Info about Need for Speed™ Rivals:

Official game description:
Need for Speed™ Rivals: Complete Edition
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Online servers are no longer available. Own the complete Need for Speed™ Rivals experience. Get the full game, plus all six downloadable content packs with the Complete Edition. Key features 6 additional packs — Get the Simply Jaguar Complete Pack, the Ferrari Edizioni Speciali Complete Pack, the Concept Lamborghini Complete Pack, the Koenigsegg Agera One, the Complete Movie Pack, and the Loaded Garage Pack. Race with friends — Imagine your race and your friend’s pursuit colliding, creating a world where no 2 events feel the same. Don’t want to play with others? Simply choose to make Redview County yours alone and dominate the advanced Racer and Cop AI. High-stakes rivalry — Racers are lone wolves out for glory, driving agile cars built for high-speed racing and epic chases. Cops work in teams to hunt down and bust racers using the full power of the police force. Switch roles whenever you like, and watch the stakes grow through a new scoring system that puts your speed points on the line. Your car, your identity — Personalize your cars with performance and style modifications. Power up your car with the latest upgrades in pursuit technology and personalize your bodywork with fresh paint jobs, liveries, custom license plates, rims, and decals to show off your car to the world. Pursuit and evasion tech — Use the latest pursuit tech and modifications to change your pursuit or escape strategy on the fly. Racers evade Cops using turbo bursts, jammers, and electromagnetic pulses. Cops will be armed for aggressive busts, deploying shockwaves, spike strips, and calling in police roadblocks or helicopter support.
About the Game
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Online servers are no longer available. Welcome to Redview County, where a street-racing rivalry between cops and racers never stops as both sides compete in an all-out war featuring the fastest cars, mods and technology in a gritty open road environment. Play as either a cop or racer, where each side of the law has its own set of high stakes challenges, rewards and consequences. Risk everything in the ultimate high stakes rivalry.

Release date: Jun 4, 2020

Categories: Racing Simulation, Vehicular Combat, Vehicle Customization, Open-World Exploration, Multiplayer, Action, Arcade

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 10; verdict: Fair; summary: The game is generally well-received for its complete edition and lack of mandatory microtransactions. However, there are some concerns about the value of optional DLCs, with a few users feeling they are a cash grab. Overall, the base game is seen as a good purchase.
- Steam Deck: score 75; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The Steam Deck experience for this game is marred by several significant issues. The always-online requirement and the 30 FPS cap are the most frequently cited problems, causing frustration and detracting from the gameplay experience. Additionally, the need to use external launchers and mods to unlock basic features like higher frame rates adds complexity and inconvenience. Performance issues, including poor customization options and frequent crashes, further exacerbate the situation. These technical barriers collectively lead to a less than optimal gaming experience.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $5.00 - $10.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence indicates that the community generally finds the game worth purchasing, but primarily when it is on sale or at a discounted price. The repeated mentions of waiting for promotions or sales suggest that the base price is considered too high by many users. The consensus seems to be that the game is enjoyable and worth the money only when purchased at a significant discount, typically around 75% off.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 72.0h
  - Story completion: 20.0h
  - Session length: 2.0h
  - Endgame: 30.0h
  - Reasoning: The evidence provided includes various quotes from user reviews that give insights into the playtime metrics for the game. The first quote mentions a user who played the game initially on PS3 and recently completed it again on PC, indicating a significant amount of time spent on the game. The second quote talks about a user who spent a majority of their playthrough driving specific cars, suggesting a lengthy session. The third quote explicitly mentions 72 hours of gameplay to finish the story, providing a clear indication of story completion time. The fourth quote provides a structured breakdown of playtime categories, including campaign length, which helps in estimating typical playtimes for different levels of completion.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game is fun primarily in multiplayer with friends, but it has notable friction points such as repetitive gameplay and technical issues that can hinder the experience.
  - Stance: Fun with conditions
  - Anchor: Playing with friends
  - Time to anchor: 1h 0m
  - Friction: dysfunctional multiplayer; repetitive gameplay; grindy progression; technical issues
  - Unlock drivers: playing with friends; offline mode
  - Conditions: multiplayer; offline play; co-op with friends
- Player Archetypes:
  - Adrenaline Seeker (sale)
    - Motivation: Thrill of high-speed racing and dynamic gameplay.
    - Playstyle: Fast-paced and aggressive driving, enjoying both single-player and multiplayer modes.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: Racing Enthusiast; Speed Lover
    - Reference games: Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit; Burnout Paradise
  - Nostalgic Racer (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Nostalgia and fond memories of past gaming experiences.
    - Playstyle: Casual and relaxed, enjoying the game for its nostalgic value and simple fun.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: Old-School Gamer; Nostalgic Player
    - Reference games: Need for Speed: Most Wanted; Need for Speed: Underground
  - Tech-Savvy Tinkerer (no buy)
    - Motivation: Improving the game's performance and overcoming technical limitations.
    - Playstyle: Technical and problem-solving, often modifying game settings and configurations.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: Modder; Tech Enthusiast
    - Reference games: None


