(We’re a long way from the narrative pretensions of the woeful NFS: The Run.) Whether cop or racer, each chapter is structured around a speed list, which is little more than a series of objects. And while it may not be the most densely populated of landscapes, there’s always something to catch the eye.
Torrential downpours clog up the screen, while sometimes at night you’ll flashes of lightning illuminated the highly-textured road surface. Rain, sun, and snow – as well as the time of day – have a big impact on the look of the game. Its cars are noisy creatures, always ready to race – look closely and you’ll see beads of moisture dripping down the bodywork, as if the car’s physically exerted itself. But Need for Speed has always had a slightly heightened approach to its presentation, and that’s still the case. Cars look brilliant, near photorealistic. Rivals is fantastically pretty, making great use of your next-gen console or PC. Most Wanted encouraged you to explore its train tunnels and jump off rooftops, but Rivals keeps you firmly on track. And while there are a few hidden pathways to be found and the possibility of going off-road occasionally, I also found myself more frequently attempting to head off the beaten path only to be put back into place by an officious barrier. There are no billboards bearing your friends’ faces to crash through, no super cars squirrelled away, and fewer jumps than previous games. But for all of its gorgeous scenery, I found Redview a slightly less fun and secret-filled place to explore. And very occasionally, I did find myself being spotted by the cops even though I’d seemingly given them the slip, which was slightly frustrating.Įach stretch of road is crammed with various challenges, including standard races and time trials, new cars to shut down, and records to smash. It’s a shame there wasn’t room in this world for both play styles, as it would’ve given us more variety to play with. They’re better suited for drifting and pushing fast cars to their limits, like Hot Pursuit, instead of outfoxing the cops and hiding like in Most Wanted. It’s all about the ballet of the chase. It provides a welcome change of pace after the urban sprawl of Most Wanted, though I came to really miss those concrete labyrinths when I was outrunning the cops.īut it’s ultimately a tradeoff, with Redview’s long, winding roads setting the stage for some truly operatic chases that go on for miles. Within the confines of its map you can take in parched deserts and lush vineyards, upmarket seaside promenades and snowy mountain passes. Rivals takes place in the fictional Redview County, which has probably the most diverse geography imaginable. In many ways it’s the best of both, although if you’ve played either of those a great deal, as I have, you may get a feeling of déja vu from Rivals. (Unsurprising really consider the majority of the staff went over to the new studio.) It combines Hot Pursuit’s cops-versus-racer dynamic with the freeform gameplay of Most Wanted’s open world. Players will have to keep one eye on their rearview mirror as friends will be able to enter and exit races on-the-fly, creating a world where no two events will ever be the same.Developed by Ghost Games, Rivals feels like the natural successor to the work of previous NFS developer Criterion. Achieving higher ranks unlocks new police-only cars and more powerful pursuit tech.Īt the heart of Need for Speed Rivals is AllDrive, an innovative new online feature that allows gamers to seamlessly transition from playing alone to playing with friends, eliminating the line between single player and multiplayer. As a cop, players work together as part of a team in pursuit of racers, earning prominence and rising in the ranks of the Police Force with every bust. Keep raising the stakes race after race to become an ever-more valuable target to the cops - but risk losing it all if busted. The more cops players evade, the more Speed Points they collect, enabling them to unlock new cars and items.
As a racer, the goal is to become infamous for taking risks behind the wheel and capturing your most intense escapes on video for the world to see. Built on the Frostbite 3 game engine, Need for Speed Rivals allows gamers play as either a cop or racer, where each side of the law has its own set of high stakes challenges, rewards and consequences. Need for Speed Rivals captures the adrenaline and intensity of the street's ultimate rivalry between cops and racers in a stunning open road environment.