8Bit/Digi

It’s Beautiful and Deadly

I love the FMV genre. At times, it produces some real trash, but there are amazing little bite-sized gems that feel so charming and full of passion. Even when it’s bad, there are so few that aren’t at least entertaining, either because they’re funny or the behind-the-scenes of how it got made is intriguing. This is also coming from someone who has played Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties more times than I should probably admit to in public. I’m always keeping an eye open for new, interesting games like these, and I’m glad to say that today’s subject is genuinely pretty good, and one that shows off what a modern, simple FMV game can do.

Here we have The Run, a game that makes me tired if I watch it for too long. I’m not the most athletic person, and distance running has never seemed appealing, especially if someone is chasing me. I might not be able to remember the last time I ran somewhere without pressing X, but I feel like this captures the spirit of a real workout and an endurance trial as we explore the famous trails of this small Italian town and try to make the right choices. Things start normally enough, as our main character, famous influencer Zanna Hendricks, must decide how to handle her one-night stand’s continued advances, whether to be nice to local strangers, and which path to take in these scenic woods. It won’t be long before she’s being chased, and these decisions spell life or death. 

Firstly, The Run is beautiful to watch, with fantastic scenery and camera work. It looks like a professional movie, with connecting shots that are painting-esque. Everything is lush and peaceful at first, but the dark greens and greys quickly become ominous and scary, where every new section of trees or old building feels like a serious threat or potential salvation. The small Italian village and surrounding area felt like the perfect backdrop for this type of scary high-tension story.   

A Marathon, Moving at the Pace of a Sprint

From the start, with Zanna waking up in Matteo’s bed after their one-night stand and a potential hangover, this story feels aimed at an adult audience and eager to get into the grit early on. Things begin simply enough, meeting the odd people in the town and fielding a call from her brother to ask for drug money, but before long, there are signs that something isn’t right, flashbacks to fill in some important bits of our heroine’s personality, and there’s more than meets the eye as to why these four murderers are hunting her down. 

FMV stories are often direct and a bit cheesy; this helps with the branching paths and reminds the audience that most of these are about enjoyment and meant to be taken less seriously. The Run lands its tone, pacing for the most part, and I didn’t hate the ending – especially realizing who the killers were – even though it gets a bit wild and comes to a somewhat abrupt stop. It’s similar to an episode of Night Visions, that short-lived horror anthology series that Henry Rollins hosted. It starts pretty normal, lets us figure out if our protagonist is good or bad, and then quickly escalates to keep things moving in a small, yet punchy package.

The game lasts about an hour and fifteen minutes, give or take certain choices and how many deaths the player runs into. It looks like they shot over three hours’ worth for the project, meaning there are plenty of scenes people won’t see in just one playthrough. Thankfully, there is a story map to show us how much we’ve witnessed and what is still hidden. Add that with the ability to skip parts we’ve already seen, and it makes it easy to take another run or two through this one to try and unlock more. There are twenty potential deaths, some of which require a specific series of paths, and five possible endings. I’ve already played through the game three times and plan on at least one more go, just to see a little bit more.

A couple of Zanna’s executions were surprising, and most of the deaths were entertaining, while being quick and brutal. There are a few gory spots, but it’s not overdone. I was pleased to see how decent the fight choreography was as well. Combine this with the presentation and acting, and it’s hard not to think that this might have been considered as a movie early on. Either way, I’m glad we got The Run in this format. 

Of Runners and Hunters 

The two main actors here are Roxanne McKee (Game of Thrones, Hollyoaks), who does a wonderful job as Zanna, and George Blagden (Vikings) in the part of Matteo. Both have very physical roles, as McKee apparently trained and studied up to make sure she looked like a real runner. She’s absolutely stunning in some scenes and does a great job playing both sides of Zanna, depending on what the player chooses. Blagden does well similarly, keeping us on our toes, wondering if we can trust Matteo, and dealing with his own tragic realizations. Being an Italian production, there are a couple of surprise appearances as well, with icons from that part of the world showing up in small roles. Franco Nero, Fabio Testi, and the master himself, Dario Argento, all make brief appearances.

The Run is far from perfect. Because of its format, there are some scenes that we have to see multiple times, a few jumps that feel awkward, and some dialogue bits that come off strangely. Still, it flows quite well, and considering what they were able to put together, it’s hard to be too critical of certain aspects. The choices are straightforward, two options, one of which usually seems obvious as the wrong or ‘rude’ way to go about things. However, the text we pick does not always translate exactly to what Zanna does; sometimes it is more extreme, or simply does not work out the way we thought it should. Not every choice is rewarding, sometimes, they simply avoid death, even if it doesn’t make complete sense. There were a couple of lengthier sections where I thought we could have used more choices, which I think shows that I was into what they’d crafted here. I had some small issues with the interface and certain buttons not being selectable, but I think this may have been my keyboard and controller fighting for superiority.

There are two ways to play: one where the selections are timed, adding to the tension and letting the computer pick a default if we’re unsure, and the other is where the choices pause until the player selects something. Since I played this in a group setting for two of my runs, and it’s an option I imagine many who stream this game will use, I do prefer it, but I think it caused the audio to desync a couple of times. The issue fixed itself quickly, though.

Running can be exhausting, but The Run is intense in a much more enjoyable way, with the right level of violence, mystery, and rough edges for a quick, exciting adventure. It’s another sign of the genre still going strong, and showing how it can entertain us with the most basic mechanics when everything comes together. I played The Run on PC for its recent release, but it has been out for a while on phones, and I imagine it’s great on the go as well. It’s hard not to recommend this one for those who want something short, well-made, and enticing. Head out on that run, but make sure to wear sensible shoes. 

Disclaimer: The publisher, through a PR representative, provided the game used for this review.

This review is the critique and thoughts of one writer. If you want to see how other critics felt, then check it out on OpenCritic.

8Bit/Digi is an independent media outlet that provides insight into the gamer community of the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Run (PC)

8

Excellent

8.0/10

Pros

• Some wonderful visuals and scenic Italian landscapes.
• Good actors, athletics, and fighting.
• Easy choice system that can be timed or paused.
• Enjoyable deaths, decent story, and multiple endings.

Cons

• Some small interface issues and desync.
• Certain choices don’t play out the way they are presented.