We played a section of *Need for Speed The Run* at this year's Gamescom,
and got to see whether it will electrify the franchise like last year's
*Hot Pursuit*. The long running series got a necessary boost with Burnout
developers Criterion making a fantastic over-the-top racing game that had
everyone drooling with its speed, gameplay and fantastic graphics. Let's see
if the Need for Speed The Run can do it again. *Turbo OutRun* Need for Speed
The Run is essentially a race across America, from San Francisco to New York,
against a huge number of opponents and the police. The desert race we played
actually looked much like Hot Pursuit, and the boost charged by dangerous
behavior also makes The Run feel very similar. This is a Need for Speed game,
so obviously the emphasis is on fast, good-looking arcade racing, and it
certainly delivers. *A worthy successor?* However, what we saw of Need for
Speed The Run didn't blow us away. It didn't feel quite as visceral as
Hot Pursuit, and while the opponents were quite aggressive, the game did seem
pretty easy. Unless we see some major improvements or innovations,
unfortunately it looks like Need for Speed may have slipped back into lazy
sequels. There's still plenty more to be seen from the game, with a wide
variety of environments promised, so lets hope the next time we see it it
will impress more. Need for Speed The Run is scheduled for a *November 15th
release*.Download *Need for Speed The Run Hands-On Preview* in Softonic
