Well, my PS4 arrived just before midday last Friday. I promptly did not open it and went into work for a couple of hours, but when I got home, the packaging was torn asunder. Inside the large Amazon box was my PS4 and a copy of Need for Speed: Rivals (NFS:R). It was the only launch title that I could see me playing for more than just the campaign; I like playing FPS games such as Killzone, but I can’t stand playing them online, so once the single-player is done with, I’d likely never touch it again. NFS:R struck me as a game that I could enjoy for the lifetime of my console. Because who doesn’t want to play Cops and Robbers in an open world environment?

As with seemingly all of my recent articles, there are some provisos that I want to get out of the way first. To begin with, the last time I played a NFS title was on the PlayStation. The original game, as it were. I’ve played many a racing game since then – including some fun times with a few Burnout titles – but nothing in the NFS range. Secondly, I’m not much of a racing fan overall. I don’t mind car racing, but it wouldn’t rank in my top five favourite genres, to put it simply. Lastly, I haven’t played enough of NFS:R to have seen “end-game”, if there is any. As such, if my opinion changes as time goes on, I promise to do a follow-up article.

Now, to business.

The game begins simply enough, giving you a choice of Cop or Racer, having first given you a to the two. This serves as the game’s tutorial, as no matter which side you pick at this stage, you’ll need to play both to get into the game proper. I started as Cop and learned about the different kinds of challenges I’d be facing. Cops have a choice of a few main events, the first of which is a “time trial” style race against the clock, where your goal is to get to the finish as quickly as possible while not hitting any obstacles (be they cars, buildings, etc.). Other options centre around stopping racers from racing, normally by slamming into them at great speed.

Racers, meanwhile, have events that revolve around… well, racing. With other racers. While – and stay with me on this – avoiding the Cops. It’s a very simple two-sided mechanic that has one side always on the hunt, the other always on the run. You can play as either side during the game simply by popping back into your garage via special areas dotted around the map. These events are the bread and butter “PvE” mechanic for progression. They will earn you “SpeedPoints”, which are like currency in NFS:R. Normally, you’ll have a mission to complete while you’re out racing around, whether it be to bust up a certain number of racers or to come first in a battle against your driving peers. Most of the time, you’ll also have to rack up a set amount of SpeedPoints as well.

Here’s where another big difference comes into play. Cops get SpeedPoints for completing events, busting racers and whatnot. They get Nitrous (i.e. boost energy) at a set rate over time. Basically, they get SpeedPoints just for doing what they should do. Racers, on the other hand, get a hell of a lot more for doing quite a bit less. Races are ten a penny and, when it’s versus the AI, not very challenging to complete. What’s more, the more you do and the longer you do it for, the higher your multiplier goes, increasing your income even further. The only catch is that you need to get back to a hideout before you get busted or you lose all of your accumulated points.

This characterises the different personalities each role attracts. The Cop is very much about hunting down your prey; relentlessly pursuing someone, matching their every turn and escape attempt. The Racer is a high-risk, high-reward game of hide and seek, except your hunter knows exactly where you are and your only hope is being faster than they are. Both sides have access to ever-improving rosters of cars and “Pursuit Tech”: gadgets that you can fire at an enemy to hinder them in some way. Cops get things like road blocks and helicopter assistance, while Racers have evasion-based technology such as turbo-boosts and electronic jammers. Both sides share some other pieces of tech, but for the most part, you’ll feel equipped for your chosen role. Some people might only play one side or the other, but most will likely switch things up depending on their mood.

When it comes to vehicle choices, there’s a lot of variety to be hand on both sides. Cops can earn access to three variants of a single car by performing different “Shotlists” (i.e. objectives). Each mission of every chapter, you can choose from one of three Shotlists: Patrol, Undercover or Enforcer. The objectives you have to complete will be different for all three, but very rarely feel relevant to the title. Patrol cars are your standard vehicles with “I AM A COP” written all over them. Undercover vehicles are all-black and meant to be totally inconspicuous, but stick out like a sore thumb when compared to other Racers. Enforcers are basically Patrol vehicles with bigger bumpers, able to dish out and receive more damage at the cost of speed.

While Cops just unlock cars – some of which have better stats than others – Racers can customise just about every aspect of their vehicles. They have the option to spend SpeedPoints to upgrade every facet of their car, from speed and acceleration to handling and more. They also have a much wider variety of cars available to unlock, as well as paint jobs in a ton of different colours. It’s very rare to see a Racer in black, which makes Undercover Cops all the more silly.

The thing that makes NFS:R really unique, however, is the vaunted AllDrive mode. This is the online element of the game; while you can turn it off, it makes the game a less entertaining experience. The long and short of it is that AllDrive puts you in the same world as 5 or 6 other players. Normally there’s an equal mix of Cops and Racers to keep things interesting. Now, instead of chasing NPC Racers, you’re after another person. Instead of ditching that NPC Cop, you have another human being on your tail and he won’t go away.

AllDrive is the real NFS:R experience; the entire game has clearly been designed around you choosing to have this option on. It’s exactly as much fun as you personally imagine it is. By that, I mean that if it sounds like your cup of tea, you’ll have a blast. With that said, it can be a bit frustrating when you’re trying to chase someone down as a Cop and the Racer sees you coming from several miles away. Undercover or no, just about every Racer I’ve tried to pursue has suddenly performed a very illegal U-turn and disappeared in the other direction, easily outrunning me in their stupidly fast vehicles.

The best way to ruin someone’s day as a Cop is to team up. If you and a couple of other Cops can tackle a Racer from multiple vectors, they’ll find it hard to escape, especially with multiple volleys of Pursuit Tech being fired at them. In some ways, the game is skewed in the favour of Racers, which I can understand: they are the only ones who are set to lose if they’re caught. It doesn’t make the game any less frustrating when you’re chasing your foe down one-on-one, but I understand the need to strike a balance.

Something I haven’t tried yet (due to the Android app not being released at the time of writing) is the Overwatch feature. This is a second-screen activity where you use your phone or tablet to help or hinder your friends playing NFS:R. I’ve yet to see exactly how this works, but I’d imagine it being something similar to Battlefield 4’s Commander Mode; placing roadblocks or firing a jammer at the right moment to help the Cops or an escaping Racer. Again, this can be turned off via the game’s options if you don’t fancy your “friends” giving you all that “help”.

To sum up my experience thus far with NFS:R, I’d say I feel positive. There’s very much a feeling of longevity in this game, but it’s probably not something I could play for hours on end. The game is very forgiving in this regard, with the ability to pick up and play from just about any point. There may not be a pause button, but getting back to an outpost / hideout takes scant minutes, so unless it’s a real emergency, you’re not going to need one. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this to anyone looking for the one, defining title for their next-gen console, but if you have a PS4 and fancy some racing action, you’d do well to pick this game up.

© 2013 – 2014, zero1gaming.com. All rights reserved. On republishing this article your must provide a link to this original post