It is very difficult to do a review on a game that you have already reviewed. It’s one thing to do it when playing an improved version, whether it is an enhanced edition or a version on a new generation of consoles. But to review a game once you’ve already played the current best version, and then taking a generation step back is another level of awkward. But that’s what I was tasked with when I received Need for Speed: Rivals on Xbox 360. For those of you who read the Xbox One Review of the game, we’ll be covering some very familiar ground here. Because for the most part, it is the same game, bar some graphical and control differences, which I’ll cover shortly.
As I drove out in to Redview County again I was naturally greeted by instantly familiar scenes, if not slightly less impressive or sharp scenes. Graphically the game is great for the Xbox 360, and anyone looking to get it will be more than happy with its ability to showcase what the console can do at the end of its lifecycle. It is a shame though that the floating debris is present here. It looks disappointing and unnecessary, and the game would have been benefitted without its presence. But that is a small blip in an otherwise visually pleasing experience.
Ghost Games have gathered gamer feedback on previous games of the series and included plenty of the most popular parts of the last few games - most notably, the ability to play as cops and racers. From the get go you get to choose which side of the law you want to join, and after completing the tutorial levels for both you are put into the open world where you can switch between the two at will. Each part of the story mode for both has you pick which objectives you would prefer to try, from a choice of 3, enabling you to change that choice if it is proving a tad hard (which I had to when I seemingly couldn’t get any drift stats going).
The world itself is a lovely combination of plenty of different environments, and with the constantly changing weather and day/night cycle even the same road can become a new experience. Within the world there are plenty of side-activities to keep you busy – races, pursuits, time trials, along with things such as jumps and speed cameras. These can be completed at will, and side-track you while you try to complete the main objectives, and after they have been completed. Pursuit tech helps racers and cops alike. These can be purchased with your accumulated SP (speed points), which you collect by completing events and how you complete event and how you drive in free roaming. This tech ranges from helicopter support, to spike strips and road blocks for the cops, EMP's, stun mine's and more for the racers. Each of these pursuit techs can be upgraded to deal more damage, cover a larger area and to have more of them available at any one time. They can be restocked by going through one of the many garages in the world - this also repairs any damage your car has taken. Racers also have the ability to upgrade the performance of their car by using SP. While this is nice to have, cars get unlocked so quickly in the game that it's difficult to see the merits of spending your entire SP on one vehicle when a better car might be two or three missions away. General appearance customisation is also available (hints of NFS: Underground), but it's not as deep as it could be, and feels somewhat of an afterthought.
Control wise, for some reason the steering doesn’t feel as tight as it does on the X1, but I got use to it after a while of playing. This may have been down to me re-familiarising myself with the 360 controller. The rest of the controls come pretty standard, RT to accelerate with LT providing the brakes. Throw in a couple of additional buttons for nitrous, handbrake and camera change you have all that’s needed for an arcade racer and you’ll be flying around the roads before you know it.
Need for Speed Rivals takes place in a persistent online world (which you can switch off), and it is barely noticeable. You go about your normal play and you’ll suddenly come across another player controlled racer, or a human cop might try to ram you and chase you down. Some of these moments are fantastic, particularly when you get to working in a team of cops trying to chase the highest ranked racer on the game. Of course normal races are also available.
Need for Speed is a solid entry in the series and an enjoyable outing for any fans of the arcade racing genre. If you’re looking for a racing game this Christmas, or a quick pick up and play adrenaline hit. Look no further.
