A fun aspect of video games lies in their potential to create a sense of escapism. Sometimes, there aren’t enough aliens invading Earth or dragons aren’t guarding towers for you to capture in real life. Then, there are games like Supermoves that make you think, “Oh, I can totally do this in real life!”
Except, you can’t. You’ll either fall and hurt yourself or get banned from at least five institutions in your area. Makea Games’ Supermoves is an insanely fun parkour platformer that brings the magic of parkour and freerunning to the comforts of your home and still makes you break a sweat.
Even though its limited gameplay loop and performance issues can sometimes take this charm away, it’s a game you’ll keep coming back to. Because hey, this time you can make that backflip while midair, in between two tall towers that proudly look at you for doing something so dangerous and utterly stupid.
Warning: Please refrain from trying these moves at home, unless you’re a trained professional or confident enough about respawning in real life.
Parkour So Good, I’m Glad It’s Not On VR
Once I familiarized myself with quick slides, vaults, wall runs, and other athletic maneuvers in Supermoves, I pretty much felt out of breath. It’s funny how some games can create such a special sense of out-of-body experiences, that they can qualify as simulators without breaking the spell of a video game where you die and respawn endlessly.
If I played this game with a VR headset on, I’d likely fall off my chair, throw up, have a fever dream, or experience all of the above while losing a piece of my sanity with every game mode.
If you’re fond of watching people do parkour and mix things up with a creative flair and call it freerunning, you’re up for a treat here. I know I was! The moment the game started, the adrenaline-fueled movements and soundtrack quickly got me running.
The game can be played in third-person mode, although I highly advise against that. You see, as good as things feel in first-person mode, they look as horrifying and awkward in third-person. The animations are goofy, the characters don’t have much in the name of expressions, and their movements look anything but realistic.
But, Supermoves in first-person perspective? Oh boy is that a treat. If you’ve played something like Mirror’s Edge or Dying Light, and adored how movement felt in those games, you’re going to love this one. However, keep your expectations a bit low, as Supermoves still feels like a game that’s finding its footing (while performing a breakfall).
Parkour, Freerunning, Obstacle Courses, and Everything in Between
Although the gameplay feels the same for the most part, it’s the novelty and variety that keeps Supermoves fresh. In one game mode, you’ll be getting from point A to point B in the fastest way possible.
In another mode, you’ll be completing laps around an obstacle-riddled area filled with plastic balls, trampolines, and other fun-inducing props. Then, there are modes where you collect certain objects to complete a task.
All of this variety shines through some eloquently-crafted level design. There are skyscrapers to venture through, schools to run around in, and even spaces embraced by nature. Furthermore, you can create new tracks if you wish to! As a cherry on top, the visuals look superb, and this is one of those games that can look even better with mods and a PC that can support the highest settings.
However, in my playthrough, I noticed quite a few bugs and glitches when changing the game’s resolution, or playing with the visual settings to get the best performance. The frames would occasionally drop when I tried playing against other players.
Still, these aren’t big problems, because at the end of the tunnel (or bridge, or skyscraper) there’s a shimmer of something called “arcade-esque parkour platformers” that we need more of.
Supermoves Is a Playground for Creative Freerunners
I love everything the game has tried doing for me, but I have to be honest about something that felt missing. I wish there was someone I ran from, rather than something I ran towards. You know, like zombies, monsters, or even exes who wanted to give it another shot?
Or, maybe I ran from my landlord because the rent’s due, and I haven’t written enough gaming articles. That kind of incentive is what Supermoves lacks. Fortunately, the game makes up for it by blending fictitious laws of physics with believable realism in its characters’ movements, asking you to give it “one more run”.
It asks you to take part in trials and tournaments of all kinds, but rarely ever mentions why you’re a part of all this. Do you want to be the very best like no one ever was? Great, there are a lot of other games that do that. But what makes Supermoves so special? Well, that’s perhaps a question the game’s designers can answer better with more content updates and game modes.
Overall, Makea Games has managed to write a love letter to every arcade-style game that has ever tried to involve parkour as an integral game mechanic. If you’re a fan of skillfully platforming across a range of obstacles and feel cool while doing it, this one’s for you.
Supermoves – 8/10
