Need for Speed No Limits

Need for Speed: No Limits is an arcade-style racing game for iOS and Android, allowing players to build and customize their dream fleet of street racing cars. With both single-player and multiplayer modes, the game boasts masterful mechanics, excellent graphics, and a phenomenal soundtrack. However, it features significant grinding, frequent ads, and occasional bugs, which may hinder the overall experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

57%

Audience ScoreBased on 10,000 reviews

graphics1,729 positive mentions

monetization1,374 negative mentions

The game features amazing graphics and a wide variety of cars.
Gameplay is engaging and offers a fun racing experience.
The customization options for cars are extensive and enjoyable.

The game heavily relies on microtransactions, making it difficult to progress without spending real money.
Races are often very short, leading to a repetitive experience.
The forced ads after every race can be extremely annoying and disrupt the gameplay.

graphics
2,421 mentions
71 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Need for Speed: No Limits" have received widespread praise for their high quality and realism, often compared favorably to console games. Players appreciate the detailed car models and vibrant environments, although some have noted issues with graphical glitches and a lack of customization options for graphics settings. While the visuals are generally considered impressive, many users express frustration with the game's reliance on in-app purchases and the short duration of races, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “This game has amazing graphics for a mobile game.”
- “The graphics are surprisingly good and the battery usage is very well optimized.”
- “The graphics are stunning; I didn't have this problem till this new update, I hope you guys see this and fix it.”
- “Looks like the graphics are from 2010, the light from the helicopters sucks, the same for the rain, not even a reflection on the ground.”
- “I really wish I could give you zero stars for wasting my time and data... pictures displayed are all lies that's not how the game is you fooled me into downloading something that looks terrible there's not even graphics settings so stupid.”
- “Graphics is absolutely disappointing... on this game for 2023...”
monetization
1,542 mentions
3 % positive mentions
8 % neutral mentions
89 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn significant criticism from users, primarily due to the overwhelming number of forced, unskippable ads that appear after nearly every race, especially after reaching level 30. Many players feel that the game has shifted towards a "pay-to-win" model, where in-app purchases are necessary to progress effectively, and the only way to remove ads is to purchase a VIP membership. This aggressive monetization approach has led to frustration and dissatisfaction among players, with many expressing a desire for a more balanced and enjoyable gaming experience without constant interruptions from advertisements.
- “There are in-app purchases, but you don't need to use them to progress easily.”
- “It's pretty good, you don't need to spend money; in-app purchases can get very expensive though, so I didn't even try to think about purchasing anything in-game using real money.”
- “Awesome game, no ads, no lags or bugs, and it's fun to drive!”
- “Unskippable ads pop up whenever they want to, no way to get rid of them even with money.”
- “The game is fun and all, but I unlocked level 30 and instead of rewarding us to play the game more, you make us watch ads that we can't skip.”
- “This game was awesome until they started using adware to force you to buy stuff, and the only way you can turn it off is to buy stuff to rack up VIP points. This blows; if it continues, I'm quitting altogether.”
gameplay
710 mentions
57 % positive mentions
37 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is generally praised for its smooth mechanics and impressive graphics, providing an enjoyable racing experience. However, many players express frustration with the short race durations, frequent ads, and the pay-to-win mechanics that hinder progression, making it difficult to unlock cars and advance without spending real money. Overall, while the core gameplay is engaging, the monetization strategies and repetitive nature of events detract from the overall enjoyment.
- “The gameplay and graphics are awesome.”
- “Great racing mechanics.”
- “The gameplay is amazing and the audio effects and the UI clicks are unbelievable!”
- “The special events are complete money grabs and the gameplay is too repetitive.”
- “The gameplay is really not enjoyable as the campaigns progress extremely slow.”
- “The gameplay is virtually the same and very addicting.”
story
514 mentions
34 % positive mentions
62 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its engaging narrative and graphics. However, frustrations arise from the repetitive nature of missions, the high difficulty of progressing without spending real money, and the short length of races, which detracts from the overall experience. While some players find the storyline compelling, others feel it becomes tedious and overly reliant on in-game purchases to advance.
