I had a roommate who never played video games and was the college topper. One night he saw me playing this and wanted to try out. I gave him the game from the beginning running on my laptop. He Pulled an All Nighter playing the game and completing it by next morning. I was awake till chapter 2-3 but then i gave up. Dude was soo immersed he completed it with no prior experience of playing Video games. Can you believe that. That's why The Run was truly amazing.
Makes sense, it took me a few hours to finish the game in one afternoon, before that I only had like the first stage finished from last month so around 20 minutes. I'm not even that good at racing games but it wasn't that hard once you get how the controls feel (still vastly prefer other entries over it tho)
The only other game I can think of that does "race across the USA" as a concept is Cruis'N USA. The Crew had the USA as an open world, but I don't think it had you racing straight across it.
I mean this game was heralded as one of the hardest NFS game to date, but yeah, these mainstream game journos can go back sucking off Forza's dick for who knows how many times
Even if they said that this game is too hard they were closer to truth than this guy with his "The run is masterpiece" lol. This was the only NFS i bought at release and I will never do it again. Driving was meh, story was meh, a lot is going on but nothing matters etc. And I could even drive around like in any other nfs.
I can't believe how nobody talks about this guy's work. literally one of the most underrated composers working today. whatever thing he works on, it always turns out to be very memorable. no matter how shit the movie is, he always puts his all in the music
@@p0werfu11 at least you were able to steer it, unlike the porsche unleashed and shift vehicles, not to mention the abominations that were rivals and nfs 2016 where the devs wouldn't even bother implementing proper wheel controller support before releasing such crappy titles
The plains should have had a tornado. I was expecting it, and was surprised, given the kind of dramatic situations that happen in this game, that a tornado never came.
I remember when this came out, the dude behind the counter told me to not even bother, takes 4 hours to beat, I didn't care, it looked cool, and it was, and online was great! Unlocking cop cars and taxis was fun
Yeah same with me, I got it a few years after it came out and the GameStop guy was looking at me like "seriously? You want this one?" I still loved it anyway.
Extremely short, but I still replay it to this day, 13 years later. The avalanche race (Summit, Independence Pass) is the best race in gaming history, and nobody can tell me otherwise.
This is my first NFS game on the 7th gen console I played the game loved it all the way till I got on my hands on NFS MW2012 The Independence Pass race was the best hands down from far , I did it multiple times in different cars especially In the BMW M3 GTS as a tribute
One way that I think Black Box could’ve *potentially* improved The Run is by letting the player choose between multiple routes throughout the game, with all routes converging on the various big cities (for obvious story purposes). For example, let’s say you just beat the first major race in the game, and have managed to escape San Francisco…when you play through the next stage, you will be given the chance to pick which route you take via off-ramps on the interstate highways. Each route allows you to experience a variety of unique destinations and challenges as you progress through the game; From tense seaside cliff driving in the Pacific Northwest against handling-focused Tuners (obviously going from Washington to Wyoming), to blasting through ancient Pueblo and Navajo ruins while fending off off-road-capable Muscle Cars in the American Southwest (going from Arizona to Texas), to weaving your way through the industrialized marshlands of the Deep South (Louisiana to Northern Florida), there’s tons of potential for interesting challenges and set-pieces. All of which can be experienced by the player at their own leisure. Add in the huge roster of cars available in the base game, and a reworked progression system where you can unlock cars by completing various sections of the different routes, and well…you have a recipe for what could be one of the best NFS games Black Box ever created.
Very valid point. The movie Redline also had something like this. Different routes with convergences at certain cities. But then again it’s sort of already implied, because think of it, how would some of the rivals like Caesar, mila and Marcus been reoccurring with jack when we never saw them pass us, unless they took a different route? Plus at stage 4 when jack is entering the million dollar highway, Sam tells jack to head into the mountains so the cops won’t keep up. That indicates that jack took a shorter albeit more dangerous route to avoid arrest. If EA had given black box more time to finish the game, but sadly we’ll never know
I actually like the scripted nature of the game. it delivers various kinds of cars with different handling and different areas that should be handled differently! So i get every kind of experience even though its scripted.
imagine how insane it would be to have over 100 players online battling to be number one in a race like the Run, would it be a nightmare for programming yes, but it would be insane
Basically. The Crew but a bunch of the map cut out and blocked off for optimization and race flow (could mean the server could group players to specific routes and lower the server load). Multi-route race with cops and enemy NPCs. Multiplayer racing speedrun. Extremely dynamic time and weather. Takes more than 30 minutes to complete. Winners could possibly respawn to defend or take down the remaining players.
NFS The Run actually made me interested in learning more about America. Before the game came out, the only thing I knew about the US was places like San Francisco, LA, Vegas, Texas, and New York. I learnt about Yosmite National Park, Death Valley, Colorado, the Badlands in South Dakota, Chicago, and the Big Run State Park in Maryland because of this game.
The Run mixes in elements from a few of my fav games, events and films like Gone in 60 Seconds to the Gumball Rally. Truly wish there was a sequel or more games like this, even a revival of OutRun would be cool. A simple story but very fun racing, only thing I'd wished was different were some of the Time Attack zones essentially being the same sections but flipped. Awesome game overall
something everyone seems to forget was the unbareably long loading times after you crashed on ps3 and consoles at that time. it could take up to 3 minutes to respawn you after a crash while that rewind logo was shining
I didn't really like The Run back when I played. But yet i'm really nostalgic for it now. The sound design was amazing. The sound track slapped. The environment design was amazing. And I actually liked the camera and how close it was to the vehicle.
Why dont they make something like this again. It was fresh for NFS experience back in 2011. Had a few flaws but it was 2011. I love the story, the extremes, how there's no time to chill. Its literally a RUN. And it feels like that. It delivered exactly what the game devs wanted. I see that as a huge win. Apart form MW games this is my other fav NFS game.
The Run is okay, but I can definitely understand why people would be disappointed of it. EA kept hyping this game up like it’s the best thing ever with Michael Bay and it’s only a 4 hour game and a challenge series.
@@civicrider5556 I honestly don't remember it well (as well as MW, two games that I probably will never come back unless I'll become a streamer) but judging from my skewed memories and some let's plays you can rush it in 25-30 hours.
