Summary
Despite being relatively unknown 20 years ago, parkour has quickly been propelled into the mainstream as a sport, hobby, and overall daring activity for those wishing to explore different ways of climbing and overcoming obstacles. For many years now, video games have incorporated parkour elements, with some games being based almost exclusively on this mechanic since it can provide so much entertainment value.
As well as interesting worlds to explore, parkour games also need good animations and controls to flourish, but some have taken it to another level entirely, setting the benchmark for future developers seeking to integrate parkour mechanics into their games.
Updated on May 26th, 2024, by Andrew McLarney:Parkour is increasingly becoming a prominent part of many popular games, whether they are slower stealth and exploration-focused stories or fast-paced and action-packed multiplayer deathmatches. As developers continue to seek new and innovative ways of incorporating parkour mechanics into their games, it is likely that we will see an increase in the number of games with this as a basis for their overall traversal gameplay. As its popularity has grown, this list has been updated with a few more games that feature parkour or free running as their primary movement mechanic.
Ubisoft’sWatch Dogsseries puts players in the shoes of an advanced hacker, able to manipulate the surrounding characters and environment in ways that had not been seen previously in video games. While the series has borne some criticism for the state of some titles upon release compared to how they were advertised,Watch Dogs 2is arguably the best-balanced of the three entries.
With a number of useful tools at their disposal, players can traverse the city of San Francisco both horizontally and verticallywith a range of parkour moves. The open-world setting helps to highlight this feature, but players can also make use of a number of vehicles, including boats and helicopters, to get around.
Super Cloudbuiltis a game designed around free-running and parkour mechanics as players must navigate their way through a series of puzzling environments at a very high-speed pace. Players will need to collect power-ups and pass through checkpoints as they compete with one another on timed international leaderboards.
One of the game’s best features is its incredible hand-crafted world design with 2D painted textures, giving the entire game the appearance ofplaying inside a Manga drawingor a concept painting.
Hoveris a similarly stylized high-octane parkour experience in which players must combat an authoritarian regime as a member of the Rebellion. In a futuristic open world, players can traverse the environment in almost limitless creative ways, from sliding along rails to making gravity-defying jumps.
In addition to this, the game features a time-rewind mechanic, which can be extremely useful when falling during a complex sequence. Much like many snowboarding and skateboarding games, the main focus of gameplay is executing tricks and skills while completing circuits in as fast a time as possible.
12Assassin’s Creed Mirage
Metascore: 78
Assassin’s Creed Mirageis the latest in the legendaryAssassin’s Creedfranchise and sought to bring the series back to its rootswith a focus on stealth and parkour gameplayrather than expansive open worlds to explore.
While the parkour system can feel good, with some very impressive and fluid animations, at time it can feel as though Basim is walking and jumping “on rails” but for the most part this is not an issue. Players can often complete missions in a variety of ways as they carve their own pathways either vertically or horizontally to their objective.
Metascore: 78 (Thief)
Thief
Garrett, the Master Thief, steps out of the shadows into the City. In this treacherous place, where the Baron’s Watch spreads a rising tide of fear and oppression, his skills are the only things he can trust. Even the most cautious citizens and their best-guarded possessions are not safe from his reach.As an uprising emerges, Garrett finds himself entangled in growing layers of conflict. Lead by Orion, the voice of the people, the tyrannized citizens will do everything they can to claim back the City from the Baron’s grasp. The revolution is inevitable. If Garrett doesn’t get involved, the streets will run red with blood and the City will tear itself apart.Garrett never paid the price for anything… until now.Key Features:YOU ARE GARRETT, THE MASTER THIEFStep into the silent shoes of Garrett, a dark and lonely thief with an unrivalled set of skills. The most challenging heists, the most inaccessible loots, the best kept secrets: nothing is out of your reach.THE CITY: YOURS FOR THE TAKINGExplore the sick and troubled City, from its shady back alleys to the heights of its rooftops. Sneak into rich houses, Infiltrate the best-guarded mansions and lurk in every dark corner… unnoticed and unsanctioned.CHOOSE YOUR APPROACHLeverage Garrett’s arsenal to take down guards with your blackjack, shoot one of your many arrow types or use your newly acquired focus abilities to manipulate the environment and outsmart your enemies. What kind of master thief will you be?UNPRECEDENTED IMMERSIONBecome one with the world thanks to ground-breaking visual elements and a truly tactile and visceral first-person experience. Through jaw-dropping Next-Gen technical possibilities, Thief delivers unprecedented immersion through sights, sounds and artificial intelligence.
The inventors of the stealth genre itself, Looking Glass Studios created the firstThieftitle back in 1998 and it has retained something of a cult following ever since. As the predecessor to theDishonoredseries, many concepts and mechanics were owed to this early series.
The next two games were met with a positive reception, while a 2014 reboot was praised for certain elements, including its parkour and stealth, but disappointed some long-time fans with its story and re-characterisation of the series' protagonist.
The Finalsis a free-to-play online shooter developed by Embark Studios which sees players compete for coins inmassively destructible environments. In order to traverse these settings with the necessary speed, players can utilize a number of parkour techniques and gadgets including grappling hooks and ziplines.
Like most online shooters, players can choose from a range of weapons and classes, each with their own set of unique strengths and weaknesses. For players looking for a bit more vertical action in their FPS games,The Finalsis perfect for combining two adrenaline-fuelled genres and putting them into a highly-competitive setting.
Ghostunneris a fast-paced cyberpunk action game in which players must slash their way through different levels using a highly intuitive parkour system. Combat encounters are treated more like puzzles, where one wrong move forces a restart, which encourages perfect parkour and combat timing in order to progress. Thedystopic futuristic settingcombines post-apocalyptic and sci-fi elements to create an intense atmosphere of hostility.
A sequel,Ghostrunner 2,came out in October 2023, and was met with an equally positive reception as the first game. These games can also be experienced in VR with the assistance of VorpX, but as yet, no official VR support has arrived for either game.
Dishonored,and its comparatively stylish sequelDishonored 2,put players in the shoes of a royal assassin falsely accused of killing his own Empress. Players can use a variety of supernatural skills in combination with an array of brutal weapons to complete missions in entirely unique ways.
In addition to featuring a brilliantly crafted environment and story, both games also heavily feature parkour as a gameplay element - be it either in stealth or chase sequences. Originally inspired by theThiefseries,Dishonoredmight soon become a trilogywith a third installment expected soon.
Dying Lightand its sequel,Dying Light 2,are arguablysome of the best zombie games around, and a deep parkour system is at the heart of what makes navigating the game worlds so interesting. From heart-thumping chases with Volatiles to breathtaking views following a long climb, theDying Lightseries should please parkour and zombie enthusiasts alike to no end.
Players will have to traverse a post-apocalyptic world infested with hordes of zombies and other powerful mutants, in addition to a variety of armed human enemies. Fortunately, a powerful arsenal of weaponry is available with a heavy focus on melee combat.
The 2018 filmSpider-Man: Into The Spider-Versesawthe introduction of Miles Moralesas a protagonist in the series, complete with his own unique style and appearance contrasting with the original Peter Parker.
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Moralesis the follow-up toMarvel’s Spider-Manand features an impressively fluid parkour system. In addition to vaults and rolls, Miles is able to call upon his supernatural abilities to use webs, resulting in some spectacular gameplay and running sequences.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2is arguably even better, but it has been omitted due to its recent release.
