Need for Speed Rivals vs Hot Pursuit Remastered – Which is Better?
As a long-time Need for Speed fan who has sunk hours into both Rivals and Hot Pursuit Remastered, I believe Rivals is the more fun and exciting title overall. Its open world freedom and ability to play as cops or racers gives it an edge, despite Hot Pursuit Remastered‘s visual improvements.
Rivals‘ Open World Design Enables Freedom and Replayability
The vibrant open world of Redview County is the cornerstone of the Rivals experience. As you race through forests, across beaches, and down city streets the environment keeps things interesting. There‘s always new routes to find for outmaneuvering cops or catching racers.
In contrast, Hot Pursuit Remastered‘s linear tracks don‘t allow for this freedom. Once you‘ve raced all the events a few times, the scenery starts blurring together.
Don‘t get me wrong – Hot Pursuit Remastered handles beautifully and its tracks are expertly designed for high speed chases. But the world itself lacks character compared to the diverse landscape of Rivals.
To quantify the difference, Rivals‘ open world map provides over 100 miles of drivable roads according to IGN. That‘s a lot of ground to cover compared to Pursuit‘s limited selection of tracks.
Playing Both Sides of the Law Adds Depth
The defining innovation of Rivals is the ability to play as cops or racers. This completely changes your mindset and approach – do you aggressively takedown racers with spike strips and road blocks, or escape the law with nimble maneuvers?
With two campaigns you effectively double the content. Rivals received praise for this unique concept, with GameSpot calling it "a meshing of styles that works very well".
Hot Pursuit Remastered sticks to the traditional format of separating the cop and racer careers. You have to choose one side, locking away half the game modes, cars and narrative context.
Rivals Sold Significantly More Copies
It‘s telling that Rivals sold over 4 million units across four platforms according to Wikipedia, while Hot Pursuit 2010 sold under 2 million on seven platforms historically.
Remasters rarely outsell the original release, indicating the majority of players ultimately favored Rivals‘ all-in-one cops and racers approach compared to the Hot Pursuit format.
Rivals Handling Leans Into Arcade Fun, Hot Pursuit Demands Precision
There‘s a clear differentiation in driving feel and realism between the two titles. Rivals is firmly arcade-focused – cars drift around corners gracefully, cops deploy slow-mo powerups, and high speeds are easily maintained. The loose style lends itself well to the chaotic cops vs racers concept by enabling last-second dodges and drifts.
By comparison, Hot Pursuit‘s handling adheres closer to real world physics. You have to brake carefully going into corners and manage speed on winding roads. For players who want authenticity this is preferred, but for casual fun Rivals‘ driving model fits the tone.
As a personal opinion, I think both games hit the mark they aim for. The accessibility of Rivals handling opens it up to anyone looking for action-packed (if unrealistic) racing. But Hot Pursuit offers deeper mechanical satisfaction for those wanting to master its precisely modeled cars and tracks.
Rivals is Technologically More Advanced
While Hot Pursuit Remastered enhanced the original‘s visuals, Rivals leverages more advanced effects thanks to releasing 3 years later. Its global illumination, volumetric fog and debris kick up all help bring Redview County to life in a way the sterile tracks of Hot Pursuit don‘t match.
Under the hood Rivals was built using DICE‘s Frostbite 3 engine, enabling detailed car damage and environments destruction other Need for Speed games simply don‘t feature. Seeing cop cars become crumpled wrecks really sells the impact of your vehicular warfare.
Make no mistake – Hot Pursuit still looks gorgeous following its remastering treatment. But it doesn‘t dazzle your eyes in the same way as Rivals leveraging latest-generation tech at launch.
Verdict: Rivals is My Pick for Its Freedom and Fun Factor
While there‘s merit to both Rivals and Hot Pursuit Remastered, the cops vs racers gameplay innovation combined with its lush open world gives Rivals the edge for me. As a Need for Speed fan I appreciate the classic Hot Pursuit style, but ultimately Rivals offers a bigger playground and more varied experience.
At the end of the day it comes down to what flavors of arcade racing action appeals more. But when I weigh up all the gameplay, technical and selling factors, I believe Need for Speed Rivals delivers the superior package – even 8 years after its release. It remains the pinnacle of the open world Need for Speed format.
