For the budget-conscious racer, the "free" route is a dead end. The smart money is on a one-month subscription to EA Play or PC Game Pass—allowing you to test drive Lakeshore City legally, safely, and with all the bells and whistles the developers intended.
EA and Steam occasionally host promotional periods where you can play without paying: Need for Speed™ Unbound Price history - SteamDB need for speed unbound pc free
Since Electronic Arts publishes the game, it is part of the EA Play library (Standard and Pro versions). Members can download and play the full game as long as their subscription is active. For the budget-conscious racer, the "free" route is