Need for Speed: The Run

 PlayStation 3
Need for Speed: The Run Image
Metascore
64

Mixed or average reviews - based on 48 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
6.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 218 Ratings

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  • Summary: Need for Speed The Run lures players into an underground world of illicit, high-stakes racing. The heat is on – and it isn’t just the fuzz who are after you. Entering the race is just the beginning as you blow across borders, weave through dense urban traffic, rocket down icy mountain passesNeed for Speed The Run lures players into an underground world of illicit, high-stakes racing. The heat is on – and it isn’t just the fuzz who are after you. Entering the race is just the beginning as you blow across borders, weave through dense urban traffic, rocket down icy mountain passes and navigate narrow canyons at breakneck speeds. Powered by DICE’s state-of-the-art Frostbite 2 engine, Need for Speed The Run takes the action racing genre to new heights with stunning visuals and car physics that hug the road even at top speeds all built around a gripping storyline. The cars are hot, the racing is intense and the story will have you at the edge of your seat… all the way from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Empire State building.… Expand
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Need for Speed The Run - Limited Edition Trailer

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 48
  2. Mixed: 31 out of 48
  3. Negative: 3 out of 48
  1. NZGamer
    Nov 25, 2011
    88
    It's not Forza but it doesn't set out to be; instead, it aims at being the very best arcade racing game available and it succeeds most assuredly at that goal. A balls-to-the-wall thrill-ride, beginning to end, and definitely worth a thrash - if you can handle it.
  2. Cheat Code Central
    Nov 14, 2011
    80
    Does so many things right. It's an action game for people who like cars, or perhaps a racing game for people who like action. In fact, it's both of these things at the same time. Too often racing games get repetitive and lose their luster about halfway through. The Run takes a simple formula and amps it up to appeal to junkies of both genres.
  3. Digital Chumps
    Nov 14, 2011
    76
    Need for Speed: The Run feels more like a tightly scripted action game than an adaptive racer. If you stop to look around you'll discover a game in service of building toward an experience rather than challenging the player beyond a few trial and error style obstacles.
  4. CD-Action
    Nov 29, 2011
    65
    A reasonable driving model and more attention to details would be enough to make this game significantly better. It seems that at some point the developers ran out of time and as a result the new Need for Speed is decent at best. [December 2011, p.70]
    All this publication's reviews
  5. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Dec 6, 2011
    60
    There's a Hollywood sheen spread over The Run that occasionally makes it sparkle, from the Frostbite 2 engine's environmental effects to the action-movie score. But peer beneath the gleaming veneer and you repeatedly encounter a stomach-lurchingly shallow experience – not unlike any movie you can name by the aforementioned Mr Bay, ironically.
  6. GamePro
    Nov 14, 2011
    60
    The journey across America is beautifully rendered, capturing the varied landscapes spectacularly as you travel over the Sierra, across the Great Plains, and head towards the East Coast. The quality of the movies is very good too, and the characters' faces are nicely rendered to convey emotion. But the story and the gameplay just don't hold up their side of the bargain, and the game ends up falling short of its considerable potential.
  7. Edge Magazine
    Dec 6, 2011
    30
    The Run doesn't have the structure or production values to carry off its concept. Even if it did, its successes would be smothered by a procession of awful technical flaws. Lacking charm and polish, only the Need For Speed name will sell the game – which will no doubt mean that it fares well enough. But in a year that has seen gaming's biggest franchises one-upping each 
other and demanding players' attention like never before, The Run simply doesn't cut it.

