Need for Speed: Rivals

Need for Speed: Rivals is simply amazing.

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The bottom line on Need for Speed Rivals for the Xbox One is that it's a gorgeous world that is pushing the hardware to its limit. Gameplay, however, is as close to the same as its Xbox 360 predecessor. For those who have the Xbox 360 version, it isn't a must buy. If you're jumping into the world for the first time, though, then you will enjoy the best-looking Xbox One game outside of Titanfall.

Foot to the floor, no regard for the rules, wind in my hair, the music cranked and the cops on my ass. Like many red blooded males this is the recipe for a wet dream and also the components of the latest game in the Need for Speed franchise (minus the wind, you know, unless you set up a fan). Considering all these things I know that I really badly want to love this game but unfortunately a few niggling factors are keeping me from enjoying it as much as I’d like. Of course this doesn’t mean that the game is bad, in fact it’s quite the opposite, but when you can clearly see the potential laid ou...

“If you like to bring grief to other players, this may be the racing game you’ve been waiting for.”

New life on the old roads.

Even with the balance issues and design missteps, Need for Speed: Rivals is a blast. Literally. Plowing into cops to watch them explode off the side of the road as you zip by is never not fun. So is blasting them with EMP to watch them flip in the air. And through AllDrive’s connectivity, I loved being able to race up alongside someone and mash L1 to instantly challenge them to a head-to-head showdown. Ramping jumps, drift contests, dodging speed traps — it’s all a blast. There’s simply too much fun to be had here to get hung up on the gripes.

Need for Speed: Rivals is a terrific entry in the series, taking the strongest elements of its predecessors to build something familiar but with its sights clearly on the future with regards to online integration. The lighting and weather effects look fantastic thanks to the next generation hardware and the sense of speed is as exhilarating as ever. The six player restriction is a tad disappointing, and minor issues such as the uninspired narrative and the frequent disorientation after resetting from a crash eat away at the experience slightly, but otherwise Rivals is a top notch racer you rea...

It’s best to think of Need for Speed: Rivals as a thrill ride. Get on, scream, plead to go faster, and it will. It has some of the best car chases around, and they’ve never looked so chaotically beautiful as they do on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. And if you’ve not played a lot of Hot Pursuit or Most Wanted, it charms will be much more alluring. I was looking for more explorations, depth, and variety, and in this department Rivals is slightly wanting, though it’s innovative approach to incorporating multiplayer does just enough to compensate.

That being said, there is more than enough to keep the moment-to-moment experience worth playing, especially if a group of friends can be gathered to jump in together. It was no secret that Electronic Arts sought out the minds behind Burnout Paradise to inject some attitude and innovation into the Need For Speed brand, and that DNA is still visible in every corner of Rivals.

Excellent driving mechanics and visuals are sadly hindered by too many major issues.

It’s not the most stable racer, but Need for Speed Rivals puts spectacular ideas to great use