Need for Speed: The Run

Sabre0001 · 31-10-2011 5:11pm #1

Don't think there's been much written here since the E3 showcase...I'm really looking forward to it. Races are quick and frantic and the Autolog keeps making me play to try to knock others off the top of the table.

PREVIEW (Originally posted here with pretty pictures ):

EA heard that you like races, so they put a race in your race! That is the basic premise of Need for Speed: The Run. The protagonist Jack Rourke is involved in a coast to coast race, but within each stage there are objectives set. The overall goal is to arrive in New York as the leader of the pack of 150 competitors. This is more than a race for prize money or bragging rights. Along the way Jack must avoid cops and criminals who are willing to do whatever it takes to stop him. This is a race for Jack’s life.

Need for Speed: The Run uses the Frostbite 2 engine and puts it to good use from what has been showcased thus far. This engine allows the EA team to go bigger and better than ever. The landscapes look beautiful, although you can't pay too much attention when racing at breakneck speeds. Environments can be changed and its impact felt on the race track. With the landscape of the United States so varied, it presented a challenge and an opportunity to the development team. Races through snowy planes fall subject to avalanches, while more urban settings can be altered thanks to third party influences.

One particular level features a race for survival against the criminal elements presented in Need for Speed: The Run. As you come under a barrage of bullets and heavy impacts it really does feel like a survival challenge. And then, the helicopter is called in. This addition will test every fibre of your racing ability. It is no longer about racing quickly, but about dodging bullets, spotlights, falling debris and dead ends. This is a tough and unforgiving mission that changes the feel of the game. Suddenly, it is a completely different type of Need for Speed game rather than the same formula that has been seen in the series to date.

The racing is exciting with a range of exotic cars, environments and challenging competitors. There is great variety included in The Run as well. It is no longer about earning the quickest car and simply racing to the end in that. From what has been shown off so far, players will be forced to adapt to new cars for one reason or another. When the new environments are also taken into account, there will be plenty to keep new and old Need for Speed players occupied.

It is fair to say that the E3 trailer concerned many players. In it, players were shown Jack running about on foot with Quick Time Events (QTEs) thrown in. This is something that EA was keen to highlight. While these are present in-game, they represent less than 10% of the overall gameplay. It was pointed out that the choice was to use this interactive segment or use a cut-scene instead. In the end, EA decided to go down the route of QTEs and is happy with that choice.

EA has been cagey when it comes to the multiplayer side of The Run. All that is could be confirmed so far is that there will be multiplayer. Like the more recent Need for Speed titles, it will feature the Autolog and allow players to compare their times with those of their friends. This is a social feature that EA is committed to and goes back to the basics of multiplayer gaming: bragging rights become important once more.

Need for Speed: The Run is shaping up to be an exciting rollercoaster ride across America. It is the biggest game of the franchise and looks to push the boundaries of what players have come to expect from the Need for Speed series. The game comes out on PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii and 3DS. Need for Speed: The Run comes out in Europe on the 18th.

Zero-Cool · 31-10-2011 6:53pm

Really liked Hot Pursuit but it never really went anywhere, got the gold medals but the races kept coming just to up my level and got bored with it. At least this seems to have an end goal, get to New York! I downloaded the demo but never played as Batman is taking up all my time. Still, interested in this but its gonna get drowned in the other titles out in november. Ass Creed and Saints Row 3 means I won't be getting this until next year.

Helix · 31-10-2011 7:02pm

didnt think all that much of the run when i played it last month, seemed to be a step backwards for the series, but ill hold off on judgement til i play the finished version

Helix · 17-11-2011 9:38pm

review up

http://clickonline.com/games/review--need-for-speed-the-run/4394/

cherryghost · 17-11-2011 9:40pm

I think its terrible. Worse than Pro Street.... ugh just ushering those words brings tears to my eyes.

Helix · 17-11-2011 9:44pm

cant agree with that at all tbh. its a solid game at worst

Zero-Cool · 18-11-2011 11:42am

I got Hot Pursuit last year but traded it in a few weeks as I just got bored with it. I don't like Sim racers but found Shift 2 is the best NFS in ages. I wish they would go back to the Underground series. With the graphics and arcade physics of hot pursuit and the run, a return to underground street racing and modding would be class.

dead one · 18-11-2011 12:40pm

An enjoyment, but Catch-22, arcade-style driving game.

megaten · 18-11-2011 4:22pm

Haven't heard great things to be honest. Apparently the single players only two hours. The 3DS version was done by Firebrand who did the great trackmania games on the ds so I might rent it to see what it's like.

