I Lost Control

It seems like there have been a slew of games released in the past 2-3 years whose main attraction seems to be free running, or parkour. Many titles utilize some elements of the sport, while others style their entire mechanics around it.

While some games like Assassins Creed executed their elements "properly" by allowing the user to jump haphazardly and cling to almost anything no matter the angle, some games opted to bring a more realistic approach to flying, such as Mirror's Edge: easily one of the most frustrating games in recent memory.

The game allows almost no freedom in it's execution. While Drake from Uncharted 1 and 2 could attack any of his (pre-determined) climbing spots from any angle, Faith, Mirror's Edge heroine, requires you to fling yourself at an object head-on in hopes that you will take grasp. Because of the titles demanding structure, you will no doubt find yourself repeating almost every situation countless times because the gameplay is so unforgiving.

Mirror's Edge was actually a PSA about the dangers of construction yards.

Complaints aside, I understand that this is a more true-to-life rendition of parkour, and as such, yeah, you probably would plunge to your death in real life. I applaud the attention to detail and the gory, almost horrific sound effects played if you collide with the pavement. That aside, it has a harder time translating into the game world. The game is fast, and constantly replaying a level because you mistimed your jump in the heat of a chase doesn't appeal to a mass market, and the sales figures spoke for it; it did sell over 1 million units, but EA no doubt expected more. A new IP was launched in the winter months, and that almost never bodes well.

Bad or sometimes iffy controls are not just limited to parkour simulators though, and are featured in roughly every second release, big budget or not. Maybe it isn't even a big deal. Maybe it is just one specific scenario in a title that seems flawed. However, in a world where we are paying upwards of $65.00 per release, is it wrong to expect "perfection?"

What games can you recall that had a decent premise that was indeed marred by less than precise control options?