Runner3

Runner3
78
Metacritic
76
Steam
72.17
xDR
Our rating is calculated based on the reviews and popularity of the game.
Price
$9.99
Release date
22 May 2018
Developers
Publishers
Steam reviews score
Total
76 (232 votes)

The rhythm-music gameplay of BIT.TRIP RUNNER and Runner2 is back and better than ever!

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Runner3 system requirements

Minimum:

  • OS: Windows Vista SP1
  • Processor: Intel Core i5
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM
  • Graphics: GeForce GT740
  • DirectX: Version 10
  • Storage: 3 GB available space
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klader3000
klader3000

Love the runner series, runner 2 is the better game but still nonetheless a very good game.

CrazyNaut
CrazyNaut

As a big Runner2 fan hearing stuff about this game, I went in expecting just a less polished version of that game. And it's true that it doesn't do everything as well; the music mode changes are more subtle and the tracks themselves lack the serenity. I've had a few instances where I wasn't collecting stuff it looked like I was touching. And the new character designs lean a bit too far into the ugly factor Runner2 started.

But with that being said, this game was still a blast to play and a delightful sequel as well.

• The controls are great; the new double jump and ground pound vastly improve the game feel and benefit the level design.
• The dynamic camera adds a lot more life and energy to every level. It can occasionally be distracting but I wasn't too bothered, if anything it complemented the challenge of timing jumps to the beat.
• The visuals can be downright gorgeous, between the excellent background work and the improved character animations. And the theming varies much more between different levels in the same world.
• There's not as many levels as in Runner2 but they have multiple paths so you can play each one twice, and there's even more to collect as well. And they feel a bit less repetitive since, as I mentioned, there's much more varied theming throughout each world.
• The music, while not quite as good as Runner2's, still has some absolute bangers.
• The difficulty has more intricate adjustments now, rather than just the vague "easy medium hard" settings. Speaking of challenge, the handful of optional challenge levels top any tough levels Runner2 presented.
• You can play as Charles Martinet. And you can give him a mustache. Come on.

I don't think it'll top or even match Runner2 for everyone, but if you enjoyed Runner2 then you'd be missing out by skipping this.

andyvanh
andyvanh

Whoa, I was reading some of the other reviews from people and I just dont understand where they are coming from. Well, I do for the people that post a review after only trying a game for less than an hour, they obviously do not know what they are talking about. I have over 20 hours with this game and have beaten all the worlds, beat the VHS worlds and gotten all of the hidden player coins. I can say that this game is fantastic. The visuals are spectacular, the controls are responsive, and it does feel like a Bit.Trip Runner game despite what you might have read from other negative reviewers. Sure they're are some differences from Runner 2, but then a series should evolve over time, if not, then just go back and play the previous game and stop complaining. If you are a true fan of the the Bit.Trip Runner series, then you will enjoy this game.

TundraTurtle
TundraTurtle

Cons:

The price. If you aren't already a fan of the series like I am then the price might turn you off, get a cheaper installment and if you like it even a little this game should be worth it for you.

They left in that end of level mini-game that determines your perfect. It doesn't use the same skills the rest of the level teaches you like the retro levels in the original bit.trip and if you fail not being able to start from the checkpoint is annoying

Pros: everything else about it pretty much

Dunnionringz
Dunnionringz

You may notice right away that I don't have much time on this game, and thats because I like to be careful with my purchases and get a feel for what I have bought. Note that I haven't played more than half the game so I may not be the best source.

BUT

I love Runner2. It was a fantastic game that really struck me. It was fun, difficult and the music was unique, and up beat. Unfortunately, this game feels very different. The intro was boring, unclever, and just not funny. The music was hardly music at all. The background music is hardly hearable and doesn't fit the tone for the game. Its oddly quiet and awkward. The camera really messes things up for me, and the backgrounds are bland. They will have trees or weird things, but behind those, you can see the boundaries of the map and where they stopped placing objects/ground, leaving an odd skybox that doesn't look right. It plays like the Runner games, but just doesn't have the feeling it used to. Its not awful but not worth $30. I would wait a year for the price to drop and then pick it up.

Pepsiman
Pepsiman

At first I was really down on this game. There are too many times where you'll die because the game tricked you into some bullshit; the platforms change on the fly and most times you won't have enough time to react, which leads to a LOT of trial and error. this is made worse by the changing camera angles, the vehicle segments, the player speed changing randomly and worst of all: Double Jumps.
Adding double jumps to the game made it soooo imprecise. Do I do a long jump, a short hop, or a double jump or a delayed doubled jump. Put Double jumps, moving camera AND moving platforms to the mix and you've got yourself a very messy game.

When I played Runner 2, I could 100% a level on hard from the later worlds from the first try because everything was precise and predictable. But in this game, you WILL fail because of the above reasons and maybe you'll rage quit.

So why do I recommend this game if I hate it so much?
Well
It's still a bit.trip runner game. The music is amazing, the gameplay is still fun despite the bullshit (if you decide to ignore a few collectibles) and the level design is still entertaining.
And let's be honest, there's no other game that fills this niche.

Tl;dr If you like Runner 2 and are okay with trial and error, you will like runner 3.

Mentlegen
Mentlegen

Okay, while the game itself is pretty awesome, the double jump is well... how do I put this? The double jump is pretty much buggy, like you barely get off the air, that goes same with the jump. But I can tell you'll fix this bug, probably... I dunno, it seems to be happening only on Steam.

イーサン#4086
イーサン#4086

As the 3rd installment of the RUNNER series, this one is my favorite most of all, mostly for the intense challenge it has to offer! The replay value is high as this game will keep you on your toes, getting every collectible possible as these guys want you to keep your stinkin' money in the in-game shop! The Impossible Levels will surely mess with your brain for a while, but anyone will be able to do it (I even passed all of them with an invisible costume and with no checkpoints!)! If you haven't bought the game yet, what're you waiting for?! It even has Charles Martinet saying random things in the menus!

