Need for Speed: The Run (PS3)
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DESCRIPTION
Need for Speed: The Run is the next game in the popular Need for Speed racing franchise. You play the role of Jack as he competes in 'The Run', an illegal three thousand mile race from San Francisco to New York for a $25 million prize. Jack owes a lot of money to the wrong type of people, and winning this race will save his life. In 'The Run' there are no rules and no speed limits, and as Jack races coast-to-coast he needs to stay one step ahead of the competition, the police, the mob and his dark past.In Need for Speed: The Run, you'll race through a variety of environments, from busy city streets, desert landscapes, treacherous mountain passes and narrow canyons. This is the biggest Need for Speed game yet, with over 300km of track, and is three times bigger than Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. The race route takes you past Las Vegas, Chicago, Detroit, the Rocky Mountains as well as other locations, and is also the first game in the franchise to use real locations.
The action sequences throughout Need for Speed: The Run offer plenty of variety, for example during one stage you must swerve to avoid the spotlight and bullets fired from a helicopter that's chasing you. And this is the first Need for Speed game where the player exits their car and plays certain sections of the game on-foot. With plenty of multiplayer options, the Need for Speed Autolog system, and plenty of cars and upgrades to be earned online, the game offers tons of replay value.
FEATURES:
- On-Foot Sections - For the first time in the NFS franchise you play sections of the game outside the car, on-foot. The game uses scripted quick-time events to control your character and by pressing the right button at the right time you can engage in hand-to-hand combat, dodge bullets, leap across rooftops, and more.
- Accessible Multiplayer - The multiplayer matchmaking allows you to join a race in progress without having to wait in a lobby. Compete online against others across any stage of 'The Run', and even choose to play a playlist of your favourite challenges online against friends. Level-up and you gain access to exclusive vehicles, car upgrades as well as new abilities.
- Autolog Functionality - Introduced in Hot Pursuit, the Need for Speed Autolog allows you to store all your game statistics online and track your entire career progression. Compare your stats against those who matter for bragging rights.
- New Frostbite 2 Engine - The new Frostbite 2 engine is used for the first time in a non-shooter, and displays an incredible degree of visual detail and delivers a new level of realism in car physics.
GameSpot Reviews - Need for Speed: The Run Review
 Score 7.0 Good | It comes to a halt too frequently, but when it's speeding along, Need for Speed: The Run makes cross-country racing a joy. The Good
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 Score 6.5 Okay | Need for Speed: The Run has a good racer inside it. It can be exciting and visceral, and there were numerous times in the game where I stopped and said, “Sh--, that was cool.” But all this awesome racing action gets somewhat lost amid the nonexistent story, the dumb/scripted AI, the lack of options, and the overall shortness of the game. The Run is not a marathon racing game, it's a quick and dirty drag race. Presentation: 4.0 This isn't a bad story, it's not a story at all. It's the loose workings of a plot without the necessary cast. Graphics: 8.0 The Run is not as pretty as Hot Pursuit, but the Frostbite 2 engine is well used. Sound: 7.5 A large soundtrack that is used effectively. The voice acting is too limited (you'll hear every cop say the same thing). Gameplay: 6.5 A fun, but flawed, arcade-style racing game. Too linear both in scope and tracks. Lasting Appeal: 6.5 The online mode is fun, but I grew tired from my lack of options and the need to unlock online races. |
 Score 6 Disappointing | The Run's campaign isn't nearly as explosive as it wants you to believe it is, the constant high speeds and threat of traffic does result in some exciting racing. Car-handling is a little heavy for my liking, with the cars not offering the kind of dexterity really needed in a game that requires so much dodging around innocent drivers, but you'll learn what you can and can't achieve before long. . . . Need for Speed: The Run certainly isn't terrible, and a big improvement on Black Box's previous effort, Undercover, but it needed more moments like the avalanche and less monotonous freeways. With the campaign over in an afternoon and the rest of the package failing to offer anything to keep you playing, The Run is some decent throwaway fun that will be forgotten as soon as you move on to something else.
✓ Visually shines at points ✓ At times it's thrilling x Handling is a bit too heavy ✓ The Run is quite short |
 Score C+ Average 70% | Black Box takes the Need for Speed series back to its roots for an occasionally thrilling race across the USA. The Run takes an awkwardly serious approach to its story, eschewing the over-the-top fun and wackiness of its clear inspirations - movies like the Cannonball Run series and classic arcade games like Cruis'n USA - to deliver a cross-country campaign that's sometimes exhilarating, but often frustrating and surprisingly banal. . . . The online multiplayer is a fun, if straightforward, group of playlists which contains its own set of objectives and unlocks. You can join races in progress - a nice alternative to waiting in a lobby for your turn to play, and the game keeps the races close by granting additional nitrous to the driver in last place (a concept that's sure to have some folks breaking out the word "rubberband"). I think I was about halfway across Wisconsin in The Run when I realized where I had positioned my Porsche to react to the challenges ahead, and it was in the same position I find The Run itself: middle of the road. |
 Score 8 Great | GamesRadar Verdict It’s possible Need for Speed The Run won’t provide as many hours of entertainment as previous NFS games, but then it packs in unique events and some incredibly exciting chase sequences, meaning it packs a lot of entertainment-per-hour. It’s not very forgiving of mistakes, but then it provides greater rewards as a result. Whereas MotorStorm: Apocalypse might have overdone it with the set-pieces, The Run balances blockbuster style with meat-and-potatoes racing for a well-rounded mix. You'll love
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 Score 7.75 | Need for Speed: The Run is by no stretch a bad game; it just fails to capitalize on its chances. San Francisco to New York is a long haul, and it’s even longer when not enough happens in between. Concept: Participate in a cross-country race in a car and, once in a blue moon, on foot. Graphics: The landscapes are distinctive as you trek across the country, and the cutscenes look pretty good. Yes, the game uses Battlefield 3's Frostbite 2 engine, but it doesn't look as awesome as DICE's shooter. Sound: The occasional licensed tracks nicely augment the original score, and as always, the police chatter keeps things exciting and tense. Playability: Cars' handling is arcadey, so you mainly just have to worry about executing the handbrake and nitrous at the right times. Entertainment: The Run's basic racing is solid, but the highlights are too few and far between. Replay: Moderate – Good for a few months or a few times through. |
