Instead of ushering itself in with a sprint, Need for Speed The Run began with a stumble when the first portion anyone saw when the gam...

Exciting setpieces; Satisfying driving model; Balanced and well-paced events

Short if you don't replay it; Unforgiving event structure; Multiplayer should have had cops and mob chases

The Run incorporates many different staples that will be familiar from previous Need for Speed games, but never manages to better any of them. What's more, it takes out features that so many could get simple, basic enjoyment from, such as the free roam.

I remember a movie a long time ago called The Cannonball Run starring Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise. The plot featured a large number of drivers competing in a cross-country race, evading traffic, cops, and each other.

Need for Speed: The Run feels like a missed opportunity. Had this been given more development time, rather than being put through the annual franchise wringer, Black Box might have had a chance of delivering on The Run's premise.

Thanks to the stellar, sim-leaning Shift 2 Unleashed and the thrilling, Burnout -like Hot Pursuit , Need for Speed has demonstrated a dramatic rebirth of late. But The Run hearkens back to earlier entries with a story-driven affair populated by notable actors and bold set pieces, plus loads of...

+ Solid core racing model; with stellar controls and physics

- Lacks scale of large race; and forced rewinds are painful; - Inconsistent visual quality; plus snooze-worthy storytelling.; ?

It's not just the cars themselves that make driving in The Run enjoyable. It's also the places you go. Starting in San Francisco, your path takes you through Yosemite National Park, the Rocky Mountains, downtown Chicago, and plenty of other locations.

Diverse assortment of cars that handle well; Gorgeous; varied courses modeled on real locations; A good number of race types keeps events enjoyable

Lengthy load times sap sense of momentum; Quick-time events and mob chases aren't enjoyable; Frustrating limitations on returning to the cross-country race

There's a whole lot of America between San Francisco and New York City. Need for Speed: The Run's greatest achievement is the way it sometimes captures the thrill of hitting the open road and experiencing the varied beauty of the American landscape, from the mountains and the prairies to the small...

Diverse assortment of cars that handle well; Gorgeous; varied courses modeled on real locations; A good number of race types keeps events enjoyable

Lengthy load times sap sense of momentum; Quick-time events and mob chases aren't enjoyable; Frustrating limitations on returning to the cross-country race

For a long time, Need for Speed was generally considered the biggest and baddest racing franchise out there. Often straddling the line between full arcade experience and the more sim-like features of its increasingly popular competition, EA's long-running series has brought us law enforcement...

is a bit of a curious experiment from developer Black Box, as it seems to want to keep some of the elements that the series is known for - arcade racing, police chases, an "underground" vibe - but add some

I have always been a fan of Need for Speed. Even during the low points in the franchise, I have always given the games a chance. The arcade racing, the goofy story, and flashy presentation have always...

+ Beautiful graphics; + Decent racing; + Nice presentation

Inconsistent resets; Multiplayer is lackluster; Story is somewhat wasted