The Run sees players fill the shoes of Jack, a talented driver who finds himself participating in an illegal yet prestigious race from San Francisco to New York. Not much else is known of the story, although the Run appears to be a massive chase-scene across North America which is sure to be filled with some high-jinks with the police, and twists and turns along the way.

The demo itself allows players to choose between a Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 and a 2012 Porsche 911 S, although you have to notify a friend via message that the demo is out to grab hold of the Porsche – sneaky marketing at its finest.

There are two event types to play: a standard street race and a one-on-one dash down a mountain, which give you a bit of incentive to go as fast as possible. The normal race sees you attempting to beat 10 other racers and plays out similar to that of Hot Pursuit’s race modes. The desert track allows for big speeds, sharp turns and big drifts, while traffic adds a smidgen of difficulty in overtaking the relatively smart AI opponents. The game is looking very cinematic with an impressive dynamic camera that shifts and tilts as the car moves, while crashes are rewarded with some great camera-angles.

The highlight of the demo was undoubtedly the second event, whereby a sprint against an Audi R8 down a snowy Colorado mountain, turned into a fight for survival as an avalanche erupted. Dodging falling snow, boulders and ice around narrow roads, while trying to remain in first position, is an unparalleled experience. As chaotic as the race is, it is also one of the most beautiful as EA’s Frostbite 2 engine (used in Battlefield 3) caters for some of the greatest lighting, particle effects and models seen in games.

It’s safe to say that Black Box are set to deliver one of the most adrenaline-pumping titles come later this year, and Need for Speed: The Run has managed to establish an action/adventure game, hidden within a solid racing title – and that’s something worth keeping more than an eye out for.

The demo gives players the chance to try out three of the game’s missions. The first of which is a tutorial explaining the game’s ‘shift’ mechanic, which allows players to select and take control of any car in the vicinity of Tanner. The concept may sound bizarre, but it works really well within the context of the game and opens up a dynamic variety of vehicles quickly. The reasoning for the ‘shift’ ability is the gift from Tanner’s near-death experience, which acts as an interesting addition to the series.

The second mission is named Team Colors, and plays out like a street-race through the city, except there’s a catch – you’ve got to the two team drivers place first and second. In order to do that you have to ‘shift’ between each car and get up to speed and in front with either car. Look at it as a race where you control two cars on the tracks – it’s definitely an interesting concept.

Escapist is the final mission and is basically a cop-evasion sequence. Shifting into an Audi R8, you’ve got to escape the police and get to a particular point without being followed or chased down. The chases are exciting and intense with big crashes and even bigger speeds; not far from NFS: Hot Pursuit or Burnout.

The driving feels like the perfect mix between an arcade racers and a realistic driving experience. The cars feel realistic, but have more than enough drift and handling to throw some awesome looking power-slides. The overall feel of the game is not unlike that of an action-movie and the gameplay and intriguing story benefit that to a great extent.

So far Driver: San Francisco is looking like a game any fan of the genre will be instantly familiar with, although it has some new tricks up its sleeve which are going to mix up the traditional formula quite a bit. We are definitely looking forward to its release this September.

While Rugby doesn’t get an annual release, RWC 2011 is undoubtedly the follow up to HB Studios’ previous release, Rugby 08. From the initial trailers and screenshots, gamers have been immediately comparing the game to its predecessor, and to some extent they’re right, but it’s not a bad thing.

As dated and problematic as Rugby 08 was, it was an incredibly addictive and fun game, and built a solid foundation for future rugby games to flourish from. The developers acknowledge this and have used a lot of elements that made Rugby 08 so fun to play, while adding the tweaks and touches the game so desperately needed.

At first glance the game looks pretty decent. It’s not a gorgeous game by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s definitely a step-up to the current generation of consoles. Player likenesses are here and there, although each player (despite size or skin tone) does seem pretty generic. On the good side, the presentation is tops, as the official World Cup music and team sheets are displayed awesomely. The commentary tracks are very well put together and seem natural; and the player has a choice of different commentary teams which is a nice addition.

The game plays very similarly to Rugby 08 as a lot of the elements and pieces of gameplay remain largely unchanged; although the game now ‘feels’ different. The pace of the gameplay is a lot faster, as passing; rucking, tackling and kicking all seem clinical and fluid. What’s good though is that the players feel more realistic as they have a certain ‘weight’ to them, making their acceleration and angle changes a lot more realistic. Set-plays are also back and are much easier and effective in-game as they can be launched from anywhere.

Lineouts, scrums and rucking seem relatively similar to Rugby 08, and although we got a good chance to try them all out, it’s hard to tell if the dynamics and difficulties of the structured pieces differ with different teams; so we’ll have to assess them in the final release.

Rugby World Cup 2011 demo has left us in two-minds. In one, it seems awfully familiar with previous releases, although it does bring a lot new to the table which should mix up the formula enough to keep us coming back. Check back for the full review towards the end of August as the game is released on the 26^th of this month.

