Over the weekend, Electronic Arts announced yet another new title in their long running Need for Speed Franchise. Titled Need for Speed The Run appears to be an attempt to take the title back toward the story-driven underground street racing scenarios that were arguably responsible for the series' descent into mediocrity. It's also being developed at EA's Vancouver-based Black Box studio, who -- although having recently redeemed themselves with the Skate skateboarding titles -- were the crew behind said decline (NFS: Most Wanted, Carbon, ProStreet and Undercover), before UK-based Criterion revived the brand in the eyes of many with last year's Need for Speed Hot Pursuit.

All we have to look at so far is a cinematic teaser trailer, but the good news is that The Run will be powered by DICE's Frostbite 2 Engine, the same tech that will be powering the visually-stunning Battlefield 3.

Using the groundbreaking Frostbite 2 engine, Need for Speed The Run will set the bar with unparalleled visual quality and enhanced physics. Need for Speed The Run will also take immersive storytelling to a new level with cutting edge performances that will draw the player into a world with no speed limits, rules or allies. Autolog, the Need for Speed franchise’s revolutionary social competition functionality, is back and better in Need for Speed The Run as it will continue to reinvent how people play games, track career progression and compare game stats.

Check out the teaser trailer below (or click here for HD) and let us know what you think in the comments. Could this continue with Criterion's good work or is it resigned to be just another forgettable romp for the Fast and the Furious generation?

Need for Speed The Run is due on PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii and Nintendo 3DS in Australian on November 17 2011.