Ex Electronic Arts devs are making a classic looking, arcade style basketball game.
In recent years companies making sports games are focused on delivering a realistic game representing each sport. The only ones breaking this habit are Nintendo devs, with their Mario sports titles and Switch Sports game.
And you know what. It’s about time we bring back some of that old arcade charm to sports games. That’s where Play by Play Studios comes to the rescue. The studio brought to life by former devs from EA has revealed their first game, The Run: Got Next, which totally looks like a spiritual successor to the NBA Street series.
The studio wants to break the habit of bringing only simulation focused, realistic sports video games, and bring us a fresh spin on the genre, starting with a basketball title.
We just got the trailer showing us three playable characters: Spin Cycle, Zamboni and High Wire. Each sporting a distinctive look and personality. The atmosphere is oozing from the reveal trailer. The Run: Got Next will feature cel shaded graphics with colorful and lively characters and environments. It really looks like a throwback to the days of street sports games.
The only caviat is a visible low budget. While the characters and environment design are awesome, the animations in the trailer look quite stiff. But I won’t judge the game after just one teaser trailer. I’m rooting for the devs at Play by Play and wish for them to release a great game that will sell many copies.
Unfortunately there’s no gameplay to be found at the moment, but we will wait patiently for it. The Run: Got Next is slated for 2025 release. The game will be available on Playstation 5, Xbox Series S|X and PC via Steam, where you can wishlist it already.
