SpyHunter: Nowhere to Run

SpyHunter: Nowhere to Run is an action racing video game developed by Terminal Reality and published by Midway Games released for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. A version for Microsoft Windows was released in 2009, ported by Steel Monkeys. It is the first (and currently only) installment in the Spy Hunter series to allow the player to play as the character and not only the vehicle. Nowhere to Run was intended to be a tie-in to a movie by the same name. The film got stuck in development hell and the game was released as a stand-alone. The game stars Dwayne Johnson as government agent Alex Decker, who replaces Alec Sects, the "SpyHunter" who was to have been the main character of the movie.

SpyHunter: Nowhere to Run
Developer(s)Terminal Reality
Publisher(s)Midway Games
Producer(s)John O'Keefe
Designer(s)Clint Bogue
Programmer(s)
  • Chris Bream
  • Allen Bogue
Artist(s)Adam Norton
Composer(s)
SeriesSpy Hunter
EngineInfernal Engine (PS2 & XBOX)
Platform(s)PlayStation 2, Xbox, Microsoft Windows
ReleasePlayStation 2
  • NA: September 5, 2006
  • EU: September 8, 2006
Xbox
  • NA: September 5, 2006
Windows
  • EU: March 26, 2009
Genre(s)Action, Racing

Plot

Alex Decker, an agent of the International Espionage Service, is transporting an unknown cargo when he is pursued by NOSTRA agents. After escaping the agents, he meets with Karin, another IES agent. Alex and Karin engage in a gun fight against NOSTRA agents. The shipment Alex was carrying is confiscated by Gomez, the NOSTRA leader. Alex's Interceptor performance car is confiscated, and Karin disappears.

A year later, Alex traces his Interceptor to a freighter offshore. With the help of another agent, he downloads codes to recover his car and steal the ship's cargo. As Decker escapes the ship, he is pursued by NOSTRA agents. After a long and arduous chase, Decker escapes the agents and reaches the IES base safely. The base is attacked by the NOSTRA agents, but the IES successfully defend the base. The director of the IES is taken hostage, and the IES launches a counterattack on the NOSTRA base. Upon rescuing the director, Alex pursues Olaf in a lengthy chase, and eventually meets him upon a NOSTRA train. Alex defeats him by throwing him out of the train. The damaged train reaches a secret NOSTRA base, where Alex finds and defeats Cyrus and Marduk.

Decker sneaks onto a NOSTRA plane and tries to fight Gomez, but Gomez escapes. Karin and Decker use an Interceptor to fly out of the plane and pursue Gomez. The fates of the three characters are not revealed.

Reception

The game received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[1][2] It was praised for its script and acting, but highly criticized for its lack of power ups and uninspiring game play when outside a vehicle.

The Times gave the PlayStation 2 version a score of three stars out of five and said that with The Rock in the game, "Midway has got carried away with the cinematic feel of the venture at the expense of gameplay. This is a shame, because in between the fancy film work, a very good game breaks out."[13] However, Detroit Free Press gave the game two stars out of four, saying that "The road [in this game] is too rocky to be a keeper. It's a one-night rental -- tops."[12] Chris McCarver of 411Mania gave the PS2 version 3.5 out of 10, saying, "While I understand Midway and developer Terminal Reality’s need to showcase The Rock and his action-star status for the sake of this game, Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run takes the franchise into entirely new and, sadly, entirely unwanted territory. Even with the out-of-place on-foot gameplay elements, the game would still fall flat due to its lackluster presentation and minimal level of actual fun. The game isn’t without its pros, but weigh them against its compost pile of cons, and Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run becomes little more than a Z-list title relegated to the bargain bin. Thanks for trying, Midway, but this ride’s a broken-down lemon."[14]

In 2017, at The Game Awards 2017, Dwayne Johnson recalled his time with the game and its poor reception, sarcastically stating "I'm still loving that 3/10 review from Game Informer, by the way. 3 out of 10! Thanks, guys. I'm still pissed at that!" while holding up his middle finger. Kevin Hart jokingly states "3 out of 10 is not that bad!", referring to the game.[15]

References
  1. "Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  2. "Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run for Xbox Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  3. "Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run". Game Informer. No. 163. November 2006. p. 130.
  4. Davis, Ryan (September 15, 2006). "Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run". GameSpot. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  5. Vasconcellos, Eduardo (September 11, 2006). "GameSpy: Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run". GameSpy. Archived from the original on October 18, 2006. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  6. "Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run Review". GameTrailers. September 24, 2006. Archived from the original on February 12, 2007. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  7. Pettinelli, Derek (September 17, 2006). "SpyHunter: Nowhere To Run - XB - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  8. Perry, Douglass C. (September 11, 2006). "Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run Review". IGN. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  9. "Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run". Official Xbox Magazine. December 2006. p. 76.
  10. Van Leuveren, Luke (September 19, 2006). "Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run Review - PlayStation 2 Review". PALGN. Archived from the original on September 9, 2007. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  11. "Review: Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run". PSM. December 2006. p. 84.
  12. Toby, Al (October 8, 2006). "Recent releases: 'Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run'". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on October 28, 2006. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  13. McNamara, John (September 16, 2006). "Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run (PS2)". The Times. Archived from the original on September 29, 2006. Retrieved November 4, 2016.(subscription required)
  14. McCarver, Chris (September 14, 2006). "Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run (PS2) Review". 411Mania. Archived from the original on October 30, 2006. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  15. Johnson, Dwayne (December 9, 2017). "The Game Awards 2017". YouTube.
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