UPDATE: For those still considering to play the game, there is a difficulty update to make things more accessible for anyone! I worked on it with the team, so I hope you enjoy!

Boolean263
Boolean263

This game takes the charm and personality of Runner2, mixes it with the intense challenge of the other BIT.TRIP games, and takes it all to the next level. The level designs are beautiful and stunning. They're still effectively linear, but they feel more like actual worlds than the static side-scrolliness of Runner or Runner2. The music is awesome, and at least in some of the levels, the "loops" are a lot longer.

This game can be frustrating. But that can make it all the more rewarding when you finally do get to the end of the level with 100 gold and 25 gems.

Also, you all can have Morgan Freeman. I want Charles Martinet to narrate my life.

keff 👌
keff 👌

"It’s interesting to look at the journey that Commander Video took over the years. The 8-bit man dressed in black made his debut in Bit.Trip Beat on the Wii in 2009. The game was part of the Bit.Trip series, which were pseudo-rhythm games that featured different types of gameplay, ranging from pong to shooting. Bit.Trip Runner was the one entry that really took off, and ended up spawning a sequel in 2013 aptly named Runner2. It advanced the series, redefining the visuals and improving upon the original while keeping the core gameplay intact. More than five years later, Commander Video makes his return in Runner3 where Choice Provisions (formerly known as Gaijin Games) tries to continue the evolution of the series."

Full review: https://viewportgaming.com/runner3-review-c850276ebb76/

ZikkityZakOTA
ZikkityZakOTA

My god, I'm so glad I bought this game for $30! (Update: It was $29.99, now it's $10 less.) It's totally worth it! I'm in love with this game now! Try it out for yourself!

PS: If all the fans here are looking forward to a level editor, I'm with you guys!!!

Nergal
Nergal

Devs opted for obscuring the visual field instead of upping the dificulty. I enjoy both previous runner games and bought this one hoping it will be at least the same if not better quality/content. I regret the purchase and asked for refund.

Sverro2
Sverro2

Everything I loved of the previous games and more :-). It's hard enough...

AntiFashionAktion
AntiFashionAktion

The latest update which adds checkpoints is very good. I didn't own the game before it, but just imaging turning them off I could see myself not wanting to bother finishing the game. Runner3 opts for packing more into fewer levels than the slew of courses that exist in 2.

The game also plays with perspective and player speed to add challenge in different ways. When the levels are designed so that you have less time to react to upcoming obstacles it doesn't always feel great. Machineland, where the level is being built ahead of you, in particular does this.

I had fun with the game. Using the double jump and slam are fun. But the vehicle sections aren't as welcome. It's well worth pciking up on sale. Full price is more of a maybe. There's a few warts.

Busverpasser
Busverpasser

I picked up the game a couple of days ago and am fully hooked again. However, there are some complaints in the other reviews that I can somewhat understand. Sometimes, it does get frustrating and I haven't finished the game yet. I have the feeling that the completionist inside of me won't be happy with the game. One thing, I do not hold against the game is the length of the levels. I really them to be longer than in Runner2. Runner2 already stole my nights and so does this game which is definitely a good thing :D.

The soundtrack is catchy and the 2.50 price tag for the DLC is a fair option if you're like me and can't get the title music out of your head. That way, you can easily bring it along in your car, to work or anywhere else to have other people whistleing the same tune :D.

Chef Excellence
Chef Excellence

More superb adventures with commander video...Just don't look at the crazy stuff that's going on in the background!!

iNDERU
iNDERU

I've been playing mostly on the Nintendo Switch (roughly 10 hours so far) - and it is so much fun. Took me right back to how I was addicted to Runner 2. I'll probably finish it on the Switch, then play it again here... And maybe play Runner 2 again.

While the levels are more dynamic than Runner 2 (changing perspectives, vehicle sections) - the mechanics are actually simpler than what I remember from runner 2 - double jump was added, but there's no "shield" from bits, and no "loops" (either with the analogue stick or the buttons).

One more change that I like - you can click & hold both analogue sticks to "bonk" yourself and return to the last checkpoint. Great for completionists that just missed a gold bar.

Some people compained that there isn't enough content compared to Runner 2. I don't think that's the case. While Runner 2 did have a lot more levels - they were much MUCH shorter and had a lot of similar repetitive levels (with the same enemies in all worlds). Here there are fewer levels with much more variety. The levels are much longer, have multiple paths and there are more collectables (if I remember Runner 2 correctly).

All in all, highly recommeneded - for both newcommers and fans (but I think it will be a bit easier for fans to get "up and running" in this game). This is the sequel we were waiting for.

Ovyerus
Ovyerus

Pretty good sequel to Runner2 and the original BIT.TRIP Runner. The adjustable difficulty settings are a welcome change, especially the option to have more checkpoints, which results in 3/4 checkpoints instead of 1, one after each powerup stage. Also so much more replability in terms of stuff like Hero Quests and the new Gem routes.

Medico di Biscotti
Medico di Biscotti

It's actually a good game.
The changing perspective throws you off at first, but you get used to it and learn to time by the music.
Speaking of timing by the music; for the most part, you don't have to but it can help. Obstacles are often on the beat which means your input has to be before the beat. That can feel off or you can try to time it with like an 8th or 16th lift. So even though the obstacles are on the beat, you can still play by the beat.

The game is shorter than Runner2, yes, but the levels are longer and more detailed. Honestly, Runner2's 100 levels were a bit too many, in my opinion. And you'll play each level at least twice if you want to collect things. Quality over quantity, even if it is a lot less quantity.