- “The storyline is incredible.”
- “This game is fantastic in all angles, with breathtaking graphics and a brilliant storyline.”
- “The campaign actually has a great story to it.”
- “The storyline starts to fade away and I personally have lost any interest to continue playing because you've made it so ridiculous to progress in any game mode.”
- “I can't finish the story or the blacklist event without paying money considering I keep losing races and I have no way to rank up without spending some sort of money.”
- “The whole story mode is tied to complete a black hole of losing races, endless replays only to gain points to win those races, unproductive purchases to play the replays to gain points to win those races... this is just bad product management.”
stability
165 mentions
4 % positive mentions
1 % neutral mentions
96 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern among users, with frequent crashes, freezes during races, and long loading times reported. Many players experience issues with the game freezing at various points, including during updates and ad playback, leading to frustration and loss of progress. While some users report smooth gameplay, the overwhelming sentiment highlights a need for urgent fixes to the numerous bugs and glitches affecting overall performance.
- “Very much exactly what you would expect from a Need for Speed game: amazing quality, runs great, perfect controls, barely any ads.”
- “No glitches, everything runs smooth.”
- “Everything runs great and looks great.”
- “Every race and every second race it'll crash, misrace and close the entire game. Half of the time the loading page just freezes, and because it naturally takes a while to load, I don't know if it's crashed or just taking ages. I'm there waiting for about 5 minutes for the screen to load.”
- “The game freezes way too frequently when trying to load a race, so the only thing you can do is restart the app.”
- “I was having fun at first, but this game is ridiculous. The special events are way too hard, I don't have all day and all night to play this game just to unlock a car, and the game glitches like crazy, costing me time and money.”
music
155 mentions
30 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players praising the soundtrack as "fire" and well-suited for a racing experience, while others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking variety, often playing the same few tracks on loop. Some users express frustration over the inability to customize the music selection or adjust sound settings, and there are complaints about music interruptions caused by ads. Overall, while the sound design and engine noises are appreciated, the limited music options detract from the immersive experience for many players.
- “The music is awesome without needing copyrights, and everything just pulls together to make you feel like you are in the game.”
- “I love the cool soundtrack, the racing action, and the really cool cars available to race in this game.”
- “The game is good in terms of music, storytelling, dialogue, and scenery.”
- “Races are so short and repetitive and the music playlist is so small that 30 minutes into the game I got tired of those three same cringe rap tracks that don't have enough time to even finish the first chorus as I finish the race.”
- “I hear the same three songs on repeat all the time.”
- “The soundtrack was never changed and it's the same stupid melody again and again.”
grinding
136 mentions
2 % positive mentions
-1 % neutral mentions
99 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it excessively tedious and time-consuming. While some enjoy the challenge of grinding for upgrades and parts, a significant number express frustration over the game's paywall, which makes progression nearly impossible without spending real money. Overall, players feel that the grinding mechanics detract from the enjoyment, often leading to boredom and a sense of futility in advancing through the game.
- “The game features a blueprint system for acquiring cars, which eliminates the need for grinding.”
- “Grinding in this game feels rewarding, as each session brings me closer to unlocking new abilities and gear.”
- “I appreciate how the grinding mechanics are balanced; it never feels tedious and always offers a sense of progression.”
- “Now progressing in the game is tedious unless you spend a ton of money and watch an infuriating amount of ads.”
- “Grinding is always great in games, but it is pointless and almost an unnecessary waste of time in this game.”
- “If you don't spend money, grinding is in your future... forever.”
optimization
108 mentions
30 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization receives mixed reviews. While many players praise its impressive graphics and smooth performance on low-end devices, others report significant issues, particularly with matchmaking, performance scaling, and device compatibility. Some users express frustration over the game's reliance on in-app purchases for upgrades, which can hinder progression and enjoyment.
