Need For Speed Rivals got an extended look today at the EA conference at E3, and it does not disappoint! EA and Critereon are looking to take multiplayer racing to a new level with Rivals.
 
Rivals features a huge, sprawling world where there is a seamless transition between single player and multiplayer. In the E3 demo, we saw a player start off the game roaming around in a free drive mode, seamlessly transition into a race, then a second player taking the part of a cop, joined the world and hunted the first player down. Mayhem ensues when the two “teams” come together to initiate a Pursuit.
 
Need for Speed marks an exciting return to the great car culture films of the 1960s and ’70s, tapping into what makes the American myth of the open road so appealing. The story chronicles a near-impossible cross-country journey for our heroes—one that begins as a mission for revenge, but proves to be one of redemption. Featuring the same exciting elements that has made Need for Speed one of the best-selling franchises in games – hot cars, epic chases and high-octane action, the film stars Aaron Paul, Imogen Poots (V for Vendetta) and Dominic Cooper (Captain America: The First Avenger). Need for Speed is penned by George Gatins with writing partner and brother John Gatins (Flight) and directed by Scott Waugh (Act of Valor). The film will open in theaters worldwide beginning March 14, 2014.
 
“The Need for Speed movie will embody everything that fans of action racing films want to see – hot cars, high stakes street racing and mind-blowing stunts,” said Scott Waugh, Director of Need for Speed the movie. “The adrenaline fueled story across America will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.”
 
Need for Speed Rivals is the newest entry to EA’s best-selling racing franchise. A collaboration between Ghost Games and Criterion Games, Need for Speed Rivals glorifies the heat of competition in the legendary rivalry of cops and racers. Gamers play as either a cop or racer, where each side of the law has its own set of high stakes challenges, rewards and consequences. This time, the stakes are at their highest as racers put their Speed Points on the line and risk losing them all if busted. Developed on the advanced Frostbite™ 3 engine, Need for Speed Rivals also introduces the revolutionary AllDrive system that erases the line between single player and multiplayer, automatically connecting gamers to their friend’s racing world. Paths will cross on the open road, creating a world where no two moments will ever be the same.
 
I’ll let the trailer do the talking.