The impossible levels are actually super fun. Difficult, of course, but very doable if you keep at it and time to the music. More so than the normal levels, the impossible levels have a more planned out way to beat them that you have to figure out and then execute on precisely to the beat.

The only exception is the last impossible level (!-9). Screw that shit. That is so difficult it is not even fun. I'm fully satisfied never having to beat that, even though I'd like to. It's not worth it. It's only technically not impossible, but it might as well be.

The soundtrack is great, as it should be.

It is more expensive than your average Bit.Trip or Runner game, but if you can get it on a sale, I'd say it's worth it.

Dium
Dium

Absolutely fantastic followup to Runner2

Enjoying it immensely so far, a lot going on the screen that you have to get used to but once you get into the flow like the other games it is awesome.

If you like runners highly recommend this game

Mr. Unown [Supreme]
Mr. Unown [Supreme]

Good Game!
New update is good.

Thyme
Thyme

This being the 3rd in the series, I can say if you liked the other 2, then you'll like this one. It is mostly more of the same as 2 with a few slight twists on puzzles that hadn't been seen yet, but really it's a continuation of the experience for those of us enjoying the series. If you haven't played any of the games, this is still a good place to start, though I might recommend the 2nd game a little more as a starter. There's shiny new graphics, some new camera tricks, and a hilarious new story with fun environments to boot. They've also added a lot of control in scaling the challenge of the stages, so you can make the game harder or easier to suit your mood and ability.

Hobojim
Hobojim

As a big fan of the previous two entries in the series, I had high hopes for this one. My opinions are mixed.

Firstly, these games scratch an itch that I haven't been able to satisfy with any other game out there, where it's a frenetic rhythm-based simplistic running game. I adored the first game in the series for it's simplicity. Easy and intuitive controls, levels were well-designed, music was good enough, graphics were charming and retro. For the second game, they updated the graphics in a way that was still charming and stylized but with less of a retro look; good job on that front. What I disliked about the second game was the direction of making the screen very busy, reducing readability and making it less straightforward to play. Regardless, I greatly enjoyed Bit Trip Runner 2 (and the voice of Mario being the narrator was a nice touch!)

This game though.... They took the things I disliked about the second game to the extreme. Now, a good portion of the challenge is just seeing what the hell is going on on-screen while playing. You will die to really stupid things just because you couldn't read what was happening in the moment. The screen becomes really busy, which I can forgive, but a good part of the challenge is objects obstructing your view, which is just a terrible design decision. This type of game requires readability, and it seems as though they've deliberately done away with that for reasons I'll never understand. The game LOOKS great, and still SOUNDS great, but it doesn't PLAY great. There are vehicle sections that remove the on-rails feel and are a bit touchy. There are perspective shifts that serve no purpose other than to obscure incoming objects that you need to avoid. Obstacles jump in to view very late and require constant vigilance and readiness to avoid.

I've clicked on not recommending this game, but if you really enjoyed the last two, you'll probably get some enjoyment out of this one too. I plan on playing through it in any case, and I can't say I dislike the game. It just does what the first two did but in a far prettier and worse way. If you're looking for recommendations, play the first and second games in this series first. They're far better than this.

Zihon
Zihon

Before the review I really want to give two VERY IMPORTANT TIPS on this game:
1) Use LT (L2) instead of X to kick. It makes a huge difference in your ability to get through hard levels.
2) You can use B instead of A to jump. This can be very helpful for those who have their A button in not the best condition since it's by far the most abused one.

Now the review:

I'm a big fan of the series. I played dozens of hours to get all achievements in two previous games and I'm writing this review just after I've got the last achievement in this game. And because so many reviewers here like to compare it to previous games I'll do it too.

-- Graphics --
This game in my opinion is by far the best looking of all three. Foreground objects are nicely detailed and lively and backgrounds of some levels are so mesmerizing that I just want to stare at them instead of playing the game (which ultimately results in death).

-- Sound --
The charming voice of Charles Martinet that greets you immediately after launching the game really ringed my bell of almost nostlagia about Runner2. The music is just as great as in previous two games.

-- Difficulty--
The difficulty of common levels is on par with two previous games. But the so-called "Impossible" levels are by far the greatest challenge the series has to offer. They require a lot of effort, time and dedication which I like in games.

-- Level design and mechanics --
A lot of people commented about how obscuring the levels are while pointing mostly on backgrounds and camera angles. As I already said, for me the backgrounds are lively and mesmerizing rather than distracting. And yes I can agree that camera changing angles is a questionable design decision for a runner game but it's not as bad and doesn't happen as often as people make it seem.
Now let's talk about the actual biggest misstep of this game - the absense of blocking the beats mechanic. It's a big part of previous two games and it's just not there in the third one. In addition, the second game also had two pretty neat mechanics that are not found in Runner3. Instead this game gives you really good sections of levels where you have to drive a car, a plane or a minecart. I honestly like them but it still just feels like the base of the game is lacking mechanics.

-- Controls --
The controls of this game are very tight, probably the best of all three games. The addition of double jump (which feels great btw) and improved slam mechanics give you perfect control of the character.

TL;DR
It's a great game and a worthy continuation for the series that deserves your love and money.

Danmko
Danmko

This game introduced a new mechanic for the franchise: while you're in the air you can get to the ground whenever you decide. If you learn this mechanic properly and it becomes a second nature to you, I'm 99% sure that you can enjoy this game. It is the best looking and the most dynamic game in the franchise.

Level designers ask for a slightly faster reaction time from you than in the previous games, but the more you play it, the more you get used to it (although I must admit that it can be a little frustrating in the first few hours).