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Outstanding graphics and visuals (weight 0.43): The game's graphics are frequently commended for being beautiful, impressive, and high-quality. Many players appreciate the visual effects, lighting, and how well the graphics have aged.
- Intense and exciting cop chases (weight 0.33): The game features intense and decisive cop chases that are described as exciting, aggressive, and cinematic. These chases add a layer of chaos and thrill to the gameplay.
- Dual role as cop and racer (weight 0.22): Players appreciate the ability to play as both a cop and a racer, offering a unique dual campaign experience. This feature adds variety and depth to the gameplay.
- Combination of Hot Pursuit and Most Wanted elements (weight 0.1): Players note that the game successfully mixes elements from Hot Pursuit and Most Wanted, creating a unique and enjoyable experience that feels like a spiritual successor to these titles.
- Variety in gameplay and weapons (weight 0.07): The game provides a variety of weapons, power-ups, and game modes, adding to the overall excitement and challenge. This variety keeps the gameplay fresh and engaging.
- Easy to learn, challenging to master (weight 0.07): The game is described as easy to learn but challenging to master, offering a good learning curve that appeals to both new and experienced players.
- Great soundtrack and audio (weight 0.07): The game's soundtrack and audio are praised for being decent to great, enhancing the overall gaming experience.

Common complaints:
- Server shutdown issues (weight 0.32): The closure of online servers has been a significant issue, affecting online play and access to DLC content.
- 30 FPS cap frustration (weight 0.27): Players are consistently frustrated by the game's 30 FPS cap, which limits the frame rate and affects the gaming experience.
- Bugs affecting gameplay (weight 0.19): Numerous bugs have been reported, ranging from minor annoyances to game-breaking issues, significantly impacting the player experience.
- Weak storyline and controls (weight 0.16): The game's story is criticized for being poorly told and unengaging. Additionally, the controls are considered poor by many players.
- Performance and optimization issues (weight 0.16): Players report very bad performance and poor optimization, leading to a subpar gaming experience.
- Lack of car variety (weight 0.12): The game suffers from a lack of variety in cars, with many players noting that all cars feel similar and the selection is limited.
- Limited customization options (weight 0.11): Players find the customization options to be very limited, restricting their ability to personalize and modify cars and other features.
- Missing game features (weight 0.1): The game lacks several basic features such as pause, online support, photo mode, and subtitles, which detracts from the overall experience.
- Small and uninspired map (weight 0.07): The map is criticized for being small and uninspired, making navigation difficult and limiting the gameplay experience.
- No progression system (weight 0.07): The game lacks a progression system and achievements, which affects player engagement and long-term interest.
- Repetitive missions (weight 0.07): Missions in the game are criticized for being repetitive and lacking variety, which makes the gameplay feel monotonous.