9:10 my sentiments, exactly. it is one of the best creative scenes in a racing game ever. Based upon, that is why we need more racing games like the run. I would love to see need for speed to come out with the run too, and I would love that to be a challenge for other racing genres
When I got this game , I was dissapointed it was not open world.. I didn't liked run at first and nearly wanted to trade the cd. But it became my favorite NFS later because of how different the game was. IT didn't even had open world , something I love most and have been spoiled by criterion and black box. But it has lots of unexpected stuff that I clearly loved .
I have a special place for this game in my heart. There was a event at an electrical store which promoted the game and I was 12 years old and annihilated the competion in a time trail without any practice prior. It was the first time playing this game for me. Although I was into older NfS title at that time like Underground 2. I didnt win anything though becuase I couldn't stand the pressure of the finale and didn't understand the rewind mechanic (nobody bothered to explain it to me) and I was playing against 3 other people who knew that game by heart and my dad (who also happend to qualifiy for the finaly). Overall a great experience though. Needless to say I played through the game afterwards.
Another thing to keep in mind about the cars is, using a gas station to switch puts you about 10 seconds behind where you were before. The game doesn't pause the race going into it, and it doesn't pause the race coming out of it, only while you're picking a car when you've come to a complete stop. Theres one race where theres a gas station right at the end. If you use it, you lose. Also if you ever get a cop takedown camera, you also lose, because your car slows to a crawl while your opponents shoot ahead.
I loved that game. Most guys in my class had it so we used to set challenges on who would get in better time than everyone else. I had a copy of "Nuts" magazine from like 2011, with two beach sweathearts on the cover and a whole gaming section on NFS The Run. What a time to be alive.
I never had anyone to share my excitement about this game with, no one in my high school cared about it but that didn't diminish my hype. I loved this game and I consider it the end of an era. Everything released after this game was trash in my opinion. NFS died in 2011 with this game as the last entry. It had a good run. Pun intended.
@dudoboi I thought that 2015 was quite ok. It was such a fresh touch but lacked a lot in terms of content if you compare it to MW 2005 despite its graphical superiority. The map felt small, the content repetitive, not enough cars to choose from and constant night, they had dawn and this game really shown its really nice color pallet but you take a couple turns and it's pitch dark again.
@@chrisjanicki4031 yeah honestly 2015 reminded me a lot of Underground, but I've never played it because it's online only, and I refuse to buy games that are online only. The handling seems off, but it gave off vibes like an old school NFS game with the corny dialogue and cutscenes, which I liked actually. Well, at least based off the youtube videos. Edit: just noticed your avatar is k-rose logo. That's dope. I love k-rose and SA countryside!
@@dudoboi I love it anytime someone mentions my avatar picture! I'm pretty sure I've put it in when I created my Google account years ago on a windows XP and never bothered changing it as it aged like fine wine. 2015 definitely feels like an Underground reboot. In regards to handling I must agree it was stiff and "unique", even if you compare it to its successors. The good thing is you can adjust your handling, I remember having to watch tutorials on how to set the handling to a street style on YT. I feel like there was a whole lot of emphasis put in on the handling that was never formally introduced to the player. In regards to the online mode only I agree 100%. It sucks. I'm a father of 2 and work full time so I don't really have the time to socialize or compete with other players therefore the whole multi-player or having to play on line should be an option. If at least it was rewarding to play online like it was in the older Gran Turismo games with their seasonal races that would've been great but there was nothing. I've had this same issue with Fallout 76 like 3 years ago when I got it for like 8 euro in Game Stop. The game overall was good but my internet connection was horrible so I'd often get timed out from servers. On a side note when the developers shut down servers, it breaks my heart. First it was GTA V on PS3 and than Battlefield 3 on PS3 in late November. I spend my whole November like it was 2010 again, getting back home from work and just playing Rush and Conquest on multi-player. :')
4:53 I would also say, up to this point, I really liked what NFS the run had set up. A good structure and some really nice plot hooks. the issue comes when you realize, while the gameplay is solid, there's almost no pay off to any of it. I was at least hoping for why Jack was in debt (maybe one of the other racer's set him up or something like that), but nope all character development and plot progression just stopped right here and progressed very little till the end credits. I still enjoyed playing the run, and think this is a concept that's worth coming back too, but I will admit in the series of legends that is need for speed, it's just a bit too much of an also ran.
I agree with you, that avalanche race left a mark on my heart. I really felt the adrenaline between the avalanche going around, the engine scream, the rival right behind me, rocks you had to dodge etc. I felt like I really lived something for real. Also, there is two time attack soundtracks, and they are also magnificent
Avalanche race is one of the best segments in racing games so awesome, and I'm glad I'm not the only one that got the NFS PS1 vibes in some tracks, really reminds me of Hot Pursuit ps1
One thing I love about this game is the cop radio chatter, NO NFS game can even get close to how great this games cops were, screaming out their radios, screaming to the roadblocks to hold their position while you were barreling towards them and then to get mobile and chase you after you pass them, and even when they're wrecked, calling out that their units are disabled and that they sustained injuries. The cops in that game were very vocal about what happened, what you did and how to counter you, even mentioning that you have a police scanner and to keep roadblocks off the air. Not to mention the mixing was fantastic, you could always hear them speak clearly compared to games like NFS Heat, where they sound more muffled and in the background, along with the fact that they speak so unprofessionally and sometimes mumbling their words, insulting the other cops during the night where everyone had chases, be real nobody had good chases in the day. Killed me off the whole police chase thing. NFS's cops were so great in the older games and had much more character as opposed to generic thug goon corrupt cop angry man number 48. I miss the golden days of NFS where the cops were responsive and more reactive.
Well, there is a way to use the hyper-cars in the campaign itself (through a in-game bug). To anyone who might need it just to have fun; Start campaign mode and finish the first race (Nob hill and the get out of city) > Hit escape and restart the event > When event restarts, hit escape again and quit the race > Go to challenge series and select East Coast Express > Choose your hyper-car and start any event > Event starts, hit escape and quit challenge series > Resume campaign mode and have fun.
Now that your video reminded me of the story I see now how many elements they borrowed from this game to make the Need for Speed movie. I loved the game btw. It is a game that is like a great wine, it get's only better to tastet with the years.
