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.

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 is certainly that.

However, what we saw of Need for Speed: The Run didn’t really impress. 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.