Car Wot Goes Quicktime: NFS The Run
Need For Speed: The Run, EA's attempt to blend racing with scripted action, continues to intrigue me with the latest trailer. It doesn't really show off that much in-game action, instead opting to set up the story in which the protagonist, Jack, finds himself forced into a $25m-prize race from San Francisco to New York. The trailer seems to hint a few of the events that might take place along the way, such as avalanches and fights with cops. It's going to be genuinely fascinating to see how people react to this hybrid approach.
We know that the game is running in DICE's Frostbite 2 engine, so there's no doubt that the action stuff will be solid, even if it is punctuated by quicktime sequences. Whether these action bits will blend suitably with the racing is hard to see right now, but if they pull it off then it could be a vital step toward story-telling and other mainstream devices for racing. Apparently the racing itself is similar to Hot Pursuit, but not as arcade in terms of handling. That sounds about right to me.
The game is out November 15th in North America and November 18th in the EU.