Spot on review, man! Nice bit of slapstick humour which matched the already bizarre moments this game throws at you 😂 I remember not being too fond of this game when we first got gameplay footage of it and assuming it would be a pile of crap just because my younger self was like "no free roam? no upgrades? no thanks" and then one of my closest friend who also happened to be my next door neighbor got it. We "borrowed" a lot of eachother's games at the time and I ended up having an amazing time with this one. It was sad when it all ended so soon but it was well worth going through it all again with the difficulty nearly maxed out with the exception of the mode where you only had one chance to win or you'd start from the beginning of the game again... At least that's how I remember it anyway, I could be wrong.
We also have to look at the timing of NFS the run. This was right after release of Battlefield 3 which at that time pretty much cemented Frostbite as the best game engine on the market. People were excited to say the least for for Dice had to cook up in NFS world with their juggernaut
It's a shame we didn't get any other racing games like this one. Amazing game which has aged very well. Finished this in 2021 and it felt great even then.
I think best future for NFS devs is to Remake this game because this game is Masterpiece with mistakes EASILY fixable today... that would be Best NFS Game for many Players. This game deserves remake. The Run mode can have many AMAZING FEATURES i can share if someone is interented for example: if you complete race on 2+ place, you get to chosse if u wanna restart or CONTINUE, that makes another race more intence, harder (more players) because you arent 191th but you are 192th... and goal in to get 186th so you goal isnt to beat 5 racers, bur 6 (with something extra) and of course races followed my Time Trials and maybe Boss Fights can be completed in 2+ place but... you will met remaining racers later in race when u get to Race with other non-boss players. This would be AMAZING, adding variety and challegnes u can make (for example be last till X and then win, making finishing in 1st place at the end SO MUCH HARDER) and of course if u are AHEAD of everybody by A LOT you might see racers from next race and might beat some of them, making next race easier (another challenges being Xth in Chapter X) so u can play agaist Marcus (or any other Boss) in different race u should (but not sure about that) this and MANY other Features will make Future The Run Remake ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE. i have many worse/better ideas than this
So happy you threw Romulus 3 from NFS3 at the end there, always loved that song. So nostalgic, first video game I every played, came out the same year I was born. Lots of memories...
This is my favorite game ever, it's my number one favorite game I've ever played, I constantly listen to the music, and just think back to how amazing it is, and every once in a while I play it back again. And it always blows me away how incredible it is, there has never ever been a game like it, the driving is amazing, the sound of the cars is absolutely unbelievable, the atmosphere, music and gameplay thank you for making this video
The graphics looked insanely cool to me back then, the environement, details of the city etc, mixed with an intense gaming experience. The Run was ahead of its time, Payback has some similarities with the whole movie-esque scenes but it was dialed down in comparison to The Run. Only killer was the short campaign
Game had great potential which was partly ruined by Frostbyte engine problems and critical reactions at the time. I got it way after release on Origin for like $5 and greatly enjoyed it along with the then-alive online modes. I have since also found a Limited Edition PS3 copy for my collection. Too bad it was never released on Steam.
That's strange, I own the game and it's in my EA collection, but its not available in the store. Probably their license for some of the cars or music in the game had expired, and they're no longer able to sell it.
A little mentioned part of this game that really had me hooked is the traffic. There's sections with tens of cars around you. Going against ongoing traffic wasn't just a final boss gimmick, this was a core gameplay mechanic. I really loved weaving around a busy road, more than even racing, wish more games had that.
I was like 12 or 13 when I spent a week in my grandma's house, and my cousin had an old desktop PC in the attic. I booted it and it had like three games, two of them being about football, and then this one. The FPS struggled in that PC, and I sucked at it. But hell, did I spend an entire week completely insane about it. After 10 years, I still play it sometimes because of the sound design, the physics and obviously the memories. Most heartwarming NFS game for me.
Little background for the game, when the Run was released, Black Box was already after multiple layoffs and in the middle of EA disassembling them, in the previous year they released Need For Speed World which had an active team working on it in the long run, Skate 3, then next year helped with Battlefield 3 and made The Run and then getting completely obliterated in the upcoming years. The fact that the last 2 games they put out (Skate 3 and The Run) were pretty good while having a heavily cut down team is nothing short of a miracle.
I played the Run when I was 11, first thing I thought of was this game combined NFS and GTA, and I loved it, to this day it is one of the most underrated nfs games, probably one of the best.
I still have this game on my laptop and I keep playing it most of the time because I really enjoyed it. NFS The Run is a very great game and the fact that there are people who don't like it is beyond me. The cars were amazing despite some mechanisms flaws, the rivals were great and the landscapes were spectacular as well. For me after NFS Most Wanted, this is second my fave game of all time ❤
It's worth noting there are a number of patches you can get for the PC version to unlock every vehicle (including exclusive ones and Limited Edition ones) for singleplayer use. Given the multiplayer is now totally dead, it adds a whole lot of fun playing through the campaign with all manner of cars. The bug in the PC version that lets you use any car from any tier in the Run just makes it better.
Thank you for this phenomenal love letter to NFS The Run. It's definitely one of my favourites in the series. I hope we can get some sort of sequel where they could maybe introduce another Cannonball Run-esque race.
Nice to see that there are more The Run enjoyers out there C:: Pro Street is my number one, but The Run is right behind it. What do they have in common? They both have unique playstyles and events. Top Speed and Speed Challenges in Pro Street are supreme and it's a shame that they were never used in any other entry. I love how you can turn "undrivable" cars, like a Dodge Charger R/T, into a machine that can survive Nevada Highway and defeat a Pagani Zonda. The Run might be a short experience, and sadly have a very small pool car from the get go, but the action, sense of danger, difficulty (Very Hard is really punishing), and intensity of the races stand over every other NFS game. If only Blackbox was given another year or two to develop something more robust, these titles would have been pretty much flawless racing games.
This was a really fun one. The varied locations and fun arcade stlye is so good. I tried to kinda re-do this on the Crewe game, but it just wasnt the same.
The last EA Black Box NFS Title that was actually fun. Some were upset at no customising as myself but, I accepted the fact that you can't customise a car when you're driving to the other side of the country within a few days. Besides that it was actually quite a lot of fun. Before Criterion's Brake to Drift Signature BS. You will be sorely missed EA Canada and EA Black Box.
I am very charitable to this game because BlackBox had fucking 6 months to make this while wkrking on 2 other games at the same time, one of them being Skate 3.
