Need for Speed: Rivals blends solo and competitive play in All-Drive

During EA's press conference this morning, Need for Speed: Rivals got quite a bit of screen time. Amongst more footage of beautifully rendered sports cars, a major feature was shown off: All-Drive. Though Rivals will be playable offline, the online world of All-Drive will bring together racers in a completely organic way.

To demonstrate this concept, EA showed off two player perspectives: one driver doing a little street racing, the other a cop on a chase. These players initially started playing alone, but the end result was multiplayer. How? By making the two racing experiences literally collide into each other. During the demo, the two racers overlapped, starting a cops-and-drivers chase that brought the two players together.

The idea of All-Drive is that players are racing in one unified world, and you may crash into another gamer's race without even realizing it. The concept is intriguing, and the potential for a seamless transition between lone wolf racing and multiplayer sounds amazing. Check back for more impressions on All-Drive and Need for Speed: Rivals as they develop.