Need for Speed Rivals is a PC car racing game, developed by Ghost Games and Criterion Game and published by Electronic Arts. Rivals is another installment in the Need for Speed series, which focuses on high speed, open road races in exotic cars. The game features several new elements, such as a division between cop and racer careers (the titular “Rivals”), each with its own goals and reward systems.

“Fast and Furious” gameplay

Need for Speed Rivals includes gameplay elements new to the series, the most notable of which is the AllDrive system. It blends the single and multiplayer experience of the game, by allowing players to enter and exit it seamlessly. Players who decide to try out this new mechanic can participate in co-op races and versus events, with up to five players per race. There are three presets of the AllDrive system, selectable before the game and exchangeable at any later point. These preset determine who can join the multiplayer events: friends and strangers, only friends, or strictly local, with no online participants allowed.

Cops and Racers

The other important gameplay mechanic is career progression. In NFS Rivals, the player can develop two career paths, cop or racer. Each of these paths has its own progression requirements. Racers progress through accumulating Speed Points, acquired for completing challenges and events. These points can be spent on upgrading the player’s vehicle and adding personalized touches to them. Cops progress through completing Assignments, such as busting racers, with Speed Points awarded on the basis of the level of racers and teamwork during the bust. Cops can spend their Speed Points on upgrading their Pursuit Tech, which they can use to take down racers more easily.

Pimp my (Cop) ride?

Need for Speed Rivals features a selection of cars. Each of the factions possesses their own set of cars, with the exception of Aston Martin Vanquish, available to both cops and racers. The cars include brands like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Jaguar, Ford, Mercedes and BMW. Players can personalize their cars, but there are some limitations to that. While racers can choose the paint job, liveries, custom license plates, rims and performance upgrades, cop cars have unlockable versions based on the player’s playstyle. These versions include basic patrol cars, heavily upgraded Enforcer cars, and undercover vehicles, which allow hiding among the racers before initiating the pursuit.

Reception

Need for Speed Rivals PC received good reviews from critics and was received positively by the fans of the series. Reviewers praised the game’s AllDrive system, blurring the line between single and multiplayer, as well as the game’s visuals and the amount of fun it provided.

Key features:

• Choose your career path and become one of the racers or a cop pursuing them
• Enter the open world of Redview County and hit the road, collecting various collectibles along the way
• Innovative AllDrive system blurs the line between single and multiplayer
• Unlock Speed Points and personalize your racer car or spend them on new Pursuit Tech
• Adapt to dynamic weather conditions and become the best racer or pursuit cop in the county