TL;DR
Experience a heart-pounding survival thriller in The Run, a groundbreaking interactive film that blurs the line between cinema and gaming. Starring Roxanne McKee as fitness influencer Zanna, the story plunges you into a high-stakes chase through the Italian mountains as she evades a group of masked killers. With high-quality acting and a seamless, dynamic soundtrack by composer Glen Gabriel, this title stands out as a premier entry in its genre. While the narrative offers a focused path, the inclusion of 20 unlockable death sequences and multiple endings ensures high replayability for completionists. Whether you’re braving the timed pressure solo or making choices with a group, The Run delivers a polished, atmospheric experience that proves you don't need a high-end PC to enjoy premium interactive storytelling. Dive into our full review to see why this is a must-play for fans of suspense and cinematic gaming.
Zanna (Roxanne McKee) is a world-famous fitness profile, and to celebrate another milestone in her career, she has traveled to a remote running trail in the picturesque mountains of northern Italy. Behind her tough facade, Zanna hides a traumatic past, and just a few kilometers into her run, she is ambushed by a group of masked killers. They pursue her relentlessly through the landscape, and the morning run quickly turns into a struggle for life and death.
First encounter with The Run
I heard about the game The Run for the first time at Guldbaggegalan, of all places. In the crowd, I met the composer Glen Gabriel and we started talking about our respective projects. He then mentioned that he was the composer for the game The Run and gave a brief description of what it was about. So, when the opportunity arose to test the game, I took it immediately.
An interactive film rather than a game
The Run is, similar to games like American Hero and Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties, entirely built from recorded film sequences with minimal interaction. It is more like watching an interactive movie than playing a traditional game. Something that The Run manages better than the other two titles is that the acting is often quite good, and it’s clear that thought has been put into creating an engaging story—not just a game.
Linearity and choices
What is a bit of a shame with The Run is that it sometimes becomes painfully clear how linear it is. Even though you have some choices along the way, the game can only end in two ways, even if there is a plethora of murder sequences to unlock. There is a clear map where you can follow your progress and see if you have missed any sequences you haven’t seen before.
When logic falters
The game creators have done many things well with The Run and solved most issues, but there are some sequences that are downright foolish, where we don’t understand the characters’ choices at all. I won’t reveal the ending, but there are several question marks before reaching the final sequence—for example, why our heroine doesn’t even consider why her phone works, yet still chooses not to call for help.
Two ways to play
You can play the game in two ways, choosing between timed or non-timed choices. If you choose timed pressure, the game becomes more dynamic for a solo player, while it works better without time pressure if playing in a group.
Replay value
Thanks to the fact that there are 20 death scenes to unlock and five different endings, the replay factor is still quite high until you have unlocked everything. Once you have seen a sequence once, you can also skip it the next time.
Italian film legends in the cast
The game creators have also invited two legends of Italian cinema to play roles in the game. I won’t reveal who they are, but it is definitely epic.
Technical requirements
The Run is currently only available for PC, and since the game doesn’t have any graphics to speak of, no powerful computer is needed. You can manage with a mere 2 GB RAM and a simple graphics card to play The Run without any problems.
Interview with Glen Gabriel
I took the opportunity to interview Glen Gabriel about the game and asked how he got involved with the project and what the biggest musical challenge was.
“I (Glen Gabriel) came into contact with The Run when I met its Music Supervisor, Mason Cooper, at the Composer Summit in Prague. My music was performed live by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, and he was in the audience and loved what he heard. We started talking about the project while they were still filming in Italy, and I was later introduced to the director Paul Raschid – and we clicked immediately. This was my first game or interactive film project, so it was extra exciting to show what I’m capable of. Thanks to my experience in film and TV music, I caught on quite quickly. The director showed me how the platform works and how music is usually made for interactive film, which is quite specific. The transitions between scenes must work based on the player’s choices, and you avoid music with long, drawn-out notes because they are cut off when the scene changes. My lack of familiarity with the genre, combined with persistence, prompted me to think in new ways and develop ideas a bit differently than usual. With incredible collaboration with the director and the sound team, we found a new way to create interactive film music that really flows across all the cuts.”
The importance of the music
The music is clearly one of the strongest aspects of The Run. It flows seamlessly throughout the game, even when the player makes different choices.
In summary, I want to recommend The Run. It is an entertaining interactive film, and because the game is larger than I first thought, the replay value is quite high. The Run is clearly the best game I have played so far in this genre.
As a footnote, I was involved in making a short film ten years ago that has a sequence very similar to an event in The Run. Below are trailers for both, so you can judge for yourselves.
PRM Games sent code for this review. Providers of material have no editorial influence on our tests.
