When I started playing Need for Speed the Run, the latest racing game from EA’s Black Box Studio; I was a more than a little anxious about the length of the campaign. Many reviewers had noted that the campaign was too short, the challenge modes weren’t compelling, and multiplayer did nothing to extend the life of the game. What I first noticed about the game, was just how two dimensional the story element of Need for Speed the Run is; there is a short opening cinematic and then, nothing. After the opening cinematic the others that follow consist mostly of the main character sitting behind the wheel of his car or running from the cops. Albeit more or less silently.
This is a problem, given this is supposed to be a story centered game. A race from San Francisco to New York sounds like a great movie plot after all. Unfortunately, they had to add in some incredibly silly out of the car quick time events in order to try and valid this fact. It would have been far better, if these worthless sequences were replaced with some dialogue, flashbacks, backstory, or even with a villain or quasi-villain that would have given our protagonist someone worthwhile to fight against or overcome. The middle to end of the game, tries desperately to up the intensity of the tone. Only succeeding in making the game even more predictable than the earlier areas.
Even with a very unbelievable storyline, an exciting experience could have been had. I mean in the world of Need for Speed the Run, mobsters have helicopters, unlimited vans firing guns, and would rather kill the person they are trying to collect money from rather than just collecting the money. Also, the main character seems to just around the corner from his next $80,000+ vehicle but doesn’t have the where with all to just fence said vehicles and collect the money for his debt. All this put aside there are ways around such nonsense. After all, in the 1977 release, Smokey and the Bandit; another multistate chase drama. The Bandit, is an extraordinarily unbelievable character. Constantly on the run from the law, making money at a state fair by people paying to “see” him because he is such a legend. Crazy things happen to him, like meeting a runaway bride on his way to delivering illegal beer across state lines and then knowing every possible person that could possibly help him along the way. Having the runaway bride be engaged to the sheriff’s son. Finally, not even excepting the money for his delivery and instead making “another bet.” Which probably should have been Smokey and the Bandit 2. But no one really thinks too much about this while watching Smokey and the Bandit. Or if they do, it seems to make the Bandit look lucky or good. Rather than the whole situation being too unbelievable.
The main difference between Smokey and the Bandit and Need for Speed the Run is story. Smokey and the Bandit starts pretty suddenly and without too much introduction, much like Need for Speed the Run. However, it’s what Smokey and the Bandit does with the rest of the movie that makes all the difference. The Bandit is constantly talking to the others; whether this be in his car or over the CB. The audience gets an idea of who the Bandit is and the reasons he is loved. There is also the general feeling that the cops are lazy and somewhat useless. Which is also, conveyed through actions and images rather than pointed out directly. There is even a love story running through the middle of the movie. I’m sure most guys going to see this movie in the 70’s weren’t too thrilled when that popped up in their action, chase filled movie. But it allowed the movie, at least a little bit, to appeal to a broader audience than just guys. In the age of cell phones and texting, there really is no excuse why a similar story mechanic couldn’t have been used in the Run. Perhaps the developer looked at such a plot mechanism slowing down the pace of the game. But as the game is incredibly short, some filler to simply make a worthwhile story out of it would have been nice. No matter how fast paced your story is, it can’t all be action. I think that is probably action movie 101. Even Michael Bay knows better than that; usually anyway…
Even with Frostbite 2’s less than stellar rendering of people in this game(I’ve seen more convincing models in PS2 games). There could have been a lot more dialogue between the two main characters(if you can call them that). Either keeping the idea that they are talking on an overblown iphone or the developers could have actually had her in the car with him. Perhaps they were worried about needing to do a bunch of facial animations. Well then, dropping the entire “out of car” and story areas of the game completely; adding in some more options on the tracks, perhaps adding a few more miles of road in the process. Along with a MUCH deeper multiplayer would have fixed that. The focus should be either on making a great story or making a deep rich racing game. Because otherwise, we get Need for Speed the Run. Rather than Smokey and the Bandit or Need for Speed Hot Pursuit.
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