And about the performance, I haven't had a single problem with the framerate on max settings (my setup: GeForce GTX 1060, i5-4690, 16 GB RAM...).

tbx5959
tbx5959

Fun game. Games a bit harder than 2, about the same as 1 for me at least. One thing I don't like is that you can't just run into a barrier right before a checkpoint if you missed some gold bars, you can hold down both sticks, but that takes 4 beats and so by that time you're at a checkpoint and the game is too hard for me to make it through in one life, so I end up having to replay levels a bit too much to try to get a perfect plus - the cannon seems a bit off to me, too. Certainly worth 10 bucks on sale (or lower in the future) if you liked the other ones,

KEBLAOMEGA
KEBLAOMEGA

I honestly don't know how this game doesn't have a higher rating on here. It's great fun. If you liked the prior Runner games, you will also love this one.

Vajra93
Vajra93

This is a fantastic game!!!
I'm only 3 hours into it and I already love it more than its predecessor! Great graphics, great fun, great game!
At times I think the screen gets a little too busy.. but I hope to get used to it..

I do recommend playing 1 and 2 before, they're both amazig and Runner 3 is indeed harder! Apparently the difficulty is really adjustable, I just didn't experiment with it yet since I'm loving it as-is :)

ho84
ho84

the gameplay is good, but its the music and sound thats makes me want to play more.

Hotdog person
Hotdog person

A really satisfying and fun game to play - only dissapointing thing was the low amount of casual levels.

This is the third game of the "Runner" series, where this time it takes place in more of 2.5D environment, with bits of variation to the gameplay throughout the game. I think everything is great. The graphics, the variation in environment and gameplay and the music!

I think that people whining that the vision is obscured should get their eyes checked, this game is 100% fine to play without getting something waving at your face constantly. When I read the reviews - I got skeptical at this game, I'd imagine there would be a cat or something constantly getting in your way while playing, obviously this wasn't the case. I mean, the other games(the first one mostly) are far more unforgiving and "mean" in terms of level design. If you're afraid of picking this game up because of the difficulty, don't be scared - it's not NEARLY as hard as people make it out to be.

I recently played some of the first game, and the boss of the second world is LITERALLY trial and error. Memorize his attack patterns - die - repeat. This game in terms of bosses and just general level design is much more satisfying and smooth to play. Hell, sometimes in the first game they can just throw something off screen at you that you're supposed to be ready to JUMP OVER. I think people have just forgotten that they don't know this game yet, and have to practice until they get it, the previous games have been like this - what's different now? Besides, now that the game is easier than what it was at launch, that's not something that should stop you.

All in all, I'm writing this review because I think this game deserves more positive attention than what it's getting, and it's obvious that the developers put a lot of work into it, it's not just a copy-paste of the previous title - which is respectable. I held up on getting this game before because I trusted all the reviews saying that it wasn't particularly good or way too unforgiving in terms of visual design, now after playing it I can understand how exaggerated these reviews were. If you're interested in this game, look more closely into it, or just get it if you're willing to lose to the same level a couple of times. The game is easier now than ever, and the difficulty shouldn't stop you from getting it now.

lostinheadguy
lostinheadguy

Let's get this out of the way right now - it's nowhere near as good as Runner 2.

Everything has a plasticky look to it, especially in the first world. There aren't as many levels, even though the levels are longer. The balance of music and sound effects is off. There's a feel that the game isn't anywhere near as polished, especially when you see the bullseye at the end. Jingles are re-used, most egregiously the "hyper / mega / super / etc" voices which don't even match the tone of the track like they do in Runner 2. And the game is a little too cheeky and self-referential for its own good. And the retro challenges seem meaningless, even though their art style is a fantastic spin on old cartoons.

Still reading? Good, because the Bit.Trip Runner series' signature platforming is as good as its ever been. The music is amazingly catchy. The dynamic camera makes each level feel less repetitive. Each environment is lovingly crafted, as opposed to feeling like Runner 2's "box of tiles". The vehicle segments switch the game up.

The recent update makes the game even more accessible than Runner 2. Tying the number of checkpoints, the density of enemies, etc to score multipliers is a great idea and allows newer players to "get" the game and gradually get better. It allowed me to complete (and enjoy) the "impossible" levels without throwing my controller at my screen.

Still a worthwhile purchase despite its flaws. Hopefully the next one will take the good parts of both Runner 2 and Runner 3 and make something truly amazing.

tearfromthered
tearfromthered

Uninspired sequel to a great game. I recommand playing more of episode 2 rather than buying this one.
Safly the level art and level design seems very weak and common in this game, difficulty is way unfair than it used to be and progression less controled. Mainly due to the attempt to "go 3D" and impose bad camera and purpose during some section to "surprise" you, but in fact force you to learn by heart the level...

Catchphrase
Catchphrase

there's a dab button, judge this game accordingly

ThePCGamer
ThePCGamer

DISCLAIMER: This is a first impressions review, and NOT a full review

Runner3 is a game developed and published by Choice Provisions, previously known as Gaijin Games and is the third game in the BIT.TRIP RUNNER series

The game offers some pleasant graphics and really vibrant colours, although some ugly glitches here and there, it is pleasant all the same

The game does suffer with some repetitiveness at certain areas of the game but a fun game nontheless

Runner3 overall, however, is a fun game to play, yet sometimes flawed, casual game to play!

RECOMMENDED :)

REVIEW SOURCES:
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JaneFranko
JaneFranko

This is literally the best game ever! Love every aspect of it! Music, graphics, game-play! Everything is so cool and funny!

JuicyShibe
JuicyShibe

I love this game. People say that it is worse than Runner 2 but I have to disagree. I think that level design has improved a lot compared to the first and second game in the series. Each level feels unique. You can also set the difficulty to your liking which is a great option, if you would like to make the game a bit easier or a bit more challenging. If you like the previous games in the series you should get this one as well.

Soratlit
Soratlit

This is by far the most challenging and enjoyable runner in the serie !

