Hello Enthusiasts,
Today I will be reviewing the racing game Need for Speed: Rivals. This title, released in November of 2013, is not the newest in the series, but there are only a couple of more recent releases. There's isn't much to spoil here, but if you're really invested in the story of a racing game, know that there are Spoilers Below.
The basic premise of the game is similar to the series' Hot Pursuit titles. You can either play as a racer or a cop, unlocking new cars as you go along. The racers are doing their normal thing, racing and trying to earn money, while the cops are tying to stop them. Each side has it's own story to it, though the cop's is a bit more flushed out, While the racer will say some things about winning and being the best, the cop is all about using excessive force to stop the racers, which is frowned upon by his superiors, which gets him suspended at one point. This changes when he gets brought into a government organization that focuses on stopping illegal street racers. This seemed like a bit of a strange decision for the cop's story, rewarding him for using force that is far too extreme for an officer of the law, given that the police have been viewed less than favorably in the eyes of the public within the last several years.
So let's hit the positives first. The map for this game is expansive and looks really nice. A lot of detail goes into environment that you will speed right by at 200mph. The game is set in a fairly rural environment, with mountains and fields throughout the map, but that doesn't mean there isn't any traffic. A somewhat busy highway runs right through the map and leads around to different areas of the environment, so it is not difficult to find some annoying traffic to hit, which adds a little difficulty to the game that I was thankful for. The actual driving controls are pretty solid as well, with fairly realistic controls and physics (or what I have to assume are realistic, I don't generally drive hundreds of limes an hour through the mountains). There are also areas of the map that will track how fast you're going during a particular stretch of road, and you can compete against yourself in that regard.
The multiplayer is also a good deal of fun in a couple of different ways. You can, of course, race against your friends online and compete in the regular challenges head-to-head. However, the game really shines when one player is a cop and the other a racer. Working to either escape or capture your friend at the high speeds of the game is a whole lot of fun, and I really think it to be the most enjoyable online experience in the game.
This is not a flawless game though, and some b of the flaws really stand out. One of my biggest issues is with the gadgets in the game. There are several different gadgets that the cops and racers have, including EMPs, spike stripes, turbo boost, calling in helicopters, and an abundance of others. Most of the reason to race, especially when playing as the cop, is just to upgrade gadgets. It feels like there is too much emphasis on these toys, to the point that doing any challenges or races in the game feels more like timing the use of gadgets correctly rather than just being the better driver. I may sound nostalgic, but I used to like just having to race to unlock new cars or to upgrade things like my engine or suspension. This just feels like they wanted to mix a realistic driving game with a Mario Kart.
Also, as I mentioned before, the story in the game leaves something to be desired, especially for the racer. Now I wouldn't normally care for a racing game, most of them don't have a story at all. Some others have a very basic story, like Forza: Horizons story, "it's a tournament, that guy's the best, work your way up and beat him". However, I complain because this game obviously wanted their story to be considered. It's not even like you don't see the story often, you basically have a weird cut-scene for it after every set of missions you need to do is complete, which is often. They go so far as to divide the game up into chapters for both the racer and the cop. So if they want it considered, I will complain about how shallow, predictable, and unnecessary it is.
Overall, I would call this game a solid "okay". If EA had been willing to leave it as an open world racing game with some challenges, it would have been a lot more fun. As it is though, the game has far too much going on with the gadgets and a story that nobody wanted. I know it's gotten some decent reviews from other sources, but I didn't feel like the game appealed to a player like me, who just wanted to focus on the driving. As I mentioned above, if I wanted to also have items to use, I would stick with a game like Mario Kart or Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing.
I give Need for Speed: Rivals a 5.5 out of 10.
Sincerely,
The Bored Enthusiast
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