Gameplay feedback:
- Cop chases and police gameplay (weight 0.25): The game features intense and challenging police chases, allowing players to engage in high-speed pursuits either as a cop or a racer. This includes mechanics like increasing heat levels and using various pursuit technologies.
- Open-world environment (weight 0.16): The game offers an open-world format with diverse terrains, allowing for free-roaming and exploration. This open-world setting enhances the overall gaming experience.
- Online and multiplayer modes (weight 0.15): The game includes online multiplayer modes, such as the AllDrive system, which integrates multiplayer functionality. Players can engage in online racing and high-stakes arcade races.
- Offline and single-player modes (weight 0.12): The game offers functional offline and single-player modes, providing a complete experience for players who prefer solo gameplay. This includes a single-player campaign and various offline activities.
- Vehicle handling and performance (weight 0.1): The game focuses on realistic vehicle handling and car performance mechanics, offering players a challenging and immersive driving experience.
- Mod support for enhanced gameplay (weight 0.06): Mods are available to enhance the gaming experience, particularly on PC. These mods can improve graphics, add new features, and overall enhance player enjoyment.
- Variety of rare and exotic cars (weight 0.05): The game features a wide variety of rare and exotic cars, including Ferraris, which adds to the excitement and appeal for car enthusiasts.
- Realistic bot behavior (weight 0.05): The game includes realistic bot behavior, making interactions with AI-driven characters more immersive and challenging. This enhances both single-player and multiplayer experiences.
- Vehicle customization and upgrades (weight 0.05): Players can customize and upgrade their vehicles through a detailed progression system. This allows for personalization and improvement of car performance over time.

Performance notes:
- 30 FPS cap issue (weight 0.33): The game is locked at 30 FPS by default, which is a significant issue for many players. This limitation affects the overall gaming experience and performance.
- Frequent bugs and issues (weight 0.29): The game has various bugs, including connection issues, gameplay bugs, and terrain generation bugs. These bugs affect the overall stability and enjoyment of the game.
- Poor performance and optimization (weight 0.16): The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to bad performance and lagging issues. This affects gameplay smoothness and overall user experience.
- Server connectivity issues (weight 0.11): Players experience server connectivity issues, including disconnects and laggy servers. These issues affect online gameplay and multiplayer experiences.
- Graphical improvements and issues (weight 0.1): The game has seen graphical improvements, but there are still issues such as texture flickering and low internal resolution. These affect the visual quality and overall gaming experience.
- High PC requirements (weight 0.09): The game requires high-end PC hardware to run smoothly, especially for achieving 60 FPS. This limits accessibility for players with lower-end systems.
- Compatibility and control issues (weight 0.08): There are compatibility issues with certain hardware and control schemes, including keyboard optimization and controller support. These issues affect the ease of play and accessibility.

Recommendations:
- Mixed recommendations on purchase (weight 0.26): Players have varying opinions on whether to buy the game. Some highly recommend it, while others suggest waiting for a sale or not buying it at all.
- Recommended for specific fan bases (weight 0.2): The game is recommended for fans of the Need for Speed series, especially those familiar with Hot Pursuit 2010, and arcade racing enthusiasts.
- Gameplay experience praised (weight 0.13): Many players find the gameplay addictive and satisfying, with a fun, story-driven racing experience that includes cops vs. racers gameplay.
- Suggestions for improvements and mods (weight 0.11): Players suggest various mods to enhance the gaming experience, such as framerate unlockers and additional content like bosses and customization.
- Comparisons to other games (weight 0.05): The game is compared to other titles like Hot Pursuit 2010 and Burnout Paradise Remaster, with some players preferring those over this game.
- Concerns about game delisting (weight 0.04): There are concerns about the game being delisted, with some players recommending to buy it before that happens.
- Specific warnings and criticisms (weight 0.03): Some players warn against buying certain packs like the Timesaver Pack and criticize the game for not being suitable for achievement hunters or serious sim fans.
- Social and multiplayer aspects (weight 0.02): Playing with friends is recommended for a better experience, highlighting the social and multiplayer aspects of the game.
- Political and external concerns (weight 0.02): There are mentions of external concerns such as signing petitions to stop game shutdowns, which are not directly related to the gameplay experience.

