced racing for Pink Slips, a feature that made a big mark later with Need for Speed: Most Wanted.

On the PlayStation, you can race against your friend by inserting your memory card on their console. The loser would also lose their car immediately after a race ended. This “high stakes” gameplay probably ruined a ton of friendships.

While it didn’t take the game in a new direction, it was still fun especially if you play with other players.

While NFS games often have a story that you follow, The Run focused a lot on the narrative and even presented a linear experience. There were tons of beautiful locations with a lot of action going on side by side.

Unfortunately, as fun as it was, it was a short game that lacked any real replayability. This was also the first Need for Speed title on EA’s Frostbite Engine, which led to some excellent visuals for the time.

ProStreet is an average simulation-type game, outclassed by other games in the genre by miles. The devs tried something new for the franchise but unfortunately, it didn’t stick with the fans.

The game introduced realistic damage to cars, which was a good addition for purists. However, if you wanted something Need for Speedy out of it, you were out of luck. 

The game also featured real-world tracks for you to drive in. Sadly, ProStreet didn’t take off, and we never got a sequel that would’ve improved its gameplay.

This is where it all started, the OG Need for Speed. The game blasted into the gaming scene and instantly became a fan favorite. It had closed-circuit racing, but EA managed to make it look wonderful (at that time).

It was a simple game that allowed you to race against AI racers. Sometimes good controls, simple yet well-designed tracks, and serviceable graphics make for a good racing game.

Since the game is extremely old, it is quite outdated. So, you might not have fun playing it. However, if you are a NFS enthusiast, give it a chance and I’m sure you’ll have fun playing the OG NFS.

Unlike its prequel, Rally 2 greatly improved a lot of aspects of the game. It featured polished gameplay and a variety of modes for you to race in. The best part was the weather system which further provided a sense of being in a rally race.

Before making this list, I forgot that NFS V – Rally was a thing. While it isn’t technically a Need for Speed game, it used the brand in North America to garner a following.

Physics-based handling is not everyone’s cup of tea, but the game had solid mechanics mimicking the feel of driving off-road. The locations were also mapped well, allowing for a deeper sense of realism.

The only good thing about NFS: No Limits is its good visuals. Apart from that, the game had short races, restricted control over the car, limited ways to race, and many microtransactions. 

This is because No Limits was exclusive to mobile devices so they had to include tons of microtransactions. The gyro controls were quite good, though. It enhanced the immersion but many players can’t get engaged in the game no matter how hard they try.

Finally, let’s talk about Need For Speed: Nitro. Nitro was only released on Nintendo platforms, and they decided to go with a super-arcade style.

There wasn’t anything realistic about the game, and it affected the gameplay somewhat negatively. The selection of cars was quite limited too, and the tracks even more so.

The story campaign was forgettable, I seriously can’t recall any detail except it was trying to be “super-hip and failing badly”. Nintendo racing fans at least have Mario Kart.

Conclusion

And there you have it; those are the best Need For Speed games ranked in 2023. Since there are tons of NFS games, you are bound to find some that suit your taste.

Which NFS game do you like most? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!