Althoughmovement mechanicsused to be secondary elements to video games' core gameplay, they have become much more relevant.
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Many modern games value and exploit the act of movement with much more emphasis, either by focusing directly on it or by integrating it naturally into their proposal.
Thanks to this, from shooters to platformers,interactive experiences are more fluid and enjoyable since both the path and the destination are equally attractive.
Therefore, I acknowledge those works that give more consideration to their characters' agility with thislist of ten games with amazing wall-running mechanics.
10Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Hyper-speed Platforming
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (duplicate)
Given technology’s progress and its increasing proximity to an apparent limit, it’s increasingly difficult to perceive a difference between console generations.
For all these years, I didn’t feel there was an extraordinary transformation within video games, butRatchet & Clank: Rift Apartis one of the first games that made me feel at a new stage in the industry.
Its graphical and technological prowess surprised me from the first moment, and although its wall-running mechanics aren’t notably complex,they are fluid and entertaining,especially due to the great level design.
If you add its captivating particle physics, sound effects, and the spontaneity with which the wall-running sections appear, I thinkRift Apartis worthy of a mention.
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It’s among the games with the best climbing mechanics I’ve enjoyed, but the realism with which it represents this physical activity also makes it a part of this article.
In that regard, unlike the rest of the games on the list,running on walls is done legitimately,tied to a rope that holds you up and subjects you to genuine laws of physics.
They’re not spectacular, but the use of tight and realistic controls to convey movement sensations makes these wall-running mechanics unique and memorable.
8Jet Set Radio
An Art Movement
Jet Set Radio
I fondly remember my time with the Dreamcast. It was my first console and the one that got me hooked on the world of video games, withJet Set Radiobeing largely responsible for it.
Even though I was young, I couldn’t help but feel completely enthralled by the grace of the characters' movements, alongside the game’s iconic soundtrack and superb artistic component.
However, for someone who didn’t understand the language or the objectives, moving around the map was the best,while skating on the walls was always my favorite action because of the momentum it gave you to keep rolling.
Jet Set Radiohas aged phenomenally, and moving around its world is still so addictive thanks to the fantastic and exaggerated characteristics it gives to the sport.
7Ninja Gaiden
Hack-and-Slash Pioneer
Ninja Gaiden
I’ve always heardNinja Gaidenwas one of thebest hack-and-slash games, but I never heard people talk about its movement mechanics as much as they should have.
As it took me years to play it for the first time, and I’d already played through the genre’s greats, likeGod of War,Devil May Cry, andDarksiders, I didn’t know if expectations would be met, but the title managed to exceed them.
Despite its age, the title boasts highly demanding action and platforming,with highly acrobatic wall-running that forces you to master the gameplay and increases the power fantasy we experience in the skin of Ryu Hayabusa.
Thus,Ninja Gaidenis on my list of the classics that have impacted me the most for its ability to withstand the passage of time, as it feels like a significant challenge that generates a lot of satisfaction.
6Darksiders 2
Chained Runs
Darksiders 2
Darksiders 2is a game thatcombines multiple genres phenomenally. As a hack-and-slash, RPG, open-world, and platformer, it’s a very well-rounded title.
Sure, combat is its strong point, with wonderful bosses and endless possibilities for weapons, powers, and combos, but the moments in which you traverse its map and dungeons are also stellar.
Therefore,my favorites are those where Death shows off his maximum agility. Chaining together wall runs with jumps at impossible angles to grab onto pillars hanging from the ceiling and propel himself to another wall to continue running is more than memorable.
Darksiders 2’s platforming sequences are multiple and dazzling, but they never lose the mastery they demand from the player to be able to complete them.
5Sunset Overdrive
Traversal Fantasy
Sunset Overdrive
If you fuseJet Set Radio’s colorful and fast-paced essence withDarksiders 2’s delicate and constant nature, you get the movement ofSunset Overdrive, a title that time has put in its place as underrated.
With its enthusiasm and freedom, Insomniac Games' creation is the perfect demonstration of how the act of moving is completely entertaining. In this game, it isn’t a means to an end, but an end in itself.
Due to its vast map and the facilities it gives you to move without constraints,you can chain together endless sequences of movements,including running on walls until the end of time.
With its impossible direction changes, kilometer-long jumps, and tons of interactive surfaces,running on Sunset Overdrive’s walls is the best way to combine its arsenal of possibilities.
4Titanfall 2
The Most Fluent FPS
Titanfall 2
Among the biggest problems modern FPS titles have experienced is feeling too artificial, with a bland formula where everything is too predictable.
However,Titanfall 2broke away from the genre’s monotony through its emphasis on movement, offering one of the last decade’s most fluid, cinematic, and fun experiences.
With its double jumps, dashes, and wall-runs, alinear gamehas never been so entertaining and spectacular. It’s still a wonderful FPS, butit takes advantage of platform games' characteristics to create an unforgettable campaign.
And that’s the word that best definesTitanfall 2: unforgettable. Its few hours of fun are wonderfully intense and perfectly designed, especially thanks to the extra dimension its great movement adds to the equation.
3Ghostrunner
The Eternal Wall-running
Ghostrunner
I’ve talked a lot about chaining moves together, combining different styles of traversal, and power fantasies, and all of this brings us toGhostrunner.
Despite being a plucky AA title, I’ve rarely seen such a resemblance between the trailers and the final game.The cinematic performance the title promises is just like whatyou enjoy when you have your hands on the controller, and it’s masterful.
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Given its puzzle style andone-shot kills, it also becomes both a mechanical and cognitive challenge. Mastering the move set is one thing, but knowing the best routes to execute them on is quite another.
When, after countless attempts, you discover the series of wall-runs, jumps, grappling hooks, and dashes that you must do to exterminate all the enemies without perishing, it’s indescribably satisfying.
As a result,Ghostrunneris compact and epic.It feels fun to play and enthralling to watch, which is a rather rare duality nowadays.
2Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Timeless Movement
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
When you’re one of the first to set a trend, I feel there’s a special merit to it, and that’s precisely what I think aboutPrince of Persia: The Sands of Time.
The3D platforming genrewasn’t exactly popular at the time, and likeNinja Gaiden, this game took it upon itself to place a new set of ideas and possibilities in the industry with its magnificent adventure.
Regardless, the quality and precision with which it did so puts it even above its modern peers.The Sands of Timeis a timeless creation whose movements and systems were way ahead of its era.
I’d be lying if I said that the first time I made a wall-run, I didn’t feel butterflies in my stomach. I was young, yes, but it was a magical experience that, even today, still feels like one.
ThePrince of Persia seriesis among the best action-adventure franchises for many reasons, but I’m willing to say its platforming sequences are the main ones.
1Mirror’s Edge
Parkour’s Masterpiece
Mirror’s Edge
If we’re talking about charm, sensations, freedom, flow state, or just plain wonder, I’m afraid few games can match whatMirror’s Edgegenerates.
I find it hard not to place Faith’s journey on every list it can be included in because of its overall greatness. Aside from its combat, which is terrible, it’s a beautiful journey from start to finish.
Being the best parkour video game,it’s normal to assume it has the best wall-run mechanics. When you play it, you realize it is completely logical reasoning and that it does indeed have the finest ones.
Its immersion, level design, and setting position it above the competition.Running on a wall has never felt so fluidbecause the game allows you to live the childhood dream of being able to do parkour without the risk of doing so.That’s the magic ofMirror’s Edge.
