With the release of Need for Speed Unbound this week, Criterion Games is properly back. Not that the Guildford studio’s been away, of course, but in recent years its role shifted towards a support studio, lending a hand with the Battlefront and Battlefield series among others – and its last standalone title was the X-Wing VR mission for Star Wars Battlefront back in 2016.
It’s something of a moment, then, to have Criterion Games back – and back on Need for Speed for a second stint behind the wheel following 2010’s Hot Pursuit and 2012’s Most Wanted. Need for Speed Unbound marks the start of a new chapter, with Criterion now overseeing the series once more and to mark the occasion I spoke to studio veteran and Unbound’s creative director Kieran Crimmins.
Thanks for chatting to me, I’m sure you’re exceptionally busy with launch not many days away. Before we get into that, I just wondered if you could tell me a little bit about yourself and your history at Criterion because I believe you’ve been there quite some time.
