Need for Speed Payback

Payback rectified the always online requirement of predecessor reboot Need for Speed but that’s about the only thing it got right. With its predictable story, dearth of police chases – and heavily scripted chases, if there were any – poor handling, unrealistic car damage, loot-box style microtransactions, plus a format which didn’t cohesively translate to open world, Need for Speed Payback is a low point in the otherwise esteemed racing series.

BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT

It seems fitting to kick off with one of the most maligned PC launches for a major game in recent memory. Batman: Arkham Knight – the game itself – has a few issues of its own that don’t sit well with a large number of people, but the game’s PC version in particular has become an infamous example of a poorly handled PC launch for a game. WB Games are no strangers to bad PC releases, but Arkham Knight in particular drew all the negative attention in the world for pretty much every reason possible.

Hitman Absolution

To be perfectly clear, it’s not like Hitman Absolution was terrible. It just failed to really capitalize on what made the series so popular – the sandbox levels that encouraged experimentation and all manner of interesting assassinations. The story was fine and the visuals top-notch but without its rich sandbox, Absolution felt like a stop-gap rather than a real step forward.

EA have released a new video guide which shows how you can access limited edition content for Need For Speed The Run.

We recently reviewed the game which you can check over here.

The game is out now for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, 3DS, Wii and PC.

Need for Speed: The Run is like your typical Hollywood blockbuster action movie but with cars. The concept is simple enough. Last year, Hot Pursuit really gave the NFS brand a much needed boost, but this time it’s not Criterion behind the game, its Black Box studios. They have made some good games like NFS: Carbon; NFS: Underground and the likes, so what about NFS: The Run? After playing the game for a while, it’s clear to me that Criterion is on a league of its own, and Black Box, being a good developer doesn’t hold a candle to them. Why? Because NFS: The Run (henceforth TR) is a completely mixed bag.

EA has been pretty frank with the game, showing off the Michael Bay style trailers with epic cop chases and what not, but yes they want to show you what this game is about, but sadly, Black Box isn’t on top of their game this time. The game is all about going from point A to point B, like every other racing game out there obviously, but there is a twist here. The main protagonist of the game has to travel 3000 miles to his destination in New York but instead of a marathon, you race in small increments with a little bit of variation in the races.

The game runs on DICE’s Frostbite 2 engine, and while Blackbox aren’t capable of ultilizing it the way DICE does, they did a pretty good job here. There are 10 stages in total, with approximately 15 odd minutes required to beat each stage. Hold on, I know what you’re thinking, “Omg, that means we can beat the game in 2 hours?!” Ermm… not really, it doesn’t work that way. I’ve spent two hours just restarting a single stage, just to get the perfect bonus, so the ‘Run Time’ in-game is pretty much useless. If you manage to wreck your car, the game will give you 5 chances to get it right; failure to do so in those allotted chances, will result in restarting the stage. Crashing is sort of inevitable, though, unless you’re a really awesome driver. I really envy you if you are, because I’m not.

The game starts with a crazy cutscene in which the main protagonist called Jack has to escape from an imminent death situation. Then some generic events play out, and it results in Jack driving to New York to earn big bucks, etc. I hate these racing game plots. Seriously, why? It doesn’t work. Jack’s journey will take him on some great environments, which actually showcases the flexibility of Frostbite 2. I really have to mention that the core racing is really fun here. In an arcade game that’s all you could ask for really. I mean, it’s not as good as Hot Pursuit, but it’s well done here. There are a total of 120 cars at your disposal. They’re divided in tiers and feature Supercars, Exotic and the likes.

I really hate the way you have to change a car in this game. You can’t do it via the main menu or in-game menu. You have to do it while racing and taking a break at a… Gas station. I don’t know who came up with that genius idea, but he really doesn’t deserve a pat on the back for this. I used a Lamborghini till Stage 7, and I really felt like I didn’t need any other car. You can win some cars from beating special opponents though. Oh and there are cops. Who doesn’t love wasting some cops? They’re not that aggressive here like in some other NFS games where they can really pin you down, and it is really easy to pass through a blockade, like really easy, so it felt pointless for some reason.

Stage 6 was really great. It felt amazing going at a high speed in a long winding road, crushing opponents and seeing those cool rewards pop up in your screen. Thanks, CoD! Your influence has transcended genres now. The game also features the lovely Autolog system, where you can compare your timing with your friends. Every racing game should have this feature, it’s that good. It’s one of the truly innovative things EA has done this gen. The game does have its annoyances though. The AI for some reason can do some unpredictable things. If you manage to make a slight mistake, they’ll just zoom past you and if you’re doing a time trial then it will be incredibly hard to catch them. You have to be on your toes all the time, as the AI is unrelenting, especially in higher difficulties.

