The Run
Developer: PRM Games
Publisher: PRM Games
Released on: PC (Steam, reviewed), Android, iOS
Back in 2019, Netflix's Black Mirror show experimented with the interactive movie genre with Bandersnatch, an intriguing episode harking back to the computer game industry of the Eighties. The Run's director, Paul Raschid, has experience of the genre, having created several FMV adventures since 2020's The Complex. And now he's back with this latest game, freshly released on PC following its mobile release back in October.
Zanna Hendricks is a world-famous fitness influencer. On returning from a business trip, Zanna has made a pit stop in the beautiful rolling hills of northern Italy, a well-liked area for runners, home to a healthy yet ageing population. It must be the olive oil.
We join Zanna at an awkward time as she exchanges uncomfortable post-one-night-stand small talk with Matteo, a local farmer. Soon, the binary decisions start to appear: is Zanna nice to Matteo, or does she brush him off? Once her run begins, is she pleasant or standoffish to the locals? As her run continues, more personal dilemmas appear, but these soon become the least of Zanna's worries as several masked men begin stalking her, their intentions very far from benign.
Ex-Hollyoaks and Game Of Thrones actor Roxanne McKee stars as Zanna, and she's perfect in the role, exuding typical influencer hyper-confidence (or arrogance, depending on your point of view). The rest of the cast, including Raschid regular George Blagden and genre stalwarts Dario Argento and Franco Nero, are also good, but the real star of the show is the Italian countryside. Beautiful green expanses, rolling hills and stone brick buildings appear throughout the story, contrasting with the horrific scenes that unfold if you make the wrong choice.
On that note, The Run has 20 deaths to unlock, five unique endings, and two distinct paths to take. There's no holds barred here, so if blood and gore isn't your thing, The Run is probably best avoided.
By its very nature, The Run is not the longest experience, but you'll be hard-pressed to play a more professionally-produced interactive movie. Completists will have fun discovering all the locations and deaths, and the game gives you the option of timed responses, adding a frisson of urgency to proceedings. And while this Billy-no-mates played The Run solo, this type of interactive game is ripe for a group experience, provided no one's too squeamish.
