The onramp to next-gen could have been messy. Shifting from the steady hand of Criterion Games to a new studio (albeit one headed up by top racing talent), Need for Speed Rivals could've easily taken a wrong turn. But Rivals passes inspection on Xbox One with flying colors.

+ Alldrive excellently mixes single- and multiplayer; + Manages to incorporate many wonderful weapons and items without upsetting the balance

- Not much buildup to new objectives or races like in previous; ? Is it just us; or is a garage or safehouse never nearby when we're about to get wrecked

Need for Speed: Rivals is a wholly enjoyable open-world racer. The driving is solid, its streets are a joy to explore, and its racing assignments--though a bit repetitive at times--are incentive enough to keep you coming back for more.

Absolutely gorgeous; evolving next-gen environments; Redview is replete with both AI and real-life rivals; Some of the slickest controls this side of a Burnout game

The few reasons youre given to upgrade your car; Impact damage is dealt haphazardly

" Need for Speed: Rivals " had amazing potential, and whilst it's not wasted, it's certainly not fully realised. The small player count on each server is pretty much unforgivable on the new platforms, whilst the lack of new event types or proper multiplayer playlists make it feel like (despite being...

If you've played Hot Pursuit, this has a very similar feel to it. The diversity of landscape, challenges and races, and even the cars all feel very samey. I loved Hot Pursuit , so I'm not necessarily complaining, but I do believe that we deserve a bit more, given that this is the second generation...

*The game was reviewed with the DualShock 4. It is important to note that NFS Rivals does not support any wheel peripherals.

Rivals serves as a refinement of ideas and principles established over the last three years. This can lead to a feeling of sameness bleeding over Rival's rough edges while also serving as a condensed interpretation of modern Need for Speed.

Need For Speed Rivals finds itself in the unenviable position of being a between-generation game that needs to be good enough to look next gen, but also not be so advanced that a version of it can't be released for the 360 and PS3.

If I were Need For Speed: Rivals right now, I'd be having a serious attack of stage fright. The arcade racer has frequently served as a benchmark for a new console generation's launch.

In Need For Speed: Rivals, single-player and multiplayer modes are no longer options separated by a menu tree; they coexist inside the active game. Anything related to starting a driving event takes place on the road among the living, breathing, driving ecosystem, and anyone driving by can join...

In a narrative introduction that is so "gritty and serious" that it borders on satirical, Need for Speed Rivals (NFSR) sets up the dual narratives of international street racers and the high-octane police force dedicated to taking them down.

Narrowly escaping a pursuing squad of police cars and power drifting into the safety of my hideout with hundreds of sounds of speed points under my belt

For an open world driving game; there are not nearly enough alternative paths and emergent gameplay moments that use the geography

If you like NFS Hot Pursuit and Most Wanted, you can enjoy Rivals. It's classic Need for Speed with cop pursuits and fast, expensive rides. The problem is that it feels like an incomplete game. Probably rushed for next gen console launches.

Easy to learn; Fun To Play

Poor Graphics