I Must Run! Demo

Parkour and freerunning sports have gained quite the popularity lately, thanks to various movies and even video games such as Mirror’s Edge and the like. Hence, there are many similar concepts out there nowadays, including a variety of indie games with rather basic gameplay mechanics. As long as it is fun and provides you with a challenge, on the other hand, it doesn’t really matter how basic the game looks.

I Must Run! makes things quite clear from the title, given the fact that it gives away its main theme and idea. In essence, that pretty much summarizes the entire game, because all you have to do is run through a variety of levels and avoid the obstacles that attempt to put an end to your progress. There is even a reason behind all this, but the story is not very complicated.

As it happens, you play the role of a man who must rescue his wife, with only twenty-four hours at his disposal to get to her. Not a lot of other explanations are provided, nor is it explained why the man chooses to run on rooftops and cranes instead of using a vehicle, but maybe it’s not our job to question his motives. In essence, it wouldn’t make much of a difference anyway, given the simple mechanics that govern the gameplay.

Speaking of which, your task is quite simple and straightforward: jump over gaps and punch static obstacles, such as barrels and similar objects. As simple as it may sound, things are a tad more annoying and frustrating during the actual gameplay, because you need good reflexes to tackle the more difficult sections. Double-jumping is possible as well, although the landing slows you down, and it may prove to be more trouble than it’s worth except in a few cases.

From a technical point of view, the game resembles the old-school generation of platformers, and it even feels the same after you play for a bit. Naturally, the visual quality is a class higher, but not very much so. Everything may look smoother and less pixelated, but the general object quality level is very similar to what you may have experienced in older platformers.

While I Must Run! is still not done yet and there are many things that need to be improved before the game can be properly judged, the current product is still pretty enjoyable. Hence, if the final version includes more levels and a few more gameplay mechanics other than simply jumping and smashing, this might just turn into a fan favorite.