Helix · 18-11-2011 4:37pm

the single player isnt 2 hours at all. thats utter nonsense. technically you could do it in 2 hours on the easiest setting, if you didnt make a single mistake, skipped every cut scene, and didnt need to load anything. realistically you're looking at at least 6 hours, then there's the challenges which you unlock as you play through the main bit

deafroadrunner · 19-11-2011 4:04am

in the middle of the story now i started on hard. tbh the game is a letdown. im on stage 7 now and i say i have played maybe between 6 and 7 hours game play. i hate when u touch the grass and you have nos goin it sends you into the grass. so annoying. im gonna do the trophys and trade it in.

actually just finished the game there 5 mins ago. on hard overall time was 2 hours and 11 mins

Fnz · 19-11-2011 2:59pm

Helix wrote: »

the single player isnt 2 hours at all. thats utter nonsense. technically you could do it in 2 hours on the easiest setting, if you didnt make a single mistake, skipped every cut scene, and didnt need to load anything. realistically you're looking at at least 6 hours, then there's the challenges which you unlock as you play through the main bit

Still get the impression that the main single player 'campaign' feels insubstantial.

giantbomb.com wrote:

The Run's 10 stages will probably take most players between two and three hours of time, from the leaderboard's perspective. That time doesn't include resets and time spent looking at menus, so it's a bit longer than that, but it doesn't feel especially substantial.

http://www.giantbomb.com/need-for-speed-the-run/61-34943/reviews/

metro.co.uk wrote:

And then of course there's the problem that it's only two hours long. Really, we're not exaggerating that in any way - we've played mini-games that last longer than this. Of course Black Box aren't crazy and there are a series of unlockable challenge stages to play that greatly increase the playing time, but frankly two hours is more than enough of the game's tedious second class racing.

http://www.metro.co.uk/tech/games/881986-need-for-speed-the-run-review-jog-on#ixzz1e9tJxa9N

Helix · 19-11-2011 4:08pm

The people saying its 2 hours haven't player the game - fact

The game logs you time for successful races. Doesn't add unsuccessful ones. Doesn't add loading times. Doesn't add rewinds. Doesn't add cut scenes.

Then when the run is over it gives you a final time. A time which isnt representative of time spent playing the game

K.O.Kiki · 19-11-2011 6:55pm

Just saw the TV ad.

Looks like they're after the Fast & Furious crowd.

No thanks.

Vicxas · 20-11-2011 11:19am

I miss the old NFS games....

"Heres a car, do it up race it. Heres a better car, do the same".

Why ruin it with storyline?

Bonavox · 20-11-2011 11:35am

Finished the single player in one sitting of probably two and a half, maybe three hours. Not impressed at all. Played it on normal mode as well and didn't breeze through it by any means.

Mc Love · 20-11-2011 6:44pm

Don't think any nfs game will measure up to that game that had the m3 on the cover. Great story, great racing, great modding

Potential-Monke · 20-11-2011 7:40pm

Mc Love wrote: »

Don't think any nfs game will measure up to that game that had the m3 on the cover. Great story, great racing, great modding

That would be Most Wanted. Definitely one of the best NFS's. Up there with Underground 1 & 2.

Mc Love · 21-11-2011 1:56am

Potential-Monke wrote: »

That would be Most Wanted. Definitely one of the best NFS's. Up there with Underground 1 & 2.

Agreed with U1 & U2

Damokc · 21-11-2011 2:14am

The main reason I thought Most Wanted was so good is cos the map was big and you could just drive around taking up challenges or my personal favourite, trying to see how long I could evade the police!:D
Its just not the same when your just going to menus to select races.
Things kinda started to go wrong with NFS:Carbon.

ShadowHearth · 21-11-2011 4:40pm

Bonavox wrote: »

Finished the single player in one sitting of probably two and a half, maybe three hours. Not impressed at all. Played it on normal mode as well and didn't breeze through it by any means.

3h and done?!

bejesus...50 quid.. so its...17eu for 1h entertainment?

Mc Love · 21-11-2011 10:58pm

Damokc wrote: »

The main reason I thought Most Wanted was so good is cos the map was big and you could just drive around taking up challenges or my personal favourite, trying to see how long I could evade the police!:D
Its just not the same when your just going to menus to select races.
Things kinda started to go wrong with NFS:Carbon.

I remember in Most wanted you could drive on top of a roof on a garage in one part of the city and stay there, leave the console on and come back and police would still be swarming about, not able to catch you.

Great game though.

I did quite fancy the HP game too.

D'Agger · 22-11-2011 2:31pm

Was thinking of getting this but from the sounds of it - not worth it.

I got Hot Pursuit recently and it's just boring from the offset.

My fav game was Carbon tbh - I liked the storyline (even though the ending was shíte) along with the modding.

Doodee · 24-11-2011 1:05pm

There any good trade in deals on for this title?

Sonics2k · 24-11-2011 1:44pm

To be honest they should keep making games more like Underground 1&2 and definitely Most Wanted.

irish_stevo815 · 12-01-2012 2:21am

Excuse the bump..........I got this for xmas and gotta say i'm quite enjoying it the last few days. Yes, the run itself is ridiculously short and can be a tad frustrating at times, but the online multiplayer and challenge Series makes up for it IMO. I think the challenge series has a bit of life in, trying to beat times etc and the online is set up very good i think....well except when you come up against people who think it's Burnout they are playing :mad:

Also, anyone still playing this on PS3 feel free to add me......irish_stevo

dreamers75 · 09-02-2012 1:21am

Anyone have this on PC?

Can you play private games ?

Can you mute everyone else in the game?

Need for Speed: The Run

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