Runner3

Quotation forthcoming.

The new dynamic camera, combined with more visually interesting environments, makes for some memorable locales, which are bolstered by the distinct level design. The new move-set abilities provide some freshness, and there's plenty of optional content to test your skills. It's a shame that said optional content is usually tedious to deal with, and as nice as the dynamic camera is, it can also sometimes lead to a few cheap deaths. Despite that, Runner3 is an addictive (albeit short) experience that platforming fans should look into, if they are up for the challenge.

Runner3 is a fun – if flawed – continuation of the Bit.Trip Runner series. While its stages are beautiful and the whimsical nature of it all is charming, the heavy difficulty spikes make you really work for any sense of enjoyment.

Despite having a solid conceptual base and a (mostly) correct approach to the presented novelties, the game lacks originality due to the continuous repetition of actions.

Don't be fooled by its mask of whimsy, Runner3 is a brutally difficult game that pushes its simplistic mechanics to their breaking point. While a little rough around the edges, it's a title deserving of commendation for standing at the front of the pack in a world saturated with games of its kind.

The greatest compliment to be paid to a game like Runner 3 is that after feeling the urge to toss a controller, it's hard to think of anything else except trying again. Runner 3’s greatest strength is in rewarding that perseverance.

Runner3 is overall an uneven experience. For every great feature or moment, there’s always something weighing it down not far off. Its soundtrack is fantastic but sadly the visuals disappoint. The game is tough but sometimes unfairly so. The worlds are overflowing with craziness but there are only three to explore in all. Runner3 is a fun sequel sure but it is one that’s annoyances stop it reaching the dizzying heights of its predecessor.

Runner 3 is a fun, challenging experience with a weird, charming aesthetic brought down by out-of-date graphics. Playing the same level dozens of times wears thin, but its difficulty never feels unfair.

A disappointing sequel - the new emphasis on repetition simply leads to frustration. [July 2018, p.68]

I feel kind of bad criticizing a game for being too inventive and embracing its vision a little too much — but that’s exactly what I’m going to do here. I’m not going to begrudge Runner3 for going all in on the things that have made the franchise so enjoyable in the first place…but, at the same time, there’s a fine line between just enough and way too much, and Runner3 definitely crosses it.

The simple but challenging gameplay is just as strong as it was in its predecessors, but a few new features are just wrong. The camera is too much, the framerate is unstable and that makes Runner3 a lot less amazing than it could have been.

A deeply disappointing sequel that devolves from a perfectly judged mix of rhythm action and platforming to an unfairly difficult slog that’s not nearly as clever as it thinks it is.

The mechanics from Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien have been integrated into each level in creative and cohesive ways, but the gameplay is significantly more difficult.