For those who may not know, Sonic Generations is set to deliver the tried-and-trusted Sonic formula that made gamers fall in love with the series in the first place, along with next-generation Sonic experience. The game alternates between old and new school Sonic, and therefore the 2.5D and 3D perspectives.

The demo is a rebuild and reimagining of the original Green Hill Zone in early Sonic titles, and shows off old-school Sonic’s speed and agility in the 2.5 plane. From the get go the game looks gorgeous. The nostalgia is there as the visuals and sounds represent that of Sonic 1, although the detail, depth and gorgeous 3D modeling give the level and characters a new spark of life. Everything from the music right down to the skidding sounds are representative of the original games – something that’s going to please fans.

As for the gameplay – it’s fast. Sonic Generations has to be one of the quickest and most exhilarating Sonic experiences you’ll ever play. The trademark lightening pace of the character has definitely been embedded within Generations, and most importantly it feels that way. This results in the platforming being quick and frantic just how we like it, with mesmerizing 3D loops and pipes to race through as you continue to gawk at the speed.

So far we’ve only been treated to one level, and we like what we see. This is a true revival of old-school gaming and we cannot wait to see what the new Sonic levels have to offer. If you’re a Sonic fan who’s been holding onto the slight glimmer of hope for some time, pull yourself up because this is what you’ve been waiting for.

While the demo doesn’t exactly tell much of the Duke Nukem Forever story, it certainly gives players a good taste of what is to come. From the get go the inappropriate workings of the game are shown to you as you’re requested to tap R1/RB in order for Duke to take a ‘pee’ (no, we’re not joking). Filthy bits aside, you’re dropped into a boss battle with a fairly huge boss on a football field.

The second stage of the demo gives players a taste of the driving segments of the game, which in short are tons of fun to play through as you dodge boulders tossed at you and ride over bad guys to watch their guts go flying.

The demo doesn’t show much, but you can expect to have fun with Duke Nukem Forever thanks to its over the top, hyperbolic violence gameplay. The game feels fast paced and fluid, giving you little time to think and more time to shoot the head off whatever runs at you. So far the good old favourite guns have returned and you can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia as you blow off the heads of the strange boar-like aliens.

To add to the Duke Nukem vibe, the visuals have also been super stylized and lack the polished appearance this gen has shown us but this looks like a conscious move on the developer’s side. Whether this is true or not, you won’t find many tears lost as you watch enemies heads swell and explode after a headshot.

So far the King’s return is looking to be a promising one. However, Friday will be judgement day to decide if Duke’s gum chewing days are in fact over.

The ninth iteration is back and meaner than ever with an onslaught of new tricks up its sleeve. In the demo, players are able to try out series favourite’s Scorpion and Sub-Zero, while also giving the ‘ol ball-busting Johnny Cage and Mileena a little tryout before the game hits store shelves.

The choice of single-player ‘ladder’ mode is available whereby players have the chance to work their way up the four demo characters, or there is also a two-player versus mode for you and a friend to try out – which is what MK is really made for.

Right from the get-go, it’s immediately evident that the game is reinvigorating its blood-soaked past by featuring many of the same levels which became synonymous with the franchise. The nostalgia doesn’t end there as the game feels and plays just as fluidly as the original.

Players move and perform attacks just as they did over a decade ago, and the fighting is fast and ferocious, giving players the intense MK experience they’ve been longing for. Complex moves and powers are easy to execute and you never seem overwhelmed by the control scheme ahead of you.

As for the specific characters, Scorpions array of chained-spear, fire and sword attacks all return and he definitely appears as if he’ll be a fan-favourite once again. Sub-Zero’s ice moves have always been a winner and this time around he’s got some really interesting offensive and defensive abilities that are going to leave fans smiling.

Johnny Cage didn’t wow us too much, although we feel there are some moves and tricks NetherRealms are still hiding from us. Mileena on the other hand has some deadly close-quarters attacks and her grab moves are downright vicious.

A new feature that is on display is the X-Ray attacks. Once a player fills up his ability bar three times, their character can unleash a bone-crunching attack with the simplicity of the shoulder buttons. Miss the move, and your bar is depleted; land the move and you’ll be treated to the horrific yet gorgeous sight of ribs cracking, jaws breaking and skulls shattering as some truly brutal moves are used.

And finally, to the Fatalities. Don’t expect what we saw in MK vs DC to go down here. These are uncensored, over-the-top and as utterly visceral as Fatalities get, and thanks to a great and descriptive command list, they are easy to perform. If Sub-Zero’s “freezing an opponent’s legs and ripping their torso clean off to let the bowels and organs fall out” is your kinda thing, you’ll feel right at home.

So far, Mortal Kombat is looking to be the reboot everyone’s been waiting for and we don’t see NetherRealms letting anyone down. MK, there’s only one thing left to say… “Get over here!”