Other player notes:
- Xbox One firmware issues (weight 0.03): The Xbox One version of the game is experiencing compatibility problems due to recent firmware updates.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.43): Players are frustrated primarily due to technical issues such as a 30 FPS cap, frequent game crashes, and poor optimization. Additionally, the lack of online support, AI behavior, and various bugs that hinder gameplay progression contribute significantly to this frustration.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.2): Players feel nostalgic due to the game's memorable experiences from childhood and the unique features it offered, such as enjoyable physics and the ability to play as either a cop or a racer. The shutdown of online servers and the end of multiplayer experiences also evoke a sense of nostalgia for past gameplay.
- Disappointment (weight 0.17): Disappointment stems from the shutdown of online servers, which removes a significant part of the game's appeal. Players also express dissatisfaction with the lack of deep customization, gameplay mechanics, and the overall unfinished feel of the game.
- Excitement (weight 0.14): The excitement is driven by the game's intense and adrenaline-filled gameplay, including chaotic cop chases and high-stakes races. The unique concept of playing as a cop against real players and the fast-paced, action-packed gameplay mechanics contribute to this excitement.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.13): Players enjoy the game for its fun and engaging gameplay, good graphics, and entertaining story. The overall positive experience, including fast-paced action and enjoyable mechanics, contributes to this sense of enjoyment.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.11): Satisfaction comes from the game's beautiful graphics, good gameplay mechanics, and the overall positive experience. Players appreciate the high-quality graphics, engaging soundtrack, and the immersive experience provided by the game.
- Joy (weight 0.06): Joy is derived from the fun and interactive gameplay, the enjoyment of driving various cars, and the overall positive experience with the game. The chaotic and enjoyable gameplay mechanics contribute to this sense of joy.
- Sadness (weight 0.04): Sadness is primarily due to the shutdown of online servers, which has turned the game into a digital ghost town. The end of the online version and the inability to play multiplayer modes contribute to this emotion.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Players appreciate the game's unique concept, visuals, and progression system. The duality of the story, vehicular combat, and map diversity are also highly valued, along with the community support and mods that enhance the gameplay experience.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Anger is caused by the loss of DLC after server shutdowns and the numerous bugs that plague the game. Criticism of EA's decision to shut down servers and the game's technical and gameplay issues also contribute to this emotion.
- Love (weight 0.02): Players love the game for its overall experience, including graphics, gameplay, and story. The nostalgia and positive experiences associated with the game contribute to this sense of love.
- Hope (weight 0.02): Hope is expressed for a potential remastered version of the game with added vehicles and improved features. Players are hopeful for an enhanced offline mode and a better gaming experience in future iterations.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.02): Enthusiasm comes from the overall positive experience with the game, including its adventure and content. Players are enthusiastic about the game's features and its comparison to other titles, as well as the detailed personal experiences it offers.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Surprise is due to the realization of the game's age and the positive aspects it still offers despite negative reviews. Players are surprised by the game's enduring quality and enjoyment.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Amusement is derived from funny bugs and humorous gameplay experiences, including absurd police chases and multiplayer interactions. These elements add a light-hearted and entertaining aspect to the game.
- Mixed feelings (weight 0.01): Mixed feelings arise from the game's fun but repetitive gameplay and the poorly told story. Players enjoy certain aspects of the game but are also frustrated by its shortcomings.
- Disappointed (weight 0.01): Disappointment is due to the lack of a real storyline and EA's decision to shut down online services. Players feel let down by the game's narrative and the removal of online features.
- Happiness (weight 0): Happiness comes from the fun and thrilling gameplay experience. Players are happy with the enjoyable and exciting aspects of the game.
- Confusion (weight 0): Confusion arises from uncertainty about the availability of specific car models, such as the GTR. Players are confused by the lack of clear information regarding certain game features.
- Excited (weight 0): Excitement is driven by the intense and adrenaline-filled police chases. The high-stakes and chaotic gameplay mechanics contribute to this sense of excitement.}