Hemlock
Hemlock

Same as the others, but 1000% more effort went into the design of the levels and game as a whole.

smo
smo

This game is overall really fun. Great sense of accomplishment when you perfect a level. Can get real difficult at times, but that is what i love about this game.
10/10 would die 50 times again

Der_Axl
Der_Axl

The level Reference.zip is a middle to all the players.
Here is mine.

Sumph
Sumph

I could just about play this game exclusively for the amazing soundtrack, let alone the way it seamlessly weaves into the gameplay. The customizations are fun to unlock, the narrator is on point as usual and the entire game can be experienced at a variety of meaningful difficulty settings, so anyone can see all the game has to offer.

Garo
Garo

I can't play the game. Lags totally ruin the game and even lead to soft-locks.

the monkey man
the monkey man

What's here is amazing.
The only problem is what isn't.

Simply put: the game feels unfinished. And ignoring the slight controversies around the removal of those pretty shaders in the first trailer(s), it feels like they wanted to put more worlds but...didn't.

Choice. Please make DLC. I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Either that or Steam Workshop. Either works. PLEASE.

[DeFrag] Feste
[DeFrag] Feste

As a huge fan of Runner2, I had high hopes for Runner3, and while it felt like it took a little longer to get into the groove, it has fully met my expectations!

buttlord
buttlord

I should've refunded this crap when I had the chance, but I was too much of a fan of the first two to believe Runner 3 could be this bad. The other reviwers have explained the downsides better than I can, but I'll sum up some of my worst frustrations:. lags ruin timing, split paths cause confusion and frustration, so much screen"noise" to distract you and too many "extra" items to grab forces you replay the same levels ad nausium. In the end, you feel so bad about beating the level with the bare minimum of completion that it hardly even feels like you beat anything at all.

morrelo
morrelo

Perfect successor of the Bit.Trip Runner series. I very much enjoy the previous titles and I also very much enjoy this one.

Audish
Audish

Let’s say you wanted to make a rhythm game. What’s the most important part? The music, obviously. If your gameplay is going to integrate with the music, expecting players to bop along with the beat to succeed, you need those tunes to slap. So I’ll make this one easy for you: the soundtrack in Runner3 does not slap. It does not bump. It sucks. I feel like that alone should be enough to condemn a rhythm game, but it’s not even the first thing that turned me off to this one. I even had to revisit the original BIT.TRIP RUNNER to confirm I wasn’t losing my mind, but nope, this third installment of the series is but a pale shadow of its former glory.

Commander Video and CommandGirl Video have decided to chill for a bit, and nipped off to Foodland to take in the giant tubers, I guess. But the Timbletot is returning to foul up everything good and cool about the world, so the hero’s journey continues for our rhythmic friends. Across Foodland and beyond, you’ll guide the pair in running, jumping, sliding, kicking, bouncing, and more as they traverse courses full of foes, traps, gaps, walls, and worse. All the while you’ll have the music urging you on, with every bounce on a spring and gold bar grabbed adding its own beat to the rhythm. And there’s plenty more to find in each level than just gold, with all sorts of gems and collectibles on the line.

That’s as flowery as I’m willing to get in describing this game, because there’s a lot wrong with what I just said. For starters, I want to reiterate how bad the soundtrack is. Yes, it has a strong beat to help guide you, but the tunes sound like something belted out of a bad flash cartoon. Gone are the bangin’ electric beats of the first game, replaced with cartoon percussion, farts, and slide whistles. It’s genuinely bewildering how bad the music is, and each world only gets like three tracks to share across its many, many levels. Worse than that, though, is how little impact you have on the music with your actions. I’ve never felt like the rhythm was all that important to the Runner series, since the beats fall on things you touch and obstacles you pass, not on the button presses themselves. But in Runner3 there’s less feedback than ever, with really only gold and gems adding anything to the deficient music.

There are problems across the presentation, and not just audio. I really, truly do not understand the art style of this game, or why it’s moved so incredibly far away from the clean pixels and polygons of the original. The clean look of the first Runner helped players plan and time their moves. In Runner3, everything is beset with this grotesque, waxen look of hideous faces and meat. It’s hard to put my finger on exactly what the aesthetic is, but it reminds me too much of cheap parody games cobbled together in the oily, high-contrast forges of Unreal 4. Everything is simply unpleasant to look at, and the scenery often gets in your way either because it’s over-designed or because the camera likes to swoop around at dramatic and painfully unhelpful angles.

Even drilling down to the core gameplay, you’re going to hit rough patches. Levels have confusing alternate routes that don’t unlock until you beat the main route, leaving your trail covered in ugly barriers. There are new flying sections that really add nothing to the game, aside from reminding you that you could be playing a better side-scroller. And a shocking number of hazards come out of nowhere, like meatballs streaking at you from off-screen and a giant octopus randomly deciding to smash holes in your route. I could go on about the lame jokes, the annoying unlock conditions, the brutally unfun secret levels, or how terribly wasted Charles Martinet is, but I don’t want to distract too much from the real takeaway. Runner3 barely resembles the game that put this series on the map, and fails to live up to any of those expectations.

Did you enjoy this review? I certainly hope so, and I certainly hope you'll check out more of them at https://goldplatedgames.com/ or on my curation page!

Lonesome Yogurt
Lonesome Yogurt

I never understood why these games aren't more popular - I recently returned to the series after a year or so and enjoyed it just as much as I did the first time through. The difficulty curve is perfect and the aesthetic is very charming. Highly recommended for anyone who likes platformers, rhythm games, or collectible hunts.

Maya
Maya

As some have said, this isn't a rhythm game, and the music is pretty rubbish. Take away the music/rhythm and you're left with a very simplistic runner with no charm.