Remember hitting one of the desert roads after a stressful city escape and 'Canned Heat - On the Road Again' played on the sound track That was a great song choice for an open road cruise after the hectic traffic and 90 degree turns of the city
i have some of my fondest memories with this game. 7 year old me playing this on the PS3 enamoured by the beautiful visuals, raging because of skill issues and learning to love cars
i played the run and ngl even though i play it once and just be done with the story, it lives rent free in my head, that means this game is very memorable, i remember driving through national park and since then i've been wanting to go to yellowstone national park
Love the game! Liked your thoughts! Didn't know that it can be completed in 3 hours. This & Most Wanted 2005 are the only Need For Speed games I love. My only gripe with this game is that one has to play a complete section of the game; there's no way to specifically pick one & just go. Other than that, I'm fine with everything. You perfectly articulated my thoughts on the location diversity of this game. I have a potato laptop, yet somehow the gameplay was smooth with stuttering in cutscenes. I could never forget the PhysX effects in the sand storm stage, the snow stage, & also the reflections on road after rains. Truly an enjoyable game for me.
I honestly don't get it. Blackbox fucked up one game and got shut down but ghost games fucks up 3 of them back to back and was still going just to get shut down after a NFS title that was OK. EA makes no sense. Edit: also, this game doesn't just feel like it's directed by michael bay, but it's also about as long as his movies. I wouldn't pay full price for 2,5 hours of gameplay with no reason to replay any of the events again and for a game with awfully strong rubberbanding but do as you want I guess
This game was one of my absolutely favorite NFS games! I can remember playing all weekend long to finish the story for the first time back when it first came out. The custom/special edition cars were the best and most unique, the story was exciting and challenging, and the overall gameplay was fun and rewarding! I recently picked up a copy of this game at a local retro/classic game shop and I really need to hop back into it.
Love this game. Reminded me of the original NFS Road&Track in many ways, which was also had the tracks segmented sequentially. Shame it was so short. And... oh, I got to tell you, this review was perfect. Perfect. Everything, down to the last minute details.
I own the Limited Edition for the PC. It sucks that so many of the cars are locked behind a Multiplayer that can't be played anymore. I did enjoy my time playing The Run, though I didn't like the very limited car choice in there.
hd the run didn't have a plot point around a minigame where you *HEROICALLY* spray paint a 1-in-a-million racing-spec concept hybrid (apparently also equipped with a carrera gt v10?) hypercar in order to lose heat and blend in with traffic, 3/10
I had a roommate who never played video games and was the college topper. One night he saw me playing this and wanted to try out. I gave him the game from the beginning running on my laptop. He Pulled an All Nighter playing the game and completing it by next morning. I was awake till chapter 2-3 but then i gave up. Dude was soo immersed he completed it with no prior experience of playing Video games. Can you believe that. That's why The Run was truly amazing.
heavily scripted like COD
That is so cool lmao
Is.... This games is....
he completed the game in one day with no gaming experience yet professional gaming journalists called the game "too hard" lol
Makes sense, it took me a few hours to finish the game in one afternoon, before that I only had like the first stage finished from last month so around 20 minutes. I'm not even that good at racing games but it wasn't that hard once you get how the controls feel (still vastly prefer other entries over it tho)
By far, my favorite NFS game. The concept of cannonball run really hasn't been done much at all in racing games.
The only other game I can think of that does "race across the USA" as a concept is Cruis'N USA. The Crew had the USA as an open world, but I don't think it had you racing straight across it.
@@Jazzmaster1992 I always wanted to play Cruis'n USA but I didn't have an N64. The Crew was kinda fun but got old for me pretty quickly.
@@Jazzmaster1992the crew 2 actually has a coast to coast race using hyper cars
@@nateowens2448 The crew 1 actually has a race that LOOPS the USA
@@Jazzmaster1992 Outrun also got the same concept
IGN said that this game is too hard? They should play mario kart instead. This is why i don't trust game journalists nowadays.
FYM? Mariokart got hands, the should get round to Garfield Kart for some proper ease of use gameplay
I mean this game was heralded as one of the hardest NFS game to date, but yeah, these mainstream game journos can go back sucking off Forza's dick for who knows how many times
@@serperior2264 hello kitty racing
@@dragonildreamy161 FOR REALLLL
Even if they said that this game is too hard they were closer to truth than this guy with his "The run is masterpiece" lol.
This was the only NFS i bought at release and I will never do it again. Driving was meh, story was meh, a lot is going on but nothing matters etc. And I could even drive around like in any other nfs.
Respect for featuring Brian Tyler's amazing OST in the background.
Brian Tyler also composed the OSTs of Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag and Far Cry 3.
Brians work on Black Flag is some of my favourite, I loooove that game
i believe he did the current F1 theme song as well!
he also composed majority of the F&F movies’ soundtracks, including tokyo drift
@@UltraViolet_Moses give me the website where to buy it. Its not on steam
I can't believe how nobody talks about this guy's work. literally one of the most underrated composers working today. whatever thing he works on, it always turns out to be very memorable. no matter how shit the movie is, he always puts his all in the music
Black Box was the dev team behind the best titles in the NFS series. EA shutting this studio down was downright criminal.
B-but Porsche Unleashed, Shift 2 and Unbound weren't developed by Black Box...
@@Witcher58 BMW M3 E46 always sucked
@@p0werfu11 at least you were able to steer it, unlike the porsche unleashed and shift vehicles, not to mention the abominations that were rivals and nfs 2016 where the devs wouldn't even bother implementing proper wheel controller support before releasing such crappy titles
Ask for Undercover
@@fanzach9524 undercover was rushed, same as carbon and The Run so you can guess that
But even rushed carbon is good already
The plains should have had a tornado. I was expecting it, and was surprised, given the kind of dramatic situations that happen in this game, that a tornado never came.
Along with the forest fire in the California stage.
That would’ve been epic
I remember this stage at least having Tornados in the background, only just realised that it never had any!
FLORIDA flooding?
You can feel the weight of the cars in this game. It's awesome
No you don't especially not in the last forest section.
@@pduh42 Yes we do.💪
Literally the worst need for speed lol
@@kayymart8217 you're saying this as if you haven't played undercover
Yh it's true
I remember when this came out, the dude behind the counter told me to not even bother, takes 4 hours to beat, I didn't care, it looked cool, and it was, and online was great! Unlocking cop cars and taxis was fun
Yeah same with me, I got it a few years after it came out and the GameStop guy was looking at me like "seriously? You want this one?" I still loved it anyway.
