We seem to have been blogging about Need For Speed The Run for months now, and finally we're less than one week away from the game's launch on November 15.
Before it hits the streets, we had an opportunity to sit down in a secure room and demo a near-production version of the game in both the single- and multiplayer modes.
Having already seen several videos and played a couple of levels, we knew what to expect but were still blown away by the cinematic effects in the game.
It all begins with the superb, high-quality graphics that create an unnerving version of reality. The impressive reflections we saw in the cars' bodywork in the prototype game are still there, only now they're accompanied by frantic action and lush scenery, so deep you could picnic at the side of the road!
Being single isn't always so bad when you're having fun, and NFS The Run certainly lives up to this ethos. Jumping into the game at level one, the main character Jack is introduced as he's about to meet a grisly end at the hands of the mob.
Predictably, our hero escapes in the midst of an epic car chase. We were delighted to discover the getaway car was an Audi RS4, so European car fans will immediately feel at home.
The chase ends when you manage to lose your armed pursuers but get it wrong and the game rewinds a number of times to ensure you don't have to start each level again. There's none of the usual frustrations of getting it slightly wrong and playing over and over. The action is frantic from the start and appears to never let up.
With video games grossing as much as many Hollywood movies, the storylines could rival many of Tinseltown's biggest hits. The camera angles, lighting, car chase and lead character all lend themselves to the big screen.
Having escaped, you meet your accomplice who has entered you in a race from San Francisco to New York. It's your chance to escape the mob and make it big.
Again, the storyline fits into the gameplay seamlessly and sets up the next 3000 miles as you race across North America.
The game unfolds further when you select a car for the opening stages of the race, and again we were happy to find a carbon-clad BMW M3 Coupe parked in the garage besides some JDM and musclecar options - Electronic Arts seem to have done their homework, providing cars that appeal to a broad audience, yet still satisfying our Euro niche.
From here, you're into the game itself; evading the police to escape San Fran, crossing the Golden Gate, heading into the mountains and on to Vegas.
During each level you're given targets of time or the number of cars to overtake. Fail to do this and you get a do-over or the opportunity to make up time with high-speed freeway runs.
While previous Need For Speed games felt more like carmageddon, The Run makes you want to preserve your ride. Not only because they look so good but because you need to push hard and make up distance, not lose time spinning into the scenery.
There's a great mix of city, country and freeway roads, allowing petrolheads to live out their darkest street racing fantasies, which would otherwise be totally illegal.
Throughout the action we kept being amazed by the graphics, such as the carbon weave on the hood or the detail in the road surface itself. The scenery also unfolds as you cross the country; we went from from city highways to desert canyons and dirt road shortcuts as we raced into the Vegas desert.
If there's any criticism, it's that the driving lacks finesse. As we mentioned in a previous blog, this isn't a simulator like Forza Motorsport 4; it's a racing game where the fun is in the high-speed maneuvers and crazy swerves to avoid oncoming traffic. It's about passing rivals, meeting time goals and pushing the car hard.
From the crazy nitrous boost you accumulate while driving, you're always going too fast for the corners. Unfortunately, the brakes are wooden so you simply press hard and get on the gas. The fastest line seems to be the most destructive - sliding around the barriers at speed is quicker than braking and accelerating through a turn but again, that's the nature of this game.
Taking the off-road shortcuts should have you oversteering on the loose surface, but grip levels appear the same as on asphalt. The only time you really notice a loss of grip is when there's ice on snow-covered roads. The graphics allow you to spot the slick ice and the car slides more as you'd expect.
Overall, we'd have wished for more physics in the car behavior beyond the understeer you get in each turn, yet its entertaining nonetheless and doesn't detract from the experience.
Another nice touch is the ability to pull into a gas station to swap cars. This is recommended wherever the road conditions change - go for sports cars on high-speed sections, and maybe sport compacts in the mountains, etc.
The cars you can choose range from a Mk1 VW Rabbit to a Bugatti Veyron, and everything in between. We were happy to find ourselves tangling with an E30 M3, Ur Audi quattro and Focus RS in the Yosemite sections, as well as a string of muscle- and sports cars.
With its hectic pace, good storyline and changing terrain, we found the single-player campaign in The Run highly addictive. Each challenge introduced a new element to prevent it from becoming repetitive. And while it might not be a pure driving game, NFS The Run remains a competitive racing game
Your online persona is created by a series of unlockable icons and backgrounds that are customized in your game Profile. Once established, you select a Playlist to start racing online. You can also create a Playgroup with your friends if you wish.
Even when racing online, you're given objectives to unlock icons, cars and XP credits. You get extra points for leading a race, winning, passing, drifting, etc.
Once online, you join a session that comprises a number of races - between three and five during our demo. Your result in each race combines to give your overall position and unlock further prizes. The top prize in each session is decided by a roulette wheel, ranging from cars to trophies and XP.
Once you complete a session, players vote on a choice of two sessions to follow. One might be in the mountains on snow, the other in the city with jumps.
Racing online is as fast and furious as the single-player mode. It's perhaps more frustrating to see rivals rush at full speed into the crash barriers and pass you around the outside as you attempt to take the proper racing line.
Fortunately, the crash and turn technique usually leads to tears at the next turn when they plough through the barriers or over a cliff, leaving you to take the checkered flag. You can also get caught up in their accidents and find yourself respawning at the back of the grid...
In general, however, once you reset your brain to race NFS-style, you sessions are fun and rewarding. XP piles on fast and unlocking different cars increases your options.
Driving in the snow again seemed to offer the best opportunity for car control, but the ability to use nitrous to pass your opponents means even the hamfisted can win if they time it right.
We probably enjoyed the cinematic single-player mode over the multiplayer, but a group of friends can have hours of fun pushing each other into the scenery online. So Need For Speed The Run gets a eurotuner thumbs up for being a fun way to stay warm over winter.