Need for Speed: Rivals

I love this game because it is so relaxing to play. It has almost all of my favorite cars in it. The graphics are still insane! The 30 fps lock can be easily unlocked with a command line. You can also make it look better by adding another command that can boost your render quality. The car sounds are very accurate and the special effects are gorgeous. Yeah the story is basically nothing but the ending was good for a game like this. I love that they added very rare and prototype cars in the DLC's and made the Koenigsegg one FREE!!! It has good soundtrack too. This game was before Driveclub which is unbeliveable. For the people that want to play that game just play this instead because it's waay too much fun!

Let me begin by saying that I am a HUGE NFS fan. It is my all time favorite game franchise and I thought I knew what I could expect from Rivals. My favorite NFS game is Most Wanted(2005) and I thought Rivals would build on that type of open world free roam map. Unfortunately, Rivals is pretty much dedicated strictly to over the top races that incorporate features such as EMPs, spike strips and road blocks into pretty much every race. Now, this sounds fine if it's just the cops that can deploy those tactics, but it isn't. Any racer can, at any time, put out one of those features to ruin your racing. For me, Need for Speed was always about how well you can drive and race. Rivals takes ALL of that away and turns itself into an unrealistic Mario type game, albeit with amazing graphics.

From the opening cut-scene, to the menus and map layout, to the overused "help" cut-scenes, everything about the game says "You don't know what Need for Speed is all about". It took away almost everything I love about NFS games and replaced it with what seems like filler. All of those high tech features seem so out of place in a NFS game because they aren't necessary. Need for speed is a racing game, it always has been. Why Change that?

There are two things that appealed to me with Rivals, though. The graphics are AMAZING. Also, I think the map is the biggest yet, right above Most Wanted's huge open world map. Unfortunately, even these two pluses can't save the game from what it is: A major let down.

I have no idea why this game has a low rating other than some people say it doesn't start or lags. Well here's a message for those people, you clearly need to upgrade your console/computer I do NFS Rivals on the Xbox One S and even with almost maxed out storage capacity, it has never had any problems. Anyway back to my thoughts. This game is so fun and is by far my favorite. You can choose to be a racer or cop which is super unique and provides totally different gaming style! The game isn't overpacked with content, it doesn't have too little content either. I wish it was more than one player but other than that, this'll be the best $20 you've ever spent!

"Need for Speed: Rivals" is one of those games that's hard to say anything bad about, but it doesn't exactly manage to impress either. The devs once again promised a "mind-blowing" experience, but after a couple of hours behind the wheel, you realize there's nothing particularly special in this new entry of the famed series. And that's a shame.

The story follows the best traditions of racing action flicks: epic, loud, flashy, but at its core it all boils down to the classic "racer vs. Cop" formula. The racer is called Zephyr, which honestly is hilarious. Zephyr, seriously. And the cop? Just a cop. Doesn't really matter what his name is, because when you play as him, your eyes nearly go crazy from the constant flashing of the siren. It's maddening - I could practically imagine an epileptic seizure kicking in. Anyway, just like in "Hot Pursuit" (2010), you can pick a side: tear down the highways in a supercar and run from the sirens, or play as the law enforcer shutting down violations while creating pure chaos on the roads. Each side has its own tricks and gadgets, all designed to make the other side's life a little harder.

The cars here are a sight to behold. Lamborghinis, Mercedes, BMWs, and plenty more from the glamorous world of automotive elites. Everything shines, glimmers, and every drop of rain reflects off the bodywork. The graphics are hands-down one of Rivals' strongest points. The Frostbite 3 engine squeezes every bit of juice out of the hardware: the environment feels alive, leaves scatter in the wind, dirt sprays from under the tires, lights flare, and the roads sometimes make you think the devs really just love making things look beautiful. And when you're actually driving? The sense of speed is as thrilling as ever.

But there's one big "but" for me: the thought that "I've already seen this before" never leaves my head. In "Hot Pursuit" (2010). That one felt bolder, more energetic, fresher. "Rivals", while gorgeous, feels a bit too much like a rehash. Everything seems right on paper, but the spark just isn't there. Sure, there are new car upgrades, a slightly different world, a stylish UI - but the game doesn't feel drastically different. A pity.

And yes, the always-online mode is an interesting idea in theory, but in practice it's often irritating. Personally, as someone who prefers single-player experiences, I'd have loved a solid story instead. With cutscenes and actors. Oh well.

Bottom line: "Need for Speed: Rivals" is a solid entry in the series, with fantastic graphics, awesome cars, and familiar gameplay. But it lacks that special something. Fun to play, especially if you just want to race and speed around, but don't expect any revelations. Flashy, loud, familiar.

6 out of 10.