Parkour or freerunning in games can make the movements look cool if done right. When Prince Of Persia dropped over a decade ago, it introduced a new element of gameplay known as parkour. The freerunning aspect adds verticality, speed, and mobility allowing players to explore 3D environments in whole new ways.
The makers, Ubisoft, brought the sport into gaming, including their own mainline series, Assassin's Creed, and it's been getting better with time. Games that employ parkour can miss the mark, and it often does not translate well. However, some games use it heavily and do it well. Until the new Price of Persia remake comes out, what games can fill that void?
10 Crackdown 3
This game takes the dial and turns it up to 100. Everything in Crackdown 3 is extreme. From the gun-running to the combat, everything is overdone. Why not the free-running? In most games, the parkour ability is pretty tame, where players will be doing normal free-running things, like wall-running.
But, players of Crackdown 3 do the most, meaning parkouring up buildings or jumping from a skyscraper and leaping onto another. This makes the game more fun since it takes the parkour aspect and makes it more extreme like everything else in the game. Since every release is more outrageous than the last, it'll be interesting where they go next.
9 Mirrors Edge
Mirror's Edge is the definitive parkour game since players play as an expert free-runner. The game helps players experience the movements of a free-runner with realistic actions. Since Dice is working on the next Battlefield game, it has had the same Mirror's Edge-type movement in the past, so it makes sense to play it before the release of the next Battlefield game.
Everything about the game has to do with the parkour elements from the combat to doing puzzles, everything is about body movement. It's a simple game that fully relies on the parkour mechanic and that's what makes it a cult classic.
8 Brink
When Brink dropped in 2011, people expected it to be like Team Fortress but more colorful. What players got, in the end, was a little less than that, because it needed to be online at all times it pulled people away. What made it a cult classic is that the parkour gives players the freedom to go wherever they want on the map.
Assuming players pick the slim body type, they can be faster, more agile, and go places where most other players can't just because they're free running. The free-running for an online game can always be fun since players can be chasing each other from rooftop to rooftop.
7 Sunset Overdrive
This Xbox-exclusive was and still is a huge reason to own an Xbox. Much like Crackdown 3, everything in Sunset Overdrive is turned up, including the walling running, the leaping, and the rolling. When upgrading, everything goes further and becomes more insane. The good thing about that is that traveling across the huge map is easier.
Going from point A to point B is as easy as getting some speed, wall running, and jumping. With that, players can cover a large amount of distance in a short time. Adding the weapons and combat, it opens up for those "Oh My God" moments, where the player can take out large amounts of enemies at once.
6 Infamous Second Son
Parkour games can be fun alone, but adding superpowers to the mix is more fun. The PlayStation exclusive, Infamous Second Son, it gives players the ability to do all the free-running fun but with electric powers.
Running up buildings and dodging attacks, while parkouring away from the fight can get the heart racing. Even the fighting can be exhilarating because it's so outrageous. Fighting as superhero-type character ups the craziness of the gameplay, because now players can do all sorts of things when fighting the enemy.
5 Titanfall 2
Not many people expect an online first-person shooter to have a robust parkour system. While it's not as demanding as the other games, it's encouraged. Wall running as a pilot, and calling in a titan right as the player leaves the wall, is an unmatched feeling.
The cool thing about Titanfall 2 is that it's way more free than most first-person shooters and that's thanks to the free-running. Players can slide in and out of any hot situation and come back later, even wall running behind an enemy titan and throwing an arc star. Stuff like that gives players a rush of energy and makes them get better.
4 Assassin's Creed 3
Prior to the 3'rd numbered (the 4th overall) game, the parkour wasn't as real as it is in the later releases. However, with Assassin's Creed 3, this changed. With a new combat system comes a new free-running system, with being more fluid. All these things make Connor look pretty cool killing templars.
Ubisoft is known for making some of the best open-world games but the massive difference between this game and the ones before is that those characters would be stiff. Instead in this release, Connor would be flying off buildings, doing rolls with precision and almost lifelike. All these things have continued making the games better.
3 Mirror's Edge Catalyst
A prequel with a following builds on the first installment in every way. Being an open world instead of the linear style gives players room to practice becoming good at free-running. Adding in tools that help players zip across the map allows for a diverse combination of movements.
Running in the dark dusty underground sewers system to a random rooftop of the city can be evidence that the player is getting more fluid with their movements. Open world games have side missions, and Catalyst has no shortage of them. These missions help the player improve their free-running and memory and it feels really good when players get it all together.
2 Spiderman
Arguably the best Spiderman game to date, being the superhero and doing unparalleled parkour tricks will always be fun. Being Spiderman and being the ultimate free-runner is something players want. Being able to swing from building to building and catching Spiderman midair can mistake this game for a skateboarding game.
Not losing momentum is fairly easy when players time each swing right and each web zip right. All these things can help Peter Parker quickly get from one spot of the big apple to the next, so parkour can save a life.
1 Dying Light
When playing zombie games, normally people don't think parkour just shooting and surviving. However, when Dying Light came out, it added that free-running element which makes the game way more challenging. During the daytime, players can easily get out of any situation with or without free-running.
A major reason why this game is one of the scariest games out on this generation is the night aspect of it. At night, they're zombies that are too scary and will chase players everywhere. These ones will go rooftops and everywhere until players find a safe spot. Free-running definitely helps but doesn't stop the scary parts of the game.