It’s not a huge step forward for the series, to be blunt, but more of a rock solid refinement of many of the features seen in prior games.

This time around it’s called Rivals, and it follows very much in the tire tracks of prior franchise darlings, Most Wanted, Hot Pursuit, and High Stakes. That’s because I was at a recent review event where a large contingent of West Coast game reporters had been brought together to play Electronic Arts’ latest entry into its storied Need for Speed series. In the split second I had to react and then realize there was nothing I could about the impending epic crash, I noticed the car I was about to hit was labeled “ OXM Rival.”

But then, as I crested a hill – on the right side of the road may I add – I was involved in a head-on collision with another cop car that was traveling at speed in the opposite direction, on the wrong side of the road. After chasing a ‘Vette for several miles, sirens blaring atop my police-liveried Merc C63 AMG Black Series, I was finally closing the gap between us. Some content, such as this article, has been migrated to VG247 for posterity after USgamer's closure - but it has not been edited or further vetted by the VG247 team. This article first appeared on USgamer, a partner publication of VG247.

Also available onXbox 360, PS3, Xbox One.

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