Ever since the announcement of Crysis 2 we’ve all been dying to know what the sequel to the PC exclusive is going to be like. Not too long ago Crytek announced that the game would feature a multiplayer component and with the recent drought of epic multiplayer games, we could help but get excited.  Thankfully we had the opportunity to play through the Crysis 2 multiplayer demo.

The demo features a single Crysis 2 multiplayer map as well as two game modes to go along with it. The first being your standard team death match playlist and the other an objective based game mode which requires teams to capture and hold certain areas which gives them points. While these may not seem new, they still make for some entertaining play time.

The actual gameplay of the multiplayer contains some great features which set it apart from other shooters. During a single match, players will have a number of power-ups at their disposal.  These include invisibility cloaks, armour powers ups, enemy warning devices as well as the ability to air smash enemies. One of the other great features of the game is that the overall pace is very fast thanks to lightning like sprinting as well as the fact that your character is capable of some serious jumps which allow you to get up buildings at an alarming rate.

The weapons are well balance and overall the shooting feels fairly solid. It could use some work in order to perfect the feel when shooting. Guns are also customisable and as you rank up you will be able to add attachments such as silencers, scopes, extended mags as well as an attachment which creates a decoy.

While the multiplayer for Crysis 2 may be the side show for the single player, it would be great to see it take off. With a little polishing of some aspects here and there, this has the potential to become a cult multiplayer game.

Bulletstorm is one of the titles for 2011 that seems to have created some excitement for its February release date.  EA recently made the demo available on Xbox Live and PSN. We had a chance to play through the demo and this is what we thought.

In the Bulletstorm demo very little is said about the story and all that is given away is that the protagonist and his group of allies have crash landed on some unknown planet. There is no need to feel overtly disappointed as Bulletstorm seems to be more about the action than the story line.

The game plays out as a first person shooter but Epic Games have added a whole new dimension to this genre. Aside from the regular running around and shooting bad guys in order to progress, Bulletstorm requires the player to try and rack up high scores for killing enemies. This is achieved by trying to kill enemies in skillful and creative ways in order to earn large multipliers. Equipped with some awesome weapons, a melee attack which throws your enemies up into the air in slow-motion, as well as a power electrical whip, players will be able to really conjure up some beautiful attacks to kill their foes.

From what we can tell Bulletstorm is looking to be a promising title thanks to its fresh gameplay, its meaty Gears of War feel as well as its pointless yet cool Duke Nukem-like comments in between killing bad guys. Stay tune to GamesCastLive.com for the full review of Bulletstorm in February.

It’s expected that players get an updated roster, graphics that are a little shinier and some small improvements to the large variety of game modes; and this is the case for SvR 2011. The visuals still look very impressive for the genre and the character models and entrance videos are a little more polished streamlined this time around, although there are no glaringly obvious changes.

All the fan favourite modes are there and there is an addition of a new game type. The WWE Universe match type basically creates weekly shows whereby players will have to compete in random matches which could range from anything. At the end of the ‘show’ players will have to defend or contend for the title. It’s an interesting new addition which adds the excitement and continuity of the TV show to the video game.

As for the gameplay, it hasn’t noticeably changed from last year’s installment. However players are able to enter and fight in the backstage areas during the story mode, although it barely changes anything. It seems THQ and the developers are backing their gameplay mechanics as smaller and smaller improvements seem to be evident each year.

Smackdown vs Raw 2011 is still the best wrestling game on the market, but maybe it’s because there isn’t any other contenders. Some competition in the wrestling ring may do the genre good, as although SvR 2011 is still a good game, fans may be getting disenchanted by buying the same game each year.

Fans of the series will be glad to know that NFS is back to its police-chase roots that catapulted the original Hot Pursuit into video game stardom. Within the demo we played, players have the chance to try out both sides of the law; the cop and evading racer. The first race type requires the player to chase down and demobilize a group of street racers before they reach the end. Playing as the cop, you’ll have a variety of tricks up your sleeve all mapped out to the D-Pad. Dropping spike-strips, calling in helicopter backup and creating roadblocks are some of the pieces of arsenal to help you takedown the racers when playing as the cop.

The other race game type sees players taking control of one of three gorgeous sports cars in a dash to the end. The cars handle excellently, falling somewhere between the lines of recent NFS titles and Burnout’s handling feel. The sense of speed and exhilaration is definitely there, with the ability to use nitro when drifts or passes are made successfully.

To call the visuals ‘eye-catching’ would be an understatement. Hot Pursuit features some of the most gorgeously detailed racing environments and backdrops seen within the genre, and not to mention the cars look absolutely stunning. Criterion’s signature Burnout crashes can be seen filtering into the NFS series as cars flip and tear apart when collisions occur, adding some finess and spice to the already impressive presentation.

Hot Pursuit is already looking like one of the sure bets this year, and is wowing in every facet of its gameplay and presentation. We look forward to its release on the 19^th of November.