Clamburger
Clamburger

Sadly this game lacks everything that made Runner 2 excellent. To start with, your actions in the level only seem to sync with the music about half of the time, and the music (bar a far tracks) is just not as good. The sound effects lack that "punch" that made Runner 1 and 2 so satisfying. The new engine is graphically inferior - there's low resolution textures right in your face throughout the game, and the style itself is just ugly.

The length of the game is also an issue - there are 27 main levels vs 95 in Runner 2! You'll get to the end of World 3 and think "is that it?" This is partially made up by the fact that each level has an easy and a hard route (which was one of Runner 3's good ideas), but you're still left feeling really shortchanged by the end of it.

All that being said, it's a perfectly playable game, and depending on what you expect out of a rhythm runner you're still likely to enjoy it. Personally I wouldn't recommend spending more than $5-$10 though.

Dhama
Dhama

It's a good runner game.

Pros:

Level design: Very creative. It's clear the team put a lot of time into the environments. Each level feel unique. Like Bit Trip Runner 2, there are multiple paths to explore in every level.

Mobility: A+. You're able to control everything about your jump and how you fall.

Impossible Level Difficulty: #*@! Great challenge. Many segments require frame-perfect execution. If you're a masochist of the highest level, these are for you.

Cons:

Inconsistency: There are some bugs in the hit detection that were never worked out. Sometimes you'll pass through gold and not get it. Sometimes you'll miss the gold and still get it. Sometimes you'll hit enemies and not die, they just phase right through you. This is the games biggest weakness and flaw.

Rhythm: It's almost non-existent. The gold won't really line up with the music nor will the music help you very much with timing. This is much more of a straight plat former than the previous entries in the series.

Overall:

Solid and fun. A ton of creative design. However, because of the hit-detection issues I'd recommend getting this on sale if you're interested.

System Clover
System Clover

Easily the best in the series, and you're not Charles Martinet. That's rather obvious.

Skulker_S
Skulker_S

I was sceptical at first, but by the end of world one the game has totally won me over!

Not that much of a rhythm game, don't get me wrong, the music is great and once you are in the flow it's great. But you could take the music away and it would still be a good runner/plattformer, so the rhythm aspect takes a bit of a backseat (which I like).

Recommended for anybody who likes good 2D plattformer, as a reference I love the donkey kong country games and this reminds me in some aspect of those

lazerlord
lazerlord

Got this game on sale for $1.99 and its definitely worth the purchase if you get it on sale, but with no way to rebind controls back to the original keyboard controls from runner 1 and 2 (left and right arrow keys specifically) I am just disappointed...

Piyapon
Piyapon

Better than Runner 2. Buy it if you love this rhythm type of games.

Torik
Torik

I love all the other games but this just soulless.
It's like they outsourced the game development to someone who watched a youtube video of runner 2.

Traeh
Traeh

I adore a good rhythm twitch game. This installment of the Bit.Trip Runner series does not disappoint. It presents a hearty challenge with great beats without making you pull your hair out... unless you try your hand at the Impossible Levels. That IS a challenge. I recommend all of the Runner games, including this one!

PS There's a lot to obsess over and chuckle at in this game. Charles Martinet, puppet shows, unlockables galore, boss fights... A++

Dire
Dire

Just a personal opinion maybe, but I didn't find the character appealing. Just looks weird.

Aside from that the game offers 3 game worlds. Different art styles, but pretty much a similar musical theme...which gets boring after the first level.

Apart from that you're jumping, sliding and kicking your way through levels filled with obstacles and enemies. Each level can be completed at least twice to get all the gold bars, then all the jewels...and maybe a 3rd time to get the special items. All of the aforementioned are necessary to unlock special worlds (challenging), but I couldn't be bothered. They're just more of the same, only harder.

At the end of each world there's a gimmicky boss waiting for you, since this is an auto runner after all. The bosses are...somewhat fun and have frequent check points, which is fair, since you die in 1 hit. The final boss is a bitch though.

The game's levels range from "damn this is easy" in 1 minute to "how the hell?" in the next...sometimes within the same level. You can alter the difficulty to whatever you like though. More or less enemies? More checkpoints? And so on...

There's not really that much rhythm. You just...jump and slide somehow, but rarely in tune to anything.

The vehicles are terrible, especially the care you control from 3rd person...

The 2.5D aspect more often than not causes some real issues, especially when the camera just keeps floating around like crazy and changes perspectives all the time.

For the price I wouldn't recommend it though. The levels aren't distinct enough, the music isn't catchy to liste to (quite the opposite), the graphics are rather ugly and the controls are too floaty for my taste. And it happened quite often that a commend wasn't registered correctly or the time frame for the command was so tight that pressing it just a bit earlier results in immediate death...

Maxmetpt
Maxmetpt

I wanted to give this game a negative review - but it's a testament to how good the bit.trip runner formula is that the game is still very satisfying despite some scummy design!

Runner3 is more like Runner2 than Runner1. While the levels are much more complex than in the first game, and have some really fun sections, a lot of the design is either unfair and unsatisfying or simply unrelated to what makes the series good.

The biggest problem, to me, is how much the game obscures collectibles and obstacles with foreground elements. There are too many sections where you can't see what's coming next until it's too late, forcing you to rely of memorization a lot more than reflex and quick-planning.
This applies not only to foreground elements obscuring obstacles but also indistinct enemy design (poor color and silhouette coding, you often can't read things at a glance), changes of perspective (making it very hard to judge distances), obstacles falling out of the sky or moving around too close to the player, and so on.
I think I could go on, but you get the idea. And let me be clear - these are not "mistakes" by the developers who didn't know better; this is part of the design. It's very clear that they used all of these things intentionally. I don't get why, it adds challenge, sure, but it's not where the fun of the game is at!
There are also some really scummy obstacles or gold/gem placements that are purposefully there to make you miss them right before the end of a level, forcing a full restart (as opposed to a checkpoint restart).

