Need for Speed Rivals Announced for Next-Gen Consoles

The next installment in the widely popular car racing franchise Need for Speed, will be available for next-generation platforms, developers Electronic Arts announced.

Need for Speed Rivals is slated for a November 19 release and will be available for PC and current gaming platforms PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. A version for next-gen consoles PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, neither of which is yet available for sale, will be released later this year.

Unlike the previous installments which were developed solely by Criterion Games, Need for Speed Rivals will be the result of joint work by Criterion and newly formed Ghost Games.

EA has also released a new trailer for Rivals, which showcases stunning graphics, due to the Frostbite 3 engine around which the game was built. The engine is generally used in first person shooter titles, including EA’s own Battlefield 3. The publisher promised that the jaw-dropping graphics will not be seen only on consoles, but also in the PC version of the game.

Rivals brings a series of new features, most notably what is known as the AllDrive. This new play system allows gamers to easily transition from single player to multiplayer mode, in which they can play alongside their friends without having to exit the game to a menu interface. The game will actually merge your gameplay with your friends’ but you will still be able to choose whether to interact with them or not.

Player will also get to choose whether to play as cops or racers, facing relevant challenges and obtaining rewards specific to their decision. The title marks the return of Autolog, the online Need for Speed community which will allow gamers to compare their results or challenge other players.

Racing fans should also be happy to know that Rivals will see the return of Ferrari to the NFS world, for the first time in seven years. Ghost Games has announced that the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta will be among the world famous models featured in the upcoming game.

Check out the teaser trailer below and tell us what you think of the new Need for Speed installment.

[Image via pushsquare]