@@invektra honestly one of my fave nfs games, GameStop employees were wrong
After Hot Pursuit this was short, yes, but I did like it and game was interesting and looked good to me.
Extremely short, but I still replay it to this day, 13 years later. The avalanche race (Summit, Independence Pass) is the best race in gaming history, and nobody can tell me otherwise.
This is my first NFS game on the 7th gen console
I played the game loved it all the way till I got on my hands on NFS MW2012
The Independence Pass race was the best hands down from far , I did it multiple times in different cars especially In the BMW M3 GTS as a tribute
The Run, Motorstorm Apocalypse, even Split Second.
There was some awesome arcade racers with wild set pieces.
I miss that wild era of racing tbh.
True, all even came in same period. Serious hits
I became a fan of The Run back in my old pc, and I was always amazed at how good the places looked and how dramatic the racing was through it all
One way that I think Black Box could’ve *potentially* improved The Run is by letting the player choose between multiple routes throughout the game, with all routes converging on the various big cities (for obvious story purposes).
For example, let’s say you just beat the first major race in the game, and have managed to escape San Francisco…when you play through the next stage, you will be given the chance to pick which route you take via off-ramps on the interstate highways. Each route allows you to experience a variety of unique destinations and challenges as you progress through the game; From tense seaside cliff driving in the Pacific Northwest against handling-focused Tuners (obviously going from Washington to Wyoming), to blasting through ancient Pueblo and Navajo ruins while fending off off-road-capable Muscle Cars in the American Southwest (going from Arizona to Texas), to weaving your way through the industrialized marshlands of the Deep South (Louisiana to Northern Florida), there’s tons of potential for interesting challenges and set-pieces. All of which can be experienced by the player at their own leisure.
Add in the huge roster of cars available in the base game, and a reworked progression system where you can unlock cars by completing various sections of the different routes, and well…you have a recipe for what could be one of the best NFS games Black Box ever created.
Very valid point. The movie Redline also had something like this. Different routes with convergences at certain cities. But then again it’s sort of already implied, because think of it, how would some of the rivals like Caesar, mila and Marcus been reoccurring with jack when we never saw them pass us, unless they took a different route? Plus at stage 4 when jack is entering the million dollar highway, Sam tells jack to head into the mountains so the cops won’t keep up. That indicates that jack took a shorter albeit more dangerous route to avoid arrest.
If EA had given black box more time to finish the game, but sadly we’ll never know
I actually like the scripted nature of the game. it delivers various kinds of cars with different handling and different areas that should be handled differently! So i get every kind of experience even though its scripted.
So.... Outrun, but with more story.
imagine how insane it would be to have over 100 players online battling to be number one in a race like the Run, would it be a nightmare for programming yes, but it would be insane
Consoles would start lagging. I had formula 1 game 2 player mode with 12 or 16 cars it was lag disaster.
@@vitkomusic6624 Optimization could absolutely make it possible.
@@MaggotAddict21correct
Basically. The Crew but a bunch of the map cut out and blocked off for optimization and race flow (could mean the server could group players to specific routes and lower the server load). Multi-route race with cops and enemy NPCs.
Multiplayer racing speedrun. Extremely dynamic time and weather. Takes more than 30 minutes to complete. Winners could possibly respawn to defend or take down the remaining players.
Fun fact, Michael Bay (yes *THAT* Person) is actually made a trailer for this game
NFS The Run actually made me interested in learning more about America. Before the game came out, the only thing I knew about the US was places like San Francisco, LA, Vegas, Texas, and New York. I learnt about Yosmite National Park, Death Valley, Colorado, the Badlands in South Dakota, Chicago, and the Big Run State Park in Maryland because of this game.
During some cutscene before a race, Sam tells Jack “no more casinos” or something like that, I believe that is the reason why he’s in debt to the mob
One of my favorite NFS, a roadtrip coast to coast (cannonball style) is something i've always wanted to do
Kinda wonder if Black Box watched "The Cannonball Run" as an inspiration for the game🤔
this is a great game, one of those really memorable ones
I mean, it had chicago and cleveland in it so 6/10 at best
At least it was Different, though thinking outside the Box,👍 compared to what we have today, Pppfffhhh
The Run mixes in elements from a few of my fav games, events and films like Gone in 60 Seconds to the Gumball Rally. Truly wish there was a sequel or more games like this, even a revival of OutRun would be cool. A simple story but very fun racing, only thing I'd wished was different were some of the Time Attack zones essentially being the same sections but flipped. Awesome game overall
something everyone seems to forget was the unbareably long loading times after you crashed on ps3 and consoles at that time. it could take up to 3 minutes to respawn you after a crash while that rewind logo was shining
I didn't really like The Run back when I played.
But yet i'm really nostalgic for it now.
The sound design was amazing.
The sound track slapped.
The environment design was amazing.
And I actually liked the camera and how close it was to the vehicle.
Why dont they make something like this again. It was fresh for NFS experience back in 2011. Had a few flaws but it was 2011. I love the story, the extremes, how there's no time to chill. Its literally a RUN. And it feels like that. It delivered exactly what the game devs wanted. I see that as a huge win. Apart form MW games this is my other fav NFS game.
The Run is okay, but I can definitely understand why people would be disappointed of it.
EA kept hyping this game up like it’s the best thing ever with Michael Bay and it’s only a 4 hour game and a challenge series.
Yeah for the amount of content asking the full $60 was ridiculous. I get that there's licensing fees and all, but still.
The game length is overrated, The Run in 4 hours gives way more fun and emotions than Most Wanted with 30 hours or Underground 2 with 50 hours.
@@p0werfu11 "underground 2 with 50 hours"? is it that big?
@@civicrider5556 I honestly don't remember it well (as well as MW, two games that I probably will never come back unless I'll become a streamer) but judging from my skewed memories and some let's plays you can rush it in 25-30 hours.
@@civicrider5556 it is super bloated
The fact the 918 RSR is in this game, makes me wanna play it.
This game is hands down the moust underrated game of NFS franchise
I completed The Run 3 times. It was an incredible experience & nail biting.
I hate PlayStation
@@FitzGeraldGamingJr fuck
9:10 my sentiments, exactly. it is one of the best creative scenes in a racing game ever. Based upon, that is why we need more racing games like the run. I would love to see need for speed to come out with the run too, and I would love that to be a challenge for other racing genres
unlike most other need for speed game, the run is one i continuously come back to every so often, because it's just so engaging
When I got this game , I was dissapointed it was not open world..
