Hands On With Need For Speed: The Run

Right at the front of the EA booth here at E3, you'll find the Need for Speed: The Run playable demo. The hands-on experience begins halfway through the live demo shown at the EA press conference. You have just knocked out the cops trailing you and stole their car. You speed down the streets of Chicago's financial district and a helicopter, sent in by the mob, is firing from behind you.

Trying to rely on speed to outrun the helicopter gets you nowhere, and a prompt on screen tells you to swerve to avoid heavy damage. You roll down the road at top speed into a covered underway that gives temporary relief. A timer is counting down on the top of the screen, and you hear the cop radio announce that it's a countdown until the SWAT team arrives.

As soon as you're back under open skies, the attack continues. The mob wants you out of the race, and you're fighting for your life to keep going. The fire from overhead targets a tanker in front of you and causes a massive explosion that sends your ride flying off the road.

You come to, dazed and confused, and you hear the sound of a train approaching from the distance. Looking to the side, you realize you're on the tracks. Desperately, you pound the on screen button to kick open the side door. If you press it correctly you avoid the oncoming train just in time.

The demo leaves you're heart pounding. It's more than just a race from point A to point B, it's you doing everything possible to survive and win. It's not just the cops that are after you; in the game's story, you have a history with the mob, and they are pulling out all the guns to remove you from not just the race, but from the planet.

The game starts in San Francisco and ends in New York City. Gain access to Need for Speed videos, news, and more at EA.com/need-for-speed-the-run.