They Always Run is a 2-D platformer action game developed and published by Alawar Premium. The game starts off with the player controlling Aidan in a bar fight against many soldier-like armed men, immediately starting off action packed and entertaining. The main unique feature of Aidan is that he is a three-armed hunter, and you are able to both fight and control his third arm to help defeat the many enemies that get in your way.
Gameplay and Exploration:
They Always Run starts off with a comprehensive tutorial highlighting the mechanics of both fighting and exploration throughout the stage. While there were a lot of different fighting actions and mechanics that made it a bit difficult to remember all of them in the start of the game, after a while, the many unique ways to approach enemies in combat made it for a more interesting experience.
I feel that the combat aspect of They Always Run is one of its strongest features, as the fighting mechanics were smooth, yet seemed to be rather challenging, with usually many enemies at once coming right at you. Precise dodging as well as counter-blocking moves were needed to survive all the encounters. It seems that mastery of these skills while progressing through the game are both rewarding for the player and make the game easier as well.
As a 2-D platformer, there of course is running, jumping, and fighting using dodges and attacks, but also there are many different aspects to each stage, which are a pivotal point of what makes this game fun to play. There are many different characteristics of each stage which adds to the gameplay aspect, such as climbing ladders to surprise attack, having to find terminals and switches to be able to unlock new areas, and chests, both in front and hidden to reward the player.
Design, Customization, and Thoughts:
I was impressed at how They Always Run’s stage design, as the industrial and scientific feel of the enemies and background matches with the player character, Aidan. I really like the details put into each stage and traversing through the map was smooth and not difficult unless there was a group of enemies about to attack you. Additionally, the variants in map design were well thought out, as there was a clear shift in between the interior factory-like design, and the outside, more futuristic, yet wild aura reminiscent of most futuristic views of media.
One complaint that I did have was the relative difficulty and the lack of customization within the game. While there was a menu to change hotkeys, there was no difficulty or an autosave option, which made things frustrating at times as once dead, you had to start over at a predetermined point. I felt that the enemies were a bit overtuned, especially at the beginning, before you got a feel for the game.
With that said, I thought that They Always Run is a good game, and would recommend it with its polished design, fun, yet complex combat system, and especially would recommend it to people who like the futuristic, cybernetic genre and people who are good at 2-D platformers.
Check Out They Always Run Trailer:
You can find out more information about They Always Run via Steam, GOG, Epic Games Store, and Discord.
Related: THEY ALWAYS RUN Now Available for PC
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Steam Review
I started gaming on the PS2 playing 2K and various fighting games, then played a lot of Nintendo Wii games. Currently, I like playing JRPGs as well as platformers and MOBAs. In a video game, I enjoy exploring the intricacies of fighting systems as well as viewing various character developments throughout the story of the game.
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