Need for Speed: No Limits

The first thing to know about Need for Speed: No Limits is that it absolutely rips. It’s an espresso shot of pure, distilled arcade adrenaline, jumps, sparks, blur effects and all, fired directly into your corneas via the improbably powerful screen of your phone. You mash boost and feel something click. That rare, perfect union of game and gadget. And then the meter runs dry.

You are, ostensibly, a nobody in the city of Blackridge, imagine Fast & Furious filtered through neon vapor and pay-per-event grinds, racing to earn respect, unlock cars, and accessorize your garage into a cathedral of carbon fibre excess. The gameplay? Electric. Races are short, punchy, and filled with just enough tactical flourish, drifts, drafts, near misses, to fool you into thinking you’re playing chess at 200mph.

But then come the cracks. The real race is with your energy bar. You’ll soar for an hour, unlocking events, new cars, maybe even something Italian and gorgeous. Then… stall. Hard. Want to keep playing? Wait. Or pay. Or grind. Or both.

There’s tragedy here, because No Limits actually nails what so many mobile racers don’t: style and feel. It’s a blistering, beautiful machine shackled to a freemium chassis. A $60 soul in a free-to-play body. Still, for a while, before the walls close in, it feels like flying.

So yes, download it. Just know: the brakes were built in.