E3: Need for Speed: The Run

[Tom Goldman]

E3: Need for Speed: The Run

Need for Speed: The Run takes players out of the car for the first time, but it isn't becoming Grand Theft Auto.

Need for Speed has always been purely about racing cars in various situations, so when EA announced that Need for Speed: The Run would take players out of the car it might have felt a little off. However, more details have revealed that The Run is still primarily focused on driving.

[video=3419]

At a behind-closed-doors session, EA noted that Need for Speed: The Run's on-foot segments are only about 10% of the game. The Run actually has a linear storyline this time, so it created the on-foot Heavy Rain-like segments to flesh it out. However, the goal of these segments is for the main character to be moving from car to car, not so he can go grab a handgun or pump some iron.

The hands-on E3 demo of The Run drops you into a police car on your way out of Chicago. The goal of the game is to make your way from San Francisco to New York as quickly as possible, so hanging around the windy city just isn't in the cards. A helicopter rains down bullets as you swerve around corners, smashing into pedestrian cars and various types of scenery. The Run puts arrow overlays on the streets showing you which way to go, but they're not walls so you can drive right through if you miss a turn.

I made my way into a train yard, smashing into a container of explosives and initiating a segment of the main character attempting to get out of the car to avoid being killed by an oncoming train. I had a choice of which window to bang on through QTEs. I tried to smash a window with my fist to no avail. Oh, I forgot to undo my seatbelt. Kicking out the rear window was much more effective afterward, and then the demo ended

This area took place in a city, but EA says that the 300km of track (3 times the size of any previous title) will feature varied types of environments. Need for Speed: The Run actually uses DICE's Frostbite 2 engine used for Battlefield 3, which enabled the on-foot segments to come together more easily. EA wasn't showing too much of The Run, but don't be too frightened that Need for Speed is turning into a different game quite yet.

See all our coverage directly from the show floor. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/conferences/e3_2011]

Permalink

 

[Juk3n]

Frostbite 2 doesn't look nearly as impressive on consoles. The game looks dated , seriously i know it's still in development but that game is not pushing graphical boundaries, or even reaching graphical benchmarks.

 

[s0m3th1ng]

So a bunch of poor driving physics mixed with 10% quick time events does not make this game out to be a winner...

 

[pepitko]

Doesn't look bad, but EA still after all this time manages to put there shiny textures of asphalt.

 

[Sougo]

Fail.

The chopper was practically drilling that car with bullets and no damage seen whatsoever?
Also, a police chopper going on a shooting rampage all over chicago to stop 1 guy from .... illegal racing?

As mentioned above, graphics look the same as previous NFS titles, and gameplay seems sorta sluggish too.

That ofcourse, leaves the quicktime events. Because who doesn't want quicktime events in a NFS game?

 

[SovietSecrets]

I'm still not convinced about this. Blackbox has made most of the terrible NFS's that came out. I am very wary about them now.

 

[Fasckira]

Fail.

The chopper was practically drilling that car with bullets and no damage seen whatsoever?
Also, a police chopper going on a shooting rampage all over chicago to stop 1 guy from .... illegal racing?

Damage physics probably arent 100% yet (was the same before HP was released last year) though I doubt you're going to see full on realistic damage anyway and theres a lot more to the storyline that just some dude street racing though for the life of me I couldn't tell you exactly what it is (aside from it involves the mafia, some huge crime thing and crossing America cost to cost).

When I first saw this I was pretty unamused; Im not a big fan of the QTEs at the best of times, let alone in a racing game, but after some discussion with others Ive decided Im keen to see how it pans out. To be honest Id rather see Black Box take this gamble rather than just rehash the same storyline and concept out.

 

[SimGrave]

Fail.

The chopper was practically drilling that car with bullets and no damage seen whatsoever?
Also, a police chopper going on a shooting rampage all over chicago to stop 1 guy from .... illegal racing?