- “It's also surprisingly well optimized since I can run it on a budget phone from 2019; the entire game is only 3GB in size.”
- “A classy game... and it is not a pay-to-win game at all (if you have enough time)... the graphics and car details are good, effects are great... and I'm actually impressed with battery consumption too... very good optimization and smooth experience.”
- “Very good graphics with amazing optimization.”
- “Hey, the game is good and all but the optimization is very very bad. Please add an option so that you can change your own graphics. I use a high-end phone and the graphics look so bad. The game is good, just add better graphics.”
- “The game cheats you a lot; cloud save won't work properly, so you can't load your saves. Racing in rivals is rigged, low performance rating cars win 8 out of 10 times because it's AI races. Even if you spend some cash, it barely helps. This is very unfair, especially towards newer players compared to ones that have maxed out cars already.”
- “The game is absurdly difficult unless you see real money falling from trees. Car series for small and slow cars require impossible performance ratings.”
replayability
17 mentions
18 % positive mentions
65 % neutral mentions
18 % negative mentions
Replayability in the game is a mixed bag; while players can engage in daily replayable races and earn upgrades, the limited availability of free roam and the lack of guaranteed rewards from these races diminish the overall experience. Many users express frustration over the pay-to-win mechanics and the difficulty in obtaining desired car parts, which can make progression feel tedious. Suggestions for improvement include increasing the frequency of replayable events and enhancing the reward system to make it more accessible for all players.
- “By playing replayable matches, you can upgrade parts and stages of your car.”
- “Neither does the fact that the fast lane events have replayable races every single day.”
- “Even though you can get car blueprints and parts via replayable events, there is no guarantee that you will get the desired blueprints or parts.”
- “No free roam or even most of the races are not replayable.”
- “Limited fuel and replayables makes the game hard as you can't get enough parts for high-end cars.”
- “Even though you can get car blueprints and parts via replayable events, there is no guarantee that you will get the desired blueprints or part.”
humor
13 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with players finding some aspects genuinely funny, such as the quirky music and absurd glitches, while also noting that the humor can wear thin over time. Many reviews highlight the irony of the game's name "No Limits," as players frequently encounter frustrating limitations and issues that detract from the experience. Overall, while there are moments of amusement, the game's shortcomings often overshadow its comedic elements.
- “It is a nice, funny game you can play every day without difficulties.”
- “Pros: easy to pick up and sometimes the stories are funny.”
- “I understand the developers need to be paid for their efforts, but having an event that forces you to spend a good amount of credits just to unlock a stage is hilarious.”
emotional
9 mentions
78 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
22 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the game's controls, feeling that their cars often behave erratically without input, leading to emotional moments of disappointment during races. The combination of a tedious storyline and a lack of control contributes to a sense of helplessness, overshadowing the enjoyment of racing. While some eventually adapt to the mechanics, the initial experiences can be disheartening and emotionally taxing.
- “This game loss was ultimately heartbreaking because I know this game cheated on me.”
- “But you will be racing, and all of a sudden it's like something or someone else is controlling your car in another direction towards a wall without even touching the screen or any controls.”
- “Steers my car the opposite direction and even steers me into other cars when I am not touching the screen.”
- “Exposing me to too much boring story exposition and very basic tutorial levels.”
- “Good graphics, boring storylines, never-ending chase for parts.”
atmosphere
7 mentions
43 % positive mentions
14 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by impressive graphics and a strong sense of speed, reminiscent of the Need for Speed series. However, some players find the overall experience marred by a "pay to win" environment and intrusive ads, leading to mixed feelings about the atmosphere being either engaging or frustrating.
- “Amazing, atmospheric graphics.”
- “The atmosphere of the game is really that of Need for Speed.”
- “Additionally, the atmosphere the game gives off reminds me of Need for Speed Carbon.”
- “But the biggest problem is the 'pay to win' atmosphere... big turn off.”
- “Atmosphere is neither relaxing nor exciting.”
- “Please stop producing games if you can't provide an ad-free atmosphere.”