You can level up and once you reach certain levels, you get bonuses like free cars or upgrades like Nitrous. It’s pretty straightforward really. The non-racing part of the game involves heavy use of QTEs, which is so badly implemented that, I wonder why they did this. They could have gone with just cutscenes and very few would have complained. It feels like a useless addition to the game. There are a few multiplayer modes as well, which feels just tacked on for some reason. It is recommended that you play this game on a good home theater system with thumping bass and audio output that will shatter the glasses around you. This game shines with its superb audio design.

If you are a fan of the NFS franchise, then this game would be worth the money, but considering that the replayability factor is low, and unless you are looking an arcade racer this holiday, you would be better off waiting for a price drop. The campaign can give you a lot of fun, but it ends far too early. The other modes aren’t meaty enough, and it just feels like Black Box missed a golden opportunity here, considering EA bestowed them 3 years to make this game.

PS: Easy Achievements/Trophies.

This game was reviewed on the Xbox 360.

Check out the launch trailer for Need for Speed: The Run which is already available on stores right now. We will be reviewing the game soon, so stay tuned for it. The trailer shows some exciting races from the game.

From the Golden Gate to the Empire State — Compete in The Run, an illicit race across the most iconic and treacherous roads from San Francisco to New York. There are no rules and no allies in the cities, deserts, mountains and canyons that stand between you and the finish line.

In Need for Speed The Run, you’ll weave through dense urban centers, rocket down icy mountain passes and navigate narrow canyons at breakneck speeds, all the while evading a relentless police force prepared — and willing — to use lethal force to take you down.

Earlier we reported that the game is 2 hours long, but we will tell you how it actually works in our review soon.

Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

Need For Speed The Run has hit retail. We have the official press release for you below. Take a look below.

The best-selling racing franchise of all time is back — and the stakes have never been higher. Get ready to race for your life in a heart-pounding cross-country race from the Golden Gate to the Empire State as Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that Need for Speed™ The Run is now available at retail stores in India for PC. The game will be available on November 18, 2011 in India for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and on November 23, 2011 on Wii™. Need for Speed The Run has already earned a perfect 5/5 from Stuff Magazine. Men’s Health heralds the game’s “killer racing action,” Univision highlights the “spectacular cars and intense racing” and GameTrailers declares the game “a blast to drive.”

Featuring an all-star cast including Mad Men star Christina Hendricks, Never Back Down’s Sean Faris, 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover Model Irina Shayk and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Chrissy Teigen, Need for Speed The Run takes players on a thrilling cross-country race known simply as “The Run.” With $25 million on the line, players take the wheel as Jack Rourke navigating thousands of miles of treacherous terrain from San Francisco to New York squaring off against 200 other racers all while evading the cops and the mob, who are hot on his trail.

“This is the biggest, fastest and most dangerous Need for Speed game yet,” said Jason DeLong, Executive Producer, Need for Speed The Run. “Need for Speed The Run delivers the series’ trademark thrilling racing and ups the ante with incredible action sequences and stunning performances from our all-star cast.”

We just hope the game does not wrap up in 2 hours as we reported yesterday.

The final developer interview for Need For Speed: The Run is here. Game Designer Justin McGuire tells us about Cop AI in the game, how they react, what sections they’ll play a part in, and what tactics you should use to avoid them.

The game’s been out for a few hours. We’ll have our review for it up very soon.

Stay tuned.

Yes that’s true. According to various reports out there, you can complete the single player in two friggin’ hours. Just when we thought publishers try to skimp on content and release it via DLC, this happens. It’s not a circuit racer, mind you. But still, any single player component that features a 2 hours SP is inexcusable.

The funny thing is, Black Rock studios spent 3 years making this game. Three years! You will get two hours of unique content here, but as I mentioned earlier, if you’re going to spend $60 bucks on this. You better reconsider your decision.

It took this guy 14 minutes to clear stage 1, and there are 10 stages in total. So, do the maths. So what do you think about this development? There are obviously other things here though. EA’s innovative Autolog feature returns and it also contains a MP mode.

Will you pay for a two hour game? Or do you demand more content in your racing games? Tell us in the comments section below.