| Free Running | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developers | Rebellion Developments (PS2, Wii) Core Design (PSP) |
| Publishers | Ubisoft, Reef Entertainment, Graffiti Entertainment |
| Composer | Martin Iveson |
| Platforms | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii |
| Release | Wii, Windows |
| Genres | Sports, platforming |
| Modes | Single-player, multiplayer |
Free Running is a 2007 video game for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii and Microsoft Windows, developed by Rebellion Developments and Core Design and published by Ubisoft,[2] Reef Entertainment, and Graffiti Entertainment. A Nintendo DS version was planned, but cancelled.[3] The game was originally due for release in 2005 but was delayed due to apathy from its original publisher, Eidos.[4][5]
Free Running is a freerunning sports game, with mechanics similar to those found in skateboarding titles such as the Tony Hawk's series.[2] The objective of the game is a representation of freerunning, and players must demonstrate speed alongside flamboyance.[2] The player is required to navigate their character through an urban environment by climbing, leaping, wall-running and other acrobatic maneuvers. Points are earned by performing combinations of such moves, and completing mini-challenges such as checkpoint races. Sébastien Foucan, the inventor of freerunning, is your mentor and guides you through the game's tutorial in the PS2 version.[6] He was removed in later ports. The Wii port is played with either the Wii Remote and Nunchuk or the Classic Controller.
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | (PSP) 65/100[7] (PS2) 61/100[8] (Wii) 51/100[9] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Edge | 7/10[10] |
| Eurogamer | 5/10[2] |
| GamesMaster | 75%[11] |
| PlayStation Official Magazine – UK | 6/10[12] (OPS2) 5/10[13] |
| PSM3 | 70%[14] |
| VideoGamer.com | 5/10[15] |
| The Sydney Morning Herald |   [6] |
The game received "mixed" reviews on all platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[8][7][9] Eurogamer criticized the PlayStation 2 version's stiff controls and camera, leading to unease in performing tricks and combinations. It did not compare favourably to the fluid movement in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Crackdown – titles that were deemed to be better free running games than Free Running.[2]
Free Running is a noble effort to apply the platform game template to a seemingly appropriate real world pastime, but it's hamstrung from the start by gameplay that is neither agile nor fluid enough to deliver an engaging experience, and by a concept that is considerably less unique on a joypad as it is in reality.
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