There are minor problems, some carried from Runner2 like the cannon at the end of a level which is required to "perfect" levels (mostly for achievements, I guess, but who doesn't like to strive for reasonable perfection?). The cannon has nothing to do with the skill set of the actual game.
There are also too many driving sections which stop being about jumping, sliding and kicking, and instead become about moving around freely up/down or left/right. Again, these have nothing to do with the bit.trip runner skill set. There are too many of these sections within levels.

Finally, there are too many collectables (stickers, hero quests, "retro levels", etc.) that inflate the game's length with little (in my opinion) added value. The stickers, for example, often force you to forego coins/gems in a level to collect them - but the level design doesn't actually change, it's a tiny branch dedicated entirely to the sticker just to make you replay a level.
The hero quests follow a similar logic, except that you must first "activate" the quest in another level to make the collectable available.
The retro levels are simply normal platforming levels. These are more like a poor man's Mario or Super Meat Boy, really. They're there if you want to collect special coins to buy costumes in the shop. I didn't really play these, but it is a bit annoying that time was spent adding all of this pointless stuff that has nothing to do with the game itself, you know, about running and rhythm.

Otherwise, the game is really fun! I completed every gold/gem in every normal level - the impossible levels were a bit too frustrating so I decided not to play them at this time.
I'm not a big fan of the difficulty options since they make it a bit hard to judge what the developers intended. I ended up playing with all the options maxed out and it was alright (again, except for the impossible levels, but those are called impossible so yeah).

Would be nice to have aggregate leaderboard scores (for each world or full campaign rather than individual levels, but it's not too relevant).

Mechanics-wise, I actually like the double jump and the stomp quite a lot. These give you a lot more control over how to tackle different challenges and how to react (when the level design isn't scummy). The jump height is often difficult to judge, however (due to the 3D and shifting perspective) and there is also lack of feedback for when you hit the ground - I died often because I "air jumped" rather than "jumped" because I jumped just before the character hit the ground; this could be solved with a sound or a controller rumble, but it was more of a problem at the beginning.

Excuse me for the rambling review. I really love the series and feel like this game had some really bad design elements. That said, I played the first game again and the level design was much, much simpler. So, taking my rosy-colored glasses off, I think the level design is, on the whole, better in Runner3. It could easily be better than it is, but it's still very fun.

I don't remember 2 very well, should replay it at some point. But anyway. That's enough.

I'm a bit annoyed at the game, but Runner3 is still very satisfying to play! Especially if you go for higher challenges - there are enough degrees of difficulty and achievements for most people to find a satisfying way to play the game.

oneirossd
oneirossd

Definitely harder than Runner 2, but still a good game.

the great dodecicosidodecahedron
the great dode…

There are some flaws, bit over all a great game!

dawnDus
dawnDus

The new stuff from runner2, the wacky camera angles, multiple tracks, and vehicles, are the worst parts of the game. When the camera gives you a good angle and obstacles are clearly visible in front of you the game is at it's best, which was the entirety of runner2. On top of some annoyances like certain gold pieces being placed off-beat so you don't know if you actually collected them until the next beat, after they were already off-screen.

SharkInASuit
SharkInASuit

Runner3 is a really fun and precise auto runner with a goofy and absurd art style that is complemented by the weird visuals. It is short but due to it's arcadey nature I feel as though I have only scratched the surface of it's content upon completion due to bonus levels, collectibles, and more. For the 2 dollars I picked it up for it is definitely worth playing and I plan on revisiting this game again and its two predecessors.

mhenryblack
mhenryblack

This game is ridiculous fun, the visuals create Nostalgia for old Super Nintendo games like Donkey Kong Country.

The gameplay is constant fun, the level design is excellent.

You are going to Rage Quit more than once, and then immediately go back to try again. It can feel incredibly satisfying to pull off a tricky sequence.

I wish they wouldn't have made it so the female character stands there and looks like she pissed at you. :)

Highly recommended, even better if you can pick it up on sale.

Kreous
Kreous

ok so basically its like runner 2 but everyone is thicc and commander video can dab and the background visuals will make you think you're on acid

_E_
_E_

Runner3 is the latest in the Bit.Trip Runner series, and marks a fairly significant departure from the earlier entries. Does it hold up after this technological leap?

GRAPHICS

The Runner series has always been based on more primitive graphics, going for a retro feel. The latest entry eschews all that for fancy 3D graphics. They look nice and get the job done. However, there are a few times where the decision to move to 3D causes issues.

One example, there is a level early on where you pass behind a milk waterfall. This obscures your vision heavily and makes timing the jumps very difficult.

The game also has a habit of changing perspective, moving to a behind the shoulders camera or a view where you're running towards the camera. This can frequently cause issues as it's hard to gauge where you will land. This is something that you get past after a little while, though.

GAMEPLAY

The meat and potatoes of the Runner series has always been the rhythmic timing of button presses against the on-screen challenges and the blasting of retro inspired music in the background. This has remained largely unchanged.

Whereas before you had different difficulty levels that you would go and replay your levels at, Runner3 opts instead to offer different paths through the levels based on what type of run you're doing. Your first run through any level will be a gold run, where you're trying to get 100 gold bricks. Get all 100 and catch all the boomboxes and you get to launch yourself from a cannon, hoping for a bullseye and a nice + on your level.

Once you've completed the gold run you have the option for a gem run. This contains 100 gold bars plus 25 gems. This level will take you to different sections of the level that you haven't played before making the gem run a unique challenge and not just a matter of more enemies or obstacles.

You still have difficulty options, but they don't count negatively against you. They simply modify the score you receive. You can select no enemies whatsoever or lots of enemies. It should be easy to find the level of challenge that's right for you.

In addition to all this, you have videotapes that unlock retro levels. These play quite differently, more akin to a standard platformer than a runner. The object here is to collect 5 coins. These coins can be used to buy cosmetics for your characters.

