Need for Speed Rivals is a 2013 developed in a collaboration between and , and published by . It is the twentieth installment in the series and the debut title for Ghost Games, who would be established as the primary developer of the series for all subsequent non-mobile installments up until 2020. The game was released for , , , and in November 2013, and is the final Need for Speed game for both the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. Players take on the role of a Racer or Cop, with each side of the law offering its own play style.
Need for Speed Rivals is a game and features gameplay similar to earlier Need for Speed titles, such as Criterion's and . Players take on the role of a Racer or Cop, with each side of the law offering its own play style. Rivals features eleven upgradeable gadgets such as EMPs, shockwaves, spike strips, and the ability to call in roadblocks. The game takes place in a fictional location known as Redview County. The environment features a similar set-up to Most Wanted, with several jumps, speed traps, and unlockable cars, as well as shortcuts that are not shown on the map.
Rivals features a career progression system for both Cop and Racer. Progression is made by means of Speedlists for Racer and Assignments for Cop, which are sets of objectives which involve dangerous driving, maneuvers, and race standings. Upon completion of each set of objectives, the player levels up and unlocks new content, and is presented with another set of objectives to choose from