So according to you EVERY SINGLE shooter is a fail too.
Taking 25 bullets, no visible damage, a screen turning red and all you have to do is sit being a crate to make it all disappear and magically be healed.
You are right this game in particular, fails for something like that. /sarcasm

 

[Electric Alpaca]

"You know what we'e reasonable at, and have started improving on recently?"
"Making racing games?"
"Yeah. Let's fly before we can crawl, and break up the racing with unskippable boring cutscenes that you have to press buttons in to proceed"
"Uh..."
"Not only that, let's mess up the racing by having cool explosions and action chases, with cutscenes ripping focus away from the race"
"..."
"You know, Fast and Furious 5 sold really well"
"You're a genius"

When it was introduced as Cannonball USA I couldn't be more hyped. I could think of nothing more fun than segmented races across the USA - with potentially the option for a marathon sitting for the entire continent. Now: no thank you.

 

[RUINER ACTUAL]

So a bunch of poor driving physics mixed with 10% quick time events does not make this game out to be a winner...

Yaaaa... Never seen QTEs mixed with racing. And I don't like it.

"You know what we'e reasonable at, and have started improving on recently?"
"Making racing games?"
"Yeah. Let's fly before we can crawl, and break up the racing with unskippable boring cutscenes that you have to press buttons in to proceed"
"Uh..."
"Not only that, let's mess up the racing by having cool explosions and action chases, with cutscenes ripping focus away from the race"
"..."
"You know, Fast and Furious 5 sold really well"
"You're a genius"

When it was introduced as Cannonball USA I couldn't be more hyped. I could think of nothing more fun than segmented races across the USA - with potentially the option for a marathon sitting for the entire continent. Now: no thank you.

Epic agreement and sad lol, because this is probably how it went. What works in movies does not always work well in games.

 

[Frybird]

While i'm not a fan of QTE's, i actually like the concept of a more "mission based" structure in a racing game.

Also i think it looks kinda pretty.

 

[Raineheart]

The driving looks like you're trying to drive a rubber ducky in a bathtub of slightly melted chocolate.

Also, the whole "flying chopper with minigun attached in crowded city and causing multiple civilian casualties" idea seems pretty... flimsy?

Interested by the whole deal of getting out of the car, but I'd rather they tighten up the physics and maybe make a more realistic story first.

 

[mexicola]

Definitely... not looking good. And I don't mean the graphics. I get that they are probably trying to bring something new into a stagnant franchise with a dozen sequels, but QTE? That was just bad. But hey, maybe if it turns out to be a smashing success after a few more sequels we'll have driving sections entirely controlled through quick time events. Wouldn't that be cool?

 

[Charmi the ninja]

I'm looking forward to this, but i do definately want to see some major improvements. I like a good chase, and scenes changing dynamically to keep the player on their toes.But maybe quicktime events aren't the best idea.

I want some real controlable parkour action! Letting the player control the run sequences would definately make the experience more immersive and enjoyable. Quick time events should only be used in a very small part of the game, when the player needs to make a quick choice.

The shifting of the game between racing and escaping (whether by car or foot) would add a sense of urgency to the situation, and would keep the player engaged ,as long as the shift maintains or escalates the fast pace of the game.

This title looks like it incorporates things that have not been present in previous titles. Things that seperate it from the ?racing? genre. I can only classify what I see as ?action racing?.
In my opinion, Need for speed: The Run will lose quite a few racing fans, but will grab the attention of a new audience.

 

[XaVierDK]

First thing I thought watching that: "They finally made the Fast and the Furious the game?"

 

[Soxafloppin]

First thing I thought watching that: "They finally made the Fast and the Furious the game?"

I'm pretty sure they did make one, it was a bit crap.

OT: The racing aspect reminds me of Underground 2, but im a bit of a chase junkie, getting chased in Hot Pursuit made me sit on the edge of my seat. I'l probably get this game, but not at launch.

 

[Dissolve]

That ofcourse, leaves the quicktime events. Because who doesn't want quicktime events in a NFS game?

I don't agree with anything else you said, but I will say that I do hope quicktime events are added to the annals of history pretty soon.

 

[Amondren]

Need for Speed The Runs? Even the name sounds terrible it makes me need to take a dump. Heavy Rain Segments is this a Car Game or Heavy Rain but its the Car scene playing on loop?