Hardware: Rivals

The idea of the game is great. However, it needs more maps, vehicles and game modes.

Hardware Rivals' deficiencies in game modes, maps, vehicles, progress unlocks and the customization system overshadow its fun gameplay.

Hardware Rivals is an interesting title, although there is an obvious lack of content. If it could enhance this aspect in the near future, it could be more than just addictive.

Hardware: Rivals made sense when its predecessor came out. Now it feels quite simple and empty, and unless a DLC fixes it up, it feels like it should go for a free-to-play model.

The mechanics just can't rival other PS Plus freebies for depth. [March 2016, p.94]

So while Hardware Rivals is fun for a while it still has a lot of annoyances to overcome.

This is the typical small online action game that is destined to be part of a console bundle: Here and there it delivers a nice distraction, but overall it lacks content and variety.

Standard an average shooter online with vehicles in the same way as Twisted Metal, but much more limited on every way and not as exciting.

Hardware: Rivals has a good core concept and engine, but it needs some work around the edges. A lot of little things added up for me the more I played it in an increasingly annoying fashion, most of which can be fixed with proper updates.

Hardware Rivals is poor fun: few cars and a weak variety of matches are thrown in the mix of a game that doesn't excite and that makes even driving and shooting something really not that amazing.

The main problem with Hardware Rivals is variety. It’s a simple game with accessible gameplay, but it gets unfortunately boring pretty fast.

The lack of any original modes or meaningful progression prevents Hardware: Rivals from having any chance at longevity. Aside from the awkward controls, everything works well enough, but nothing is memorable or satisfying.

It’s colorful and quite ridiculous; it’s simple, accessible and well populated. Hardware: Rivals has most of the ingredients present to cook up a fantastic arcade experience, but it’s missing a vital ingredient: fun. The sluggish pace that permeates everything from movement and destruction to respawning and leveling up constantly holds it back.

If you look up "average" in the gaming dictionary, a poster for this game will sit next to it. It's not a broken mess, but it's so run-of-the-mill you won't ever feel like you've missed out if you don't play it.

Amazingly bland and perfunctory vehicular action, with seemingly no-one online to play with. Instantly forgettable. Our advice: just keep playing Rocket League. [Issue#266, p.68]

Hardware: Rivals doesn’t have the right mood for an action driving shooter. Lack of variety, poor server structure and complete absence of single player modes ends up compromising the whole experience.

While Hardware Rivals is fun to play in chunks it gets repetitive quickly, and its great visual design isn’t enough to cover the cracks.

The concept is interesting, albeit not original, but the lack of contents and the unbalanced gameplay will make the experience grow old really quickly.

Hardware: Rivals provides exploding jeeps and tanks aplenty, but in this online-only game, the small player population will end your car combat fun before it gains traction.

Hardware: Rivals is slow and safe – it's a far-cry from the high-octane vehicle eviscerator that we'd anticipated. Its slightest of similarities to Rocket League may have hurt it, but even if Psyonix's excellent on-wheels outing didn't exist, this would still be a pretty darn tedious title.

Unfortunately, far too many of Hardware’s ideas are poorly executed for it to be the saviour it might have been. It doesn’t do it any favours to see it presented in such a generally unenthusiastic, haphazard fashion. With variety sorely lacking and balancing currently an issue, there’s little to suggest a long-term future for Hardware: Rivals in the heaving ball pit that is online-only gaming.

Even as a free game, Hardware: Rivals has serious problems with gathering enough players. Average graphics and not well-thought-out content keeps you interested only for a few skirmishes before all interest fades.