Need for Speed: Rivals Reviews

Need for Speed: Rivals is ranked in the 83rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
USgamer
Top Critic
Nov 14, 2013

Need for Speed: Rivals takes some of the best features from prior franchise entries and combines them with a seamless single-multiplayer mode to create an absolutely terrific, utterly bonkers race-and-chase game that looks and sounds as good as it drives.

Read full review

gameranx
Top Critic
10 / 10.0
Nov 20, 2013

What is Rivals? It's the assertion that EA's true flagship for the core in the new generation isn't Battlefield, but Need for Speed.  It's thrilling, it's beautiful, it's chaotic, and it's the best thing going on those expensive new black boxes you have. Ghost Games, the spawn of Criterion, really brought it.

Read full review

9 / 10
Nov 17, 2013

Ghost Games will likely get there, though, and what they've conjured up in their debut effort is a remarkable achievement. Before downsizing, Criterion created some of the last generation's very best arcade racers in Hot Pursuit and Burnout Paradise. Ghost Games has carried on that torch and crafted a racer that any of its competitors would do well to match in the new generation.

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Nov 19, 2013

Retains many of the staples from the Need for Speed series, but paves its own path with its dynamic shared worlds

Read full review

Dec 3, 2013

Dozens of hours of gameplay, the only racing game on PS4 at launch, a fantastic showpiece for your next-gen hardware of choice, and a hyper-connected experience—Rivals is one of the best games to own on PlayStation 4. Rev your engines, folks, this will be on hell of a ride.

Read full review

9 / 10
Nov 14, 2013

The end result is a game with crystal-clear vision and execution. Rivals ends up being a rather unique racing experience--one that isn't meant for everyone, but will be beloved by those that "get" it.

Read full review

Nov 14, 2013

Need for Speed: Rivals is like the love child of GTA and Grand Turismo. It avoids the repetitive closed-course race tracks in favor of a fun, free-spirited open world racing experience.

Read full review

Dec 4, 2013

Rivals is more potent, pure and unhinged fun, and probably 2013's most exciting racer.

Read full review

4.5 / 5.0
Nov 16, 2013

While Shadow Fall may be best representation of the PS4's visuals, Need for Speed Rivals is the best representation of its power. It's blisteringly fast, not batting an eye at speeds over two-hundred miles per hour for a sustained period of time. Cars look realistic, environments are highly-detailed and the dynamic HUDs and interface are the best the series has seen. It's raw, visceral, intense and boasts a ton of replay value thanks to over one hundred events and seamless online multiplayer. Need for Speed Rivals proves how impressive a PS4 racing game can be by offering a fully realized product that blows past conceptions of what a launch title can offer.

Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Nov 18, 2013

It's not the most stable racer, but Need for Speed Rivals puts spectacular ideas to great use

Read full review

85 / 100
Nov 15, 2013

Need for Speed Rivals is a great entry in the series and a huge improvement from Most Wanted and Hot Pursuit. AllDrive brings multiplayer to a new level, and the experience sets the bar for all racing games from now on. That said, since AllDrive is so important to the overall experience, multiplayer gamers will likely get a lot more out of it than those who play alone. But, if you're looking for a racing game that's rewarding, fun, and visually impressive, then Need for Speed Rivals is the game for you.

Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Mar 31, 2014

The bottom line on Need for Speed Rivals for the Xbox One is that it's a gorgeous world that is pushing the hardware to its limit. Gameplay, however, is as close to the same as its Xbox 360 predecessor. For those who have the Xbox 360 version, it isn't a must buy. If you're jumping into the world for the first time, though, then you will enjoy the best-looking Xbox One game outside of Titanfall.

Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Nov 18, 2013

If you're looking for a challenging game of cat and mouse with exotic supercars and a gorgeous back drop, Need for Speed: Rivals is what you're looking for in spades. Think fast, drive faster. Going slow is for chumps and old people.

Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Nov 14, 2013

So, how do you make a series still feel fresh after twenty titles? By listening to your fans, knowing what works and what the fans want, and by delivering a game that's more than just a seasonal refresher. Need for Speed Rivals is clearly ready for the next generation of gaming, and so are we.

Read full review

AusGamers
ko-zee-ii
Top Critic
8.5 / 10.0
Nov 15, 2013

Hit the road and make it your own, just a word of caution, I'll be out there to, gunning for you.

Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Nov 22, 2013

Need for Speed: Rivals is an exceedingly high-powered racer with all sorts of flash and panache. It insists that you pay attention; it demands that you continually seek out the next adrenaline rush, and it pushes you to take bigger and bigger risks. When there's a little too much overlap between the open-world action and the single events, I get irritated, but it's a worthy sacrifice.

Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Dec 29, 2013

A welcome alteration from the series' previous all-too-familiar line of games. Rivals blends the open-world driving enjoyment with high-adrenaline, high-speed racing with challenging mission sets and battles for supremacy.

Read full review

8.4 / 10.0
Nov 16, 2013

Despite some rough edges and aggravations, Need for Speed Rivals is still a fun and exciting ride. Hunting down your prey as the police or getting to your hideout in the nick of time is exhilarating, and constantly sharing a social sphere with other players feels like a natural step forward for a series intent on putting players on opposing side of the law.

Read full review

4.2 / 5.0
Nov 19, 2013

Overall, Need for Speed: Rivals delivers the most solid racer to come from EA in a long time. The ability to play as both Cops and Racers is a welcome gameplay diversity that gives you the power to choose how to play the game. Back that up with a seamless multiplayer, a solid audio foundation, and killer visuals, and what you get is one of the best racing games to come out in recent years. Whether you choose to be a Cop or a Racer, either way you're going to have a lot of fun, which is what gaming is all about.

Read full review

82 / 100
Dec 4, 2013

Need for Speed Rivals is a competent arcade racer that is sure to get the heart rate up with some real 'edge of your seat' cops vs racers action.

Read full review