14 DAY TRIAL // Need for Speed: Rivals, the next iteration in the prestigious racing series from Electronic Arts, will feature a special system called AllDrive that combines single-player with multiplayer, and developer Ghost Games has confirmed that it's planned for all the chaos that might ensue once the game launches worldwide.
NFS: Rivals may herald the return of the cop vs. racer conflict, a staple of classic NFS games from the past, but it also introduces plenty of new things, chief among which being the AllDrive system that populates the game's world with other human players, who can interact with each other.
According to Ghost Games' Craig Sullivan, who talked with TSA, the idea for this came after the team had plenty of experience with the Autolog one from NFS: Hot Pursuit or Most Wanted.
"We wondered what a game would be like if it was single and multiplayer at the same time; if you could play through your single player progression in a multiplayer environment. That you could FreeDrive together and dip in and out of experiences, but that everything progressed you through your career."
"So it was different things slotting into place. Cops and Racers naturally existing together, being able to race and chase together, and the idea of multiplayer and single player being kind of the same thing, and it just seemed like a really good fit for us."
Players can use AllDrive to engage in all sorts of experiences, according to Sullivan, and it allows a lot of freedom for those who prefer to race with friends from time to time but still enjoy a good solo event.
"What is more likely, and it’s what we’re seeing, is people coming together for a bit and separating, then coming back together and having very different experiences. That’s only going to expand when the game is out in the wild, and that’s when the game’s going to get really interesting for us. We’ve tried to design for the chaos."
NFS: Rivals will be launched in November for the PC, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, and Xbox One.