Can you race for pink slips in Need for Speed Unbound?

As a long-time Need for Speed fan, one of the first questions I had when Unbound was announced was – can you race for pink slips? After all, the series has a history of allowing you to put your car on the line against rivals. Well after over 40 hours with Unbound on PS5, I can confirm there is no direct pink slip racing where you wager your vehicle. However, this latest street racer still provides plenty of tense, high stakes action to satisfy your hunger for rewards and unparalleled customization.

The History of Pink Slip Racing in Need for Speed

For those unfamiliar with the term, "pink slips" refers to the legal papers or certificate demonstrating ownership of a vehicle. In past street racing-focused NFS games like Most Wanted (2005) and Carbon, you could challenge rivals to 1v1 pink slip races – winner takes the opponent‘s car. This created nerve-racking showdowns where your prized vehicle was on the line, amplifying the intensity tenfold.

As someone who sank hours into Most Wanted‘s gripping police chases and pink slip battles, having your prestigious BMW M3 GTR or Audi TT on the brink gave street racing a new dimension of risk vs reward.

So when booting up NFS Unbound, I immediately went searching for this heart-pounding feature from Most Wanted and Carbon. Unfortunately, there is no direct pink slip racing where you put your car on the line in 1v1 matchups.

Intense Multiplayer & Alternate Reward Systems

Instead, Unbound focuses its competitive street racing action into the 16 player online multiplayer mode. This allows you to create races with friends or join events with others across platforms thanks to full crossplay support. Tearing up Lakeshore City against real opponents provides plenty of intense moments without needing pink slip stakes.

Rather than randomly challenging rivals, progression is focused around earning reputation/cash to enter sanctioned events that act as milestones. As you complete enough story races, new driving unlocked. Eventually working towards the climatic Grand – a multi-stage street race spectacle to take over the city.

These feel almost like a spiritual successor to the Most Wanted Blacklist. While your car isn’t directly on the line, losing races can still cost you heaps of money and reputation. I‘ve lost almost $100k credits from single bets, which sets you back hours at early stages.

Occasionally as you defeat key rivals in story events, you’ll also win their vehicle to add to your expansive garage. I scored an incredible Mercedes AMG-GTR Black Series coupé that became my new go-to car after dominating its previous owner.

Customization fans can sink hours into fine-tuning performance and styling modifications too. This plays into the vibrant, youthful style of street racing culture. I’ve tweaked engine swaps, gear ratios, brakes, tires, nitrous and much more to shave off fractions of a second on my PB time.

My Verdict: Thrilling & Bold, But Lacks NFS Nostalgia

Overall while the direct pink slip races I loved are missing, Unbound still delivers tense action across its chunky 5-10 hour story and hugely competitive online multiplayer. Lakeshore City is perhaps the most gorgeous and intricately designed open world the series has enjoyed too.

Yet I‘d be lying if I said I didn‘t yearn for some of that signature Need for Speed nostalgia. Roaming free roam pursued by raging police cruisers in an underground Lamborghini Diablo SV while tackling the next hotshot on the rival blacklist.

Unbound takes a bold new direction, but innovates with its core foundations. Customization, cop chases, spectacular races. It modernizes the arcade formula rather than overhauls. An exhilarating ride for newcomers, though long-time fans may crave more of that early 2000s era spice.