Free Running

Lore & Background

Free Running was originally due for release in 2005 but was delayed due to apathy from its original publisher, Eidos. The game was ultimately published in 2007 by Ubisoft, Reef Entertainment, and Graffiti Entertainment. A Nintendo DS version was planned but later cancelled.

The gameplay emphasizes speed and flamboyance, requiring players to navigate urban environments using climbing, leaping, wall-running, and other acrobatic maneuvers. Points are earned through combinations of moves and completing mini-challenges like checkpoint races. The PlayStation 2 version features Sébastien Foucan as a mentor in the tutorial, though he was removed in later ports. The Wii version supports both the Wii Remote and Nunchuk or the Classic Controller.

Reception was mixed across all platforms according to Metacritic. Eurogamer criticized the PlayStation 2 version's stiff controls and camera, which made performing tricks and combinations uneasy. The game did not compare favorably to the fluid movement in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Crackdown, which were deemed better free running games.

Reader's Guide

Free Running occupies a niche in the 2000s sports game landscape as an early attempt to translate freerunning into a video game format. Its mechanics, borrowing from skateboarding titles like Tony Hawk's, aimed to capture the speed and flamboyance of the real-world discipline. The inclusion of freerunning inventor Sébastien Foucan as a mentor in the PlayStation 2 version lent authenticity, though his removal in later ports reduced that connection. The game's development history—delayed from 2005 due to publisher apathy and a cancelled DS version—reflects the challenges of bringing a niche sport to market. Critically, it received mixed reviews, with Eurogamer specifically citing stiff controls and camera issues on the PlayStation 2, and it was overshadowed by more fluid free-running experiences in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Crackdown. Its legacy is that of a flawed but earnest adaptation that struggled to match the grace of its competitors.

Did You Know?

• Sébastien Foucan, the inventor of freerunning, appears as a mentor in the PlayStation 2 version's tutorial but was removed in later ports.
• The Wii version can be played with either the Wii Remote and Nunchuk or the Classic Controller.