I didn't liked run at first and nearly wanted to trade the cd.
But it became my favorite NFS later because of how different the game was. IT didn't even had open world , something I love most and have been spoiled by criterion and black box. But it has lots of unexpected stuff that I clearly loved .
I have a special place for this game in my heart. There was a event at an electrical store which promoted the game and I was 12 years old and annihilated the competion in a time trail without any practice prior. It was the first time playing this game for me. Although I was into older NfS title at that time like Underground 2. I didnt win anything though becuase I couldn't stand the pressure of the finale and didn't understand the rewind mechanic (nobody bothered to explain it to me) and I was playing against 3 other people who knew that game by heart and my dad (who also happend to qualifiy for the finaly). Overall a great experience though. Needless to say I played through the game afterwards.
Another thing to keep in mind about the cars is, using a gas station to switch puts you about 10 seconds behind where you were before. The game doesn't pause the race going into it, and it doesn't pause the race coming out of it, only while you're picking a car when you've come to a complete stop. Theres one race where theres a gas station right at the end. If you use it, you lose. Also if you ever get a cop takedown camera, you also lose, because your car slows to a crawl while your opponents shoot ahead.
I loved that game. Most guys in my class had it so we used to set challenges on who would get in better time than everyone else. I had a copy of "Nuts" magazine from like 2011, with two beach sweathearts on the cover and a whole gaming section on NFS The Run. What a time to be alive.
I never had anyone to share my excitement about this game with, no one in my high school cared about it but that didn't diminish my hype.
I loved this game and I consider it the end of an era. Everything released after this game was trash in my opinion. NFS died in 2011 with this game as the last entry. It had a good run. Pun intended.
@dudoboi I thought that 2015 was quite ok. It was such a fresh touch but lacked a lot in terms of content if you compare it to MW 2005 despite its graphical superiority. The map felt small, the content repetitive, not enough cars to choose from and constant night, they had dawn and this game really shown its really nice color pallet but you take a couple turns and it's pitch dark again.
@@chrisjanicki4031 yeah honestly 2015 reminded me a lot of Underground, but I've never played it because it's online only, and I refuse to buy games that are online only.
The handling seems off, but it gave off vibes like an old school NFS game with the corny dialogue and cutscenes, which I liked actually. Well, at least based off the youtube videos.
Edit: just noticed your avatar is k-rose logo. That's dope. I love k-rose and SA countryside!
@@dudoboi I love it anytime someone mentions my avatar picture! I'm pretty sure I've put it in when I created my Google account years ago on a windows XP and never bothered changing it as it aged like fine wine.
2015 definitely feels like an Underground reboot. In regards to handling I must agree it was stiff and "unique", even if you compare it to its successors. The good thing is you can adjust your handling, I remember having to watch tutorials on how to set the handling to a street style on YT. I feel like there was a whole lot of emphasis put in on the handling that was never formally introduced to the player. In regards to the online mode only I agree 100%. It sucks. I'm a father of 2 and work full time so I don't really have the time to socialize or compete with other players therefore the whole multi-player or having to play on line should be an option. If at least it was rewarding to play online like it was in the older Gran Turismo games with their seasonal races that would've been great but there was nothing. I've had this same issue with Fallout 76 like 3 years ago when I got it for like 8 euro in Game Stop. The game overall was good but my internet connection was horrible so I'd often get timed out from servers.
On a side note when the developers shut down servers, it breaks my heart. First it was GTA V on PS3 and than Battlefield 3 on PS3 in late November. I spend my whole November like it was 2010 again, getting back home from work and just playing Rush and Conquest on multi-player. :')
4:53 I would also say, up to this point, I really liked what NFS the run had set up. A good structure and some really nice plot hooks. the issue comes when you realize, while the gameplay is solid, there's almost no pay off to any of it. I was at least hoping for why Jack was in debt (maybe one of the other racer's set him up or something like that), but nope all character development and plot progression just stopped right here and progressed very little till the end credits.
I still enjoyed playing the run, and think this is a concept that's worth coming back too, but I will admit in the series of legends that is need for speed, it's just a bit too much of an also ran.
I would also state at not only was the game short, it was also repetitive. which is like having a beer with less taste and more filling.
BTW - very nice analysis and your one liners were on point. very nicely written.
@@roguedogx Thank you good sir! And im right with you
I agree with you, that avalanche race left a mark on my heart. I really felt the adrenaline between the avalanche going around, the engine scream, the rival right behind me, rocks you had to dodge etc. I felt like I really lived something for real.
Also, there is two time attack soundtracks, and they are also magnificent
After playing split second, that avalanche race is okay.
@@LexeLite Split Second was an adrenaline shot on every race, but without a story behind, we do not feel any stake in avoiding explosions
@@steelwix ah you're right, split second does lack the story context, it's just full blown adrenaline.
@@LexeLite Pretty sad for a Walt Disney game
@@steelwix I don't mind tbh, racing game doesn't really need a story, it's a nice addition nonetheless.
My favorite NFS ever. Even Hot Pursuit 2010, with all my love to it, can’t compete. Just pure cinema.
Avalanche race is one of the best segments in racing games so awesome, and I'm glad I'm not the only one that got the NFS PS1 vibes in some tracks, really reminds me of Hot Pursuit ps1
I loved this game a lot I just wished the story was longer or they made a new The Run game
One thing I love about this game is the cop radio chatter, NO NFS game can even get close to how great this games cops were, screaming out their radios, screaming to the roadblocks to hold their position while you were barreling towards them and then to get mobile and chase you after you pass them, and even when they're wrecked, calling out that their units are disabled and that they sustained injuries. The cops in that game were very vocal about what happened, what you did and how to counter you, even mentioning that you have a police scanner and to keep roadblocks off the air. Not to mention the mixing was fantastic, you could always hear them speak clearly compared to games like NFS Heat, where they sound more muffled and in the background, along with the fact that they speak so unprofessionally and sometimes mumbling their words, insulting the other cops during the night where everyone had chases, be real nobody had good chases in the day. Killed me off the whole police chase thing. NFS's cops were so great in the older games and had much more character as opposed to generic thug goon corrupt cop angry man number 48. I miss the golden days of NFS where the cops were responsive and more reactive.
