Need For Speed: Rivals: PS3 Review

Need For Speed: Rivals: PS3 Review

Released by EA
Platform: PS3

The Need for Speed series is back - and with a Need For Speed movie with Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul on the way, you could say its profile has never been higher.

The racing open world game has always been a thrill with its last installment, Hot Pursuit, in Redview County keeping me engaged for hours, as I batted back between police and street racers, trying to catch and wreak havoc in alternate measures.

Need For Speed: Rivals is about offering nothing other than car smashing / car racing activity - and boy, is it as compulsive as ever. You can choose whether to be on the side of the law, with upgrades to technology helping you rid Redview of the racing carnage, or can line up as a street racer, bringing utter speeding chaos as the police try and track you down, and bring your illegal speeding career to an impromptu end.

From choosing different cars, the careers mode offers a lot of deep engaging gameplay thanks to simplicity of racing and crisp clear graphics which stand out. This is all about the chase and it's adrenalin pumping as it kicks into gear. The world around the tracks has been beautifully realised and the game soars because of it. The cars themselves look a lot clearer than they have done for a while, and the HD sparkle is clearly evident from beginning to end. And the scenes when the cars are wrecked are as enjoyable as ever as they career all over the place before settling into their final resting place.

However, it's the AllDrive element which is the most fascinating touch to Need For Speed: Rivals. This seamless mix of online multiplayer and normal campaign mode is an intriguing idea - basically, while playing, if connected online, you get thrust into a game with 5 other players, who are all working on their own campaign and aims; but if you want to shake things up and take out other drivers or work with them, you can.

It's a great idea from the developers and brings another world to the game which is progressive and shows the series isn't resting on its admittedly successful laurels. Hot Pursuit was a great entry in to the Need For Speed series, and Rivals is equally as effective, snaring racers, cops and casual gamers in their web. This is arcade racing at its very best; easy to control, simple to play and thrillingly engaging and effective.

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