See all 48 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 58
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 58
  3. Negative: 13 out of 58
  1. BloodSaint
    Nov 15, 2011
    10
    From dazzling scenery to spectacular set pieces, this is a worthy entry in the need for speed franchise. The frostbite 2 engine makes theFrom dazzling scenery to spectacular set pieces, this is a worthy entry in the need for speed franchise. The frostbite 2 engine makes the whole world just stuningly beautiful and there is only so much that words can describe. Intense white knuckled racing is absolutely addicting. The autolog helps you compete with your friends and makes the game so much more competitive. Multiplayer is splendid and is even more enjoyable with friends as winning gives you much bragging rights. A huge variety of cars to choose, from vintage muscles to modern supercars. This game gives you that adrenaline feeling that few games on todays market offer. A must have for any racing fan, be it arcade or sim fan. This game is absolutely fun and I have no idea why IGN gave it such a crappy score. The only thing I agree with their review is that this game is slightly short but that may perhaps be that Im enjoying myself so much and finished the game too quickly which leaves me craving for me. This game is a masterpiece.… Expand
  2. topsp33d
    Oct 2, 2016
    10
    This Video Game in my opinion is still the best racing game that came out, Don't mistake me for some newbie I've been playing all Need forThis Video Game in my opinion is still the best racing game that came out, Don't mistake me for some newbie I've been playing all Need for speed games since 2002 ,I've set multiplayer records and I am a retired GT3 track racer myself, street racing been in my life since high school and Need for speed is what brought me back to the feeling of my younger days and of course without the danger I really cared about Jack in this game his past was unknown and mysterious which I loved the racing itself is not as thrilling as real racing at first but when really get into the game you feel even more thrill than the real race I played this game in the hardest difficulty so when ever I crashed it felt like I was dying for real, Over and all I get that most people don't see it this way but everything about the Run worked for me thank you for reading and many thanks to the EA for making this exciting games.… Expand
  4. GrumpyReviewer
    Dec 18, 2011
    8
    So much fun. This game is all about fun. Forget about the story - which is in fact a nice touch to the series - and just enjoy the run. ISo much fun. This game is all about fun. Forget about the story - which is in fact a nice touch to the series - and just enjoy the run. I myself am not very much of a driving game fan, but I'm having a blast with this one. Highly recommended to all NFS fans and newcomers. Great game, I don't know what the critics are thinking, giving this game a 6.0. Great graphics, awesome gameplay and challenge. Simply love it.… Expand
  5. chix
    Jun 13, 2014
    6
    I felt like this game deserves a 5/10 but due to the excellent graphics of the people and cars I'll give it a 6/10. This game is aI felt like this game deserves a 5/10 but due to the excellent graphics of the people and cars I'll give it a 6/10. This game is a disappointment in many ways. The story is uninteresting, the way you change your car during a race is a stupid inconvenience and the fact that if your car is a small distance out of the road the game resets you back to the nearest checkpoint and you lose a life, this removes the feeling of driving freely and just makes the game tense for nothing.
    Although some of the action cutscenes are good I would rather recommend you play NFS most wanted(2005), NFS Carbon, NFS hot pursuit(2010) and even NFS 2 on ps1 or if you don't want any NFS then just play Forza or something.    … Expand
  6. DJ_Demon213
    May 12, 2014
    6
    After reading most of the comments, I've realized that most negative comments giving away 0's like they're going out of style are simplyAfter reading most of the comments, I've realized that most negative comments giving away 0's like they're going out of style are simply unwarranted.
    There was a time where Need for Speed didn't need car customization beyond car colors, or even free-roam, a la Underground 1. It's a fast-paced, story-driven racing game that focuses on huge, wonderful-to-experience set-pieces that will have you on the edge of your seat as you rush down the hill of a mountain as an avalanche closes in, or as a subway tram chases you down a dark tunnel.
    "But DJ," I hear you all cry out, "Why only a 6, if it's as great as you say it is? Surely it's worth it to see such a spectacle and experience the story!"
    That's just the issue. There is no real story, and the spectacles wear off once you realize that everyone around you has IQ's equivalent to a box of rocks. Collectively.
    NFS: The Run has you playing as Jack Rourke (a name I had to look up simply because he's that forgettable), a man who apparently is in a lot of trouble with the mob (a concept never delved into deeper than "you did some **** now run as they gun you down with a turret from an overhead helicopter") and is looking for a way out. With the help of his friend and business partner Sam Harper (who also turns out to be his girlfriend? No seriously--where in the hell was this in the story?), Jack manages to find a way into the main 250 racers and begins his race from San Francisco to New York. If it seems as though I'm not entirely giving a thorough report of the story, suffice to say, there isn't much a story to begin with, and with a story-driven racing experience, that's a huge hindrance.
    The wonderful parts are obviously the spectacles, as I've mentioned before. There's something about racing down the snowy patches of the beautifully realized Rocky Mountains or blasting through the sand and dust-covered deserts in Death Valley that just makes evading and racing around the cops that more fun. While many would criticize the turning, you do get a fair warning; they blatantly say it's in between Shift and Hot Pursuit in terms of handling, giving you less of an arcade-y or simulation-y experience for something a bit more...action-y, for lack of a better term (as if the QTE's in game weren't enough of an indication. Also, there's QTE's. Share the frustration)
    However, as fun as blasting and drifting through leaf-covered mountain roads may be, there still lies a major flaw in all of this: the A.I.
    The A.I. competitors and police, frankly, are simply the biggest dicks you will ever find driving the roads. Almost as if they never took Driver's Ed, or driven a car, the police will do everything in their power to **** everything up. I'm looking at you too, competitors; you and your ****ty driving styles have cost me a few complete race resets because of y'all.
    Another thing that bugs me is the choices of cars. Fine enough if you're an mechanophilia (also, feel free to Wikipedia that **** it's an actual term!), but many of the choices never seemed to make a difference. They say that Muscles are better for highways, Exotics for technical courses, Sport cars for Urban, etc., but it never made a difference. I used exotics the whole way through and never bothered picking up some other car until the game made me choose.
    Overall, it's a decent racing experience that would be worth it if EA ever sets it up to go on sale. A rental at best, really, since the game lasts around 2-3 hours.

    Peace.    … Expand
  7. AllDayXbox
    Nov 29, 2011
    5
    Oh my God... This Game...... Its.... Its.......... Terrible! Hot Pursuit was good, but this, what a way to destroy a franchise! The graphicsOh my God... This Game...... Its.... Its.......... Terrible! Hot Pursuit was good, but this, what a way to destroy a franchise! The graphics are great and all, but the Game Play is just boring and repetitive, its only saving grace is the graphical performance and an ok multi-player, but honestly Hot Pursuit is so much better than this waste of $50!… Expand
  8. gui2310gBR
    Apr 23, 2015
    0
    i love nfs most wanted but this not worst game of nfs I played so far **** who created this terrible story not **** and open world so I make ai love nfs most wanted but this not worst game of nfs I played so far **** who created this terrible story not **** and open world so I make a game go stay a great disappointment that the franchise had stopped playing until this garbage that should not even exist :(… Expand

See all 58 User Reviews

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Awards & Rankings

35
#35 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2011
51
#51 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2011