Well, there is a way to use the hyper-cars in the campaign itself (through a in-game bug). To anyone who might need it just to have fun; Start campaign mode and finish the first race (Nob hill and the get out of city) > Hit escape and restart the event > When event restarts, hit escape again and quit the race > Go to challenge series and select East Coast Express > Choose your hyper-car and start any event > Event starts, hit escape and quit challenge series > Resume campaign mode and have fun.
This game still lives in my heart. Scratches that itch you know
This is my personal favorite NFS game to come out during the 7th generation of consoles. The racing was so damn intense and I love it!
Now that your video reminded me of the story I see now how many elements they borrowed from this game to make the Need for Speed movie.
I loved the game btw. It is a game that is like a great wine, it get's only better to tastet with the years.
this game always will hold a special place in my heart. Thanks for this review!
Spot on review, man! Nice bit of slapstick humour which matched the already bizarre moments this game throws at you 😂
I remember not being too fond of this game when we first got gameplay footage of it and assuming it would be a pile of crap just because my younger self was like "no free roam? no upgrades? no thanks" and then one of my closest friend who also happened to be my next door neighbor got it. We "borrowed" a lot of eachother's games at the time and I ended up having an amazing time with this one. It was sad when it all ended so soon but it was well worth going through it all again with the difficulty nearly maxed out with the exception of the mode where you only had one chance to win or you'd start from the beginning of the game again... At least that's how I remember it anyway, I could be wrong.
We also have to look at the timing of NFS the run. This was right after release of Battlefield 3 which at that time pretty much cemented Frostbite as the best game engine on the market. People were excited to say the least for for Dice had to cook up in NFS world with their juggernaut
It's a shame we didn't get any other racing games like this one. Amazing game which has aged very well. Finished this in 2021 and it felt great even then.
The mountain phase with the controlled avalanches was my favorite part.
Great review as always, man!
Thanks a ton!
I think best future for NFS devs is to Remake this game because this game is Masterpiece with mistakes EASILY fixable today...
that would be Best NFS Game for many Players.
This game deserves remake.
The Run mode can have many AMAZING FEATURES i can share if someone is interented
for example:
if you complete race on 2+ place, you get to chosse if u wanna restart or CONTINUE, that makes another race more intence, harder (more players) because you arent 191th but you are 192th... and goal in to get 186th so you goal isnt to beat 5 racers, bur 6 (with something extra)
and of course races followed my Time Trials and maybe Boss Fights can be completed in 2+ place but... you will met remaining racers later in race when u get to Race with other non-boss players.
This would be AMAZING, adding variety and challegnes u can make (for example be last till X and then win, making finishing in 1st place at the end SO MUCH HARDER)
and of course if u are AHEAD of everybody by A LOT you might see racers from next race and might beat some of them, making next race easier (another challenges being Xth in Chapter X)
so u can play agaist Marcus (or any other Boss) in different race u should (but not sure about that)
this and MANY other Features will make Future The Run Remake ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE.
i have many worse/better ideas than this
The most fun I’ve had in online racing games. I loved every single aspect of it and I really wish nfs games used this handling physics more
when i say this has always been my favourite NFS game, it still is till today! everything was literally perfect within; great job editing too!
Amazing review Moses B!
Much appreciated!
So happy you threw Romulus 3 from NFS3 at the end there, always loved that song. So nostalgic, first video game I every played, came out the same year I was born. Lots of memories...
Best Need For Speed ever on my book. It's a 2011 game. It deserves a sequel.
This is my favorite game ever, it's my number one favorite game I've ever played, I constantly listen to the music, and just think back to how amazing it is, and every once in a while I play it back again. And it always blows me away how incredible it is, there has never ever been a game like it, the driving is amazing, the sound of the cars is absolutely unbelievable, the atmosphere, music and gameplay thank you for making this video
The graphics looked insanely cool to me back then, the environement, details of the city etc, mixed with an intense gaming experience. The Run was ahead of its time, Payback has some similarities with the whole movie-esque scenes but it was dialed down in comparison to The Run. Only killer was the short campaign
Man, I just found your channel two days ago and I'm watching every video! Keep up the great work!
Thanks dude! Means a lot
This game is my favorite in the series. Never felt so much adrenaline in a racing game
The game might be short but add the challenge series who are actually difficult and freaking amazing and you have a sorta 10-15 hour masterpiece
Game had great potential which was partly ruined by Frostbyte engine problems and critical reactions at the time. I got it way after release on Origin for like $5 and greatly enjoyed it along with the then-alive online modes. I have since also found a Limited Edition PS3 copy for my collection. Too bad it was never released on Steam.
That's strange, I own the game and it's in my EA collection, but its not available in the store. Probably their license for some of the cars or music in the game had expired, and they're no longer able to sell it.
A little mentioned part of this game that really had me hooked is the traffic.
There's sections with tens of cars around you.
Going against ongoing traffic wasn't just a final boss gimmick, this was a core gameplay mechanic.
I really loved weaving around a busy road, more than even racing, wish more games had that.
This game is the best nfs game that has the best story line ever made in racing/arcade games. I love this game to the death.
The Run's car sounds had the same issue as in Shift, they all virtually sounded the same.
My first experience of The Run was the 3DS version and even tho everything is scaled down for the console it still has some charm
I was like 12 or 13 when I spent a week in my grandma's house, and my cousin had an old desktop PC in the attic. I booted it and it had like three games, two of them being about football, and then this one. The FPS struggled in that PC, and I sucked at it. But hell, did I spend an entire week completely insane about it. After 10 years, I still play it sometimes because of the sound design, the physics and obviously the memories. Most heartwarming NFS game for me.
Little background for the game, when the Run was released, Black Box was already after multiple layoffs and in the middle of EA disassembling them, in the previous year they released Need For Speed World which had an active team working on it in the long run, Skate 3, then next year helped with Battlefield 3 and made The Run and then getting completely obliterated in the upcoming years.
The fact that the last 2 games they put out (Skate 3 and The Run) were pretty good while having a heavily cut down team is nothing short of a miracle.
I played the Run when I was 11, first thing I thought of was this game combined NFS and GTA, and I loved it, to this day it is one of the most underrated nfs games, probably one of the best.
