Need for Speed Unbound shows off 'risk and reward' gameplay in new trailer

With Need for Speed Unbound now officially revealed and hurtling toward its 2nd December release, EA is continuing to rev the hype engines with a brand-new trailer, this one showing off what the publisher is calling its 'risk and reward' gameplay.

What that actually means in practice isn't immediately clear from the trailer's rapid cuts and overbearing stylings, but EA sheds more light on the matter in an accompanying press release.

"In Need for Speed Unbound," it explains, "players have to take risks to get to the top. Choose how and when to put it all on the line, pulling huge drifts on the street, outdriving the cops, or placing side bets with their own earnings against rival racers."

"Time is money," the publisher continues, "so players must find the fastest way to earn enough cash to enter the weekly qualifiers and make it to Lakeshore’s ultimate race, The Grand." And with that additional context, it becomes a little bit easier to parse what's going on in the trailer.

Need for Speed Unbound - which will, for the first time in the series, support 60fps at 4K on consoles - is due to launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on 2nd December.

EA recently confirmed its distinctive - if divisive - aesthetic flourishes can be turned off in-game (or simply never enabled) for those that prefer a more realistic drive.