You also gain access to the Impossible Levels as you collect gold and gems. The Impossible Levels live up to their name. They are quite difficult, putting all of your skills to the test. However, they are not actually impossible and can be beaten with a little persistence and a lot of repitition.

You have lots of charcters to unlock, so you can choose which runner you like.

WHAT I LIKE

The challenge has really been amped up in this entry. Beyond your normal selection of moves, you now have double-jump and held jumps. These are game changers in a lot of ways. When you get into particularly frantic levels, deciding the appropriate type of jump for the situation becomes critical. This is compounded by the fact that you have to make quick decisions. As with any mechanic, you get a feel for it after a while and learn to recognize patterns to determine the best jump method.

The main levels are quite fun, and with a few exceptions not extremely difficult. There were one or two that I struggled with the gem runs on, but for the most part the difficulty was on point.

There is a ton to do, between the retro levels, the impossible levels, and trying to get perfects and plusses on all your levels. You've got characters to unlock, hand puppets to find, and videotapes to look out for.

The music is nice. A little understated and not quite on par with the earlier titles, but still quite enjoyable and catchy in the moment.

WHAT I DON'T LIKE

I find myself getting particularly irritated when the camera starts to move. It might rotate to a 3/4 view, you might start running towards it, or it might move behind you. No matter what it does, I generally do not like it when it happens. (I think the car and the bowling ball are the only two exceptions to this.) It can be very jarring when it happens and can make timing specific jumps very difficult, especially when you're trying to grab a gold bar or gem above you. It's easy to jump too early just because you can't tell where you'll land because of the perspective.

My biggest gripe comes from the checkpoints. Not that they exist. I'm glad for them. There are several in every level. However, this game is all about getting perfect runs. If you make a mistake, no biggie. Either run into something or hit a combo to bonk yourself. This is great in theory, but in practice doesn't work right. To self-bonk you have to hold a combo of buttons down for four beats. The problem here is that the game will frequently put some gold bars or gems that are hard to grab RIGHT BEFORE a checkpoint. So if you miss them you're hosed, because now you're starting after those items. I had one level in particular that I had this continuously happen right at the third checkpoint, so I would have to start the whole level over just to make an attempt at the bars or gems. That got real frustrating. It would be nice to be able to select "self-bonk" from the pause menu to prevent this from happening.

I found the graphics, while nice, a bit in the way. First off, you're never really going to be looking at them because you're too busy running. But the graphics will frequently get in the way of the camera, maybe with a partially obstructed view inside a crate, maybe a big creature flying by in the foreground as you finish a plane section. These interferences are not constant, but happen frequently enough that it's worth mentioning.

FINAL VERDICT

So you've read this far. Is the game any good? I personally held off on this one for a long time because I didn't like the look of the changes. But I'm happy to report that ultimately it all works well. It's not a perfect game by any stretch, but it's still a challenging and enjoyable chapter in the Runner series. I've been playing them since the first Runner, and 3 is a worthy addition to that library.

In my opinion, worth a purchase.

Acoustic Stoner
Acoustic Stoner

If you enjoy Runner2. you will enjoy the more difficult Runner3.

if you never played Runner2. i recommend you get runner2 first. simply because Runner2 is more forgivable for new players.
also Runner2 early game is to maintain the players flow through the levels. starting easy then gradually getting hard.

Runner3 early game is basically the halfway point of Runner2 difficulty wise.
Why? Easy answer! This game was made for fans of runner 2.

Rivent
Rivent

The jokes in this game land less than my jumps. Timing platforms are incredibly awkward thanks to the messy music which removes any noticeable rhythm. Obstacles like to appear last second for added irritation. Graphics are impressive, but busy. Not counting challenges/collectables it’s only 3 hours long but frankly after a boss fight consisting of third person driving, jaggy lane swapping and speed altered long jumps I was glad to see the credits roll.

dizzy
dizzy

Very similar to the 2nd game in the series, but adds in difficulty spikes with extra optional levels, with difficulty reminiscent of the original game in the series. If you like platformers, you will most likely enjoy this game. Although it's not the longest experience, I can imagine trying to 100% this game would take an insane amount of dedication.

The only con I can really give is that this game has too much visual distractions, weird angles, and a lot of the time I find myself losing because I can't see something ahead of me, or my timing gets thrown off when I go from a sideways section to a front-view section. This was the same in the 2nd game, but it is even worse in this one.

The extra flavour this game adds with the knights that switch positions and have you perform different task, the interesting bosses, or the vehicle sections, really adds to the crazy direction this series originally deviated towards in the 2nd installment, and now it feels like its own thing instead of a weird spin off of the original - which is how I felt when playing Runner2.

What really makes this game for me is the main character, he is iconic and really carries this series. The colourful atmosphere juxtaposed to his black sheen, it is gorgeous to look at, and once you get in the groove, fun to play.

Limitless Mail
Limitless Mail

I loved bit trip runner too and brought all other bit trip games but runner 3 is great as well ,

A game which can pick up and play for few minutes but most time you just want that perfect run while dancing every second you can.

Artichao
Artichao

(Prepare yourself, I have a lot to say.)

I'm half and half on this game, though I lean mostly on the positive side I suppose. I've been a big fan of the BIT.TRIP series for years, and BIT.TRIP RUNNER was obviously the game to start it all off. I've played all 6 of the original BIT.TRIP games, and was pleasantly surprised when Runner 2 came out. It was a blast, and I absolutely loved the jump from 2D to 3D. It was refreshing, to say the least, and gave the game a new breath of life.
Personally, BIT.TRIP RUNNER should've stopped at the second game. I was excited when I heard of Runner 3's arrival, and set aside the more "unpleasant" looking art style since it was always the music and the gameplay itself