"An average day in Canada." Looks out my window, "Yep"
The Run is literally one of a kind, there is no other racing game like it and I love it.
This game has aged very well at least, it still looks gorgeous
I still have this game on my laptop and I keep playing it most of the time because I really enjoyed it. NFS The Run is a very great game and the fact that there are people who don't like it is beyond me. The cars were amazing despite some mechanisms flaws, the rivals were great and the landscapes were spectacular as well. For me after NFS Most Wanted, this is second my fave game of all time ❤
It's worth noting there are a number of patches you can get for the PC version to unlock every vehicle (including exclusive ones and Limited Edition ones) for singleplayer use. Given the multiplayer is now totally dead, it adds a whole lot of fun playing through the campaign with all manner of cars. The bug in the PC version that lets you use any car from any tier in the Run just makes it better.
Thank you for this phenomenal love letter to NFS The Run. It's definitely one of my favourites in the series. I hope we can get some sort of sequel where they could maybe introduce another Cannonball Run-esque race.
Nice to see that there are more The Run enjoyers out there C::
Pro Street is my number one, but The Run is right behind it.
What do they have in common? They both have unique playstyles and events.
Top Speed and Speed Challenges in Pro Street are supreme and it's a shame that they were never used in any other entry. I love how you can turn "undrivable" cars, like a Dodge Charger R/T, into a machine that can survive Nevada Highway and defeat a Pagani Zonda.
The Run might be a short experience, and sadly have a very small pool car from the get go, but the action, sense of danger, difficulty (Very Hard is really punishing), and intensity of the races stand over every other NFS game.
If only Blackbox was given another year or two to develop something more robust, these titles would have been pretty much flawless racing games.
This was a really fun one. The varied locations and fun arcade stlye is so good. I tried to kinda re-do this on the Crewe game, but it just wasnt the same.
god i love this channel solely bc of the memes
you are very welcome 🥲
Playing this with a racing wheel was one of my favorite experiences of all time.
The last EA Black Box NFS Title that was actually fun. Some were upset at no customising as myself but, I accepted the fact that you can't customise a car when you're driving to the other side of the country within a few days. Besides that it was actually quite a lot of fun. Before Criterion's Brake to Drift Signature BS. You will be sorely missed EA Canada and EA Black Box.
Very good video 😎, Unrelated am I the only one who enjoyed undercover 😂.
Thank you for putting BlackPantha in his place.... anything that doesn't have Tuners he deems crap
I ran through this game over a weekend. Bite size for sure, but need for speed nonetheless
I am very charitable to this game because BlackBox had fucking 6 months to make this while wkrking on 2 other games at the same time, one of them being Skate 3.
Remember hitting one of the desert roads after a stressful city escape and 'Canned Heat - On the Road Again' played on the sound track
That was a great song choice for an open road cruise after the hectic traffic and 90 degree turns of the city
Masterpiece and probably best product of NFS ever made
i agree had a blast with this when i was 12 i'm about to be 23 now
Best definitely not, 05 Most Wanted
i have some of my fondest memories with this game. 7 year old me playing this on the PS3 enamoured by the beautiful visuals, raging because of skill issues and learning to love cars
EA Need To Make A Remastered Of This Game!! 😢
i played the run and ngl even though i play it once and just be done with the story, it lives rent free in my head, that means this game is very memorable, i remember driving through national park and since then i've been wanting to go to yellowstone national park
Love the game! Liked your thoughts! Didn't know that it can be completed in 3 hours. This & Most Wanted 2005 are the only Need For Speed games I love. My only gripe with this game is that one has to play a complete section of the game; there's no way to specifically pick one & just go. Other than that, I'm fine with everything. You perfectly articulated my thoughts on the location diversity of this game. I have a potato laptop, yet somehow the gameplay was smooth with stuttering in cutscenes. I could never forget the PhysX effects in the sand storm stage, the snow stage, & also the reflections on road after rains. Truly an enjoyable game for me.
So good. Love hearing your story
@@FencelineFilms Didn't expect that reaction but thank you ...
Nah cause the green screen during the Chicago part was killing me 😭😭
I honestly don't get it. Blackbox fucked up one game and got shut down but ghost games fucks up 3 of them back to back and was still going just to get shut down after a NFS title that was OK. EA makes no sense.
Edit: also, this game doesn't just feel like it's directed by michael bay, but it's also about as long as his movies. I wouldn't pay full price for 2,5 hours of gameplay with no reason to replay any of the events again and for a game with awfully strong rubberbanding but do as you want I guess
This game was one of my absolutely favorite NFS games! I can remember playing all weekend long to finish the story for the first time back when it first came out. The custom/special edition cars were the best and most unique, the story was exciting and challenging, and the overall gameplay was fun and rewarding! I recently picked up a copy of this game at a local retro/classic game shop and I really need to hop back into it.
"What of Michael Bay directed a racing game?" Sounds like Split Second to me chief ngl
I used to play the hell of the multilayer mode when it came out. The story was good. Great review.
Why was this never remastered is beyond me
Love this game. Reminded me of the original NFS Road&Track in many ways, which was also had the tracks segmented sequentially. Shame it was so short.
And... oh, I got to tell you, this review was perfect. Perfect. Everything, down to the last minute details.
I own the Limited Edition for the PC. It sucks that so many of the cars are locked behind a Multiplayer that can't be played anymore.
I did enjoy my time playing The Run, though I didn't like the very limited car choice in there.
I mean you could look up cracked exes that had these MP locked cars playable in the campaign from the get go, so I guess it's better than nothing
on of the best looking racing games to date. No not in terms of realism but beauty.
They have got to do a remastered this game is way too good
More cars available + longer stages!!
Am I the only one that notices a ton of audio compression issues in the run?
The only copy I had was on the 3DS 💀💀💀 It’s not even close to the same game. Also thanks for the Cleveland meme. 🙏🙏👄👄👨👨🔬🙏🇬🇧🖤😐🎉⚽️🍱💯🤯🫃
THAT WAS ME, I MADE THAT YOU CHEEKY BISCUIT
hd the run didn't have a plot point around a minigame where you *HEROICALLY* spray paint a 1-in-a-million racing-spec concept hybrid (apparently also equipped with a carrera gt v10?) hypercar in order to lose heat and blend in with traffic, 3/10
I remember my first time playing the game, I did it all in 1 ten hour sitting, start to finish. I haven't played since then, and I love the game.