Need for Speed Rivals review

(PC / 360 / X-One / PS3 / PS4)

Racing on both sides of the law, Mark Pilkington goes underground in the shadowy world of illegal street racing, Need for Speed style. 

The Need for Speed franchise seems to have an almost annual make-over these days, with each year heralding a new installment in the series. NFS Rivals is the latest title to emerge from the garage.

Drawing upon the gameplay elements set by its predecessors, this is a pure arcade racer. The operative word here is ‘fun’, and for the most part the game delivers, as you find yourself involved in all manner of races and police chases pitting you against increasingly more powerful and faster cars.

The graphics are simply gorgeous, and on the next gen console pack they are especially pleasing to look at. The cars glisten as they roar past and the environments are picture perfect.

So how does it shape up? Could this be the title that puts NFS at the front of the arcade racer pack? If you’ve played NFS Most Wanted or Hot Pursuit, you will know exactly what you’re getting yourself into here, and the two games are similar throughout.

When it comes to gameplay, there is no doubt that sliding around corners is a hell of a lot of fun, especially during chases. This is real seat of your pants stuff. A classic race game, given an upgrade for the next generation.

Mark Pilkington