EA is cranking out the Need for Speed releases this year. Last month the publisher gave us the arcade-racing sim hybrid Shift 2: Unleashed by Slightly Mad Studios. The Shift 2 track-based racer left behind many of the trademarks of the franchise, such as running from cops, in order to play in the same league as games like Gran Turismo.
Now, the franchise is showing that it hasn’t left its arcade roots too far behind. EA has announced Need for Speed: The Run, which will be coming out November 15 in North America this year (November 17 for Europeans). It will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Nintendo 3DS and also for PC. This is number 18 in the Need for Speed line.
The story line involves an illegal cross-country race called The Run. Players begin in San Francisco and end in New York, racing against fellow outlaw drivers while running from the cops like the good old days. From the trailer it looks like Denver and Las Vegas are sure stops in “the race of your life”.
No word on whether Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise and their Dodge Tradesman ambulance will be making an appearance in the game…
The Run hails the return of EA Black Box, who gave us Need for Speed : Underground and Most Wanted among others in the franchise line. The Run will be using Digital Illusions CE’s Frostbite 2.0 engine which you may remember from Battlefield 3. The Frostbite engine has typically been a game engine used for first-person shooters. Also, the upcoming arcade racer will use the Autolog social competition system just like the last few Need for Speed titles.
