Need for Speed Rivals

EA's racer is back with Need for Speed Rivals. Once again, you can play both sides of the law – the racers or the police in pursuit – but the action has ramped up a few notches.

The latest instalment takes much of what was great about the last few (Hot Pursuit, Most Wanted, even Underground) and gives it all a bit of a polish. That doesn't mean it's just a rehash; there are some new elements that make it worth considering.

The most obvious is AllDrive, which EA is billing as social racing. What it means in reality is that you can jump between single and multiplayer modes seamlessly, blurring that line until it’s almost unrecognisable.

You can still customise your car, which is a nice touch. Those who opt to join the law can choose their pursuit technology, whether it’s a simple roadblock or something with a little more spark to it. EMPs to temporarily shut down electrical systems can be used with devastating effect and spike strips can damage tyres.

As a racer, if you’re caught you lose all your points and your multiplier gets busted back to zero. So bank your points in hideouts regularly. As a cop, you take their speed points. The higher their level, naturally, the harder they are to catch. But it’s far more satisfying when you do.

Regardless of which side you’re on, you have to complete your training before moving on to the mean streets of Redview County. Chases begin either when a police car happens upon a racer and switches on its lights, or when they two collide. Either way, it’s an adrenaline rush when the chase kicks in.

And it's loud. Between the engines, the soundtrack and the collision noises, there's a lot going on. It all fits in with Need for Speed: this isn't a Sunday drive in the country. You'd be forgiven for getting distracted by the visuals: the Frostbite 3 engine has been used to good effect.

A solid effort for the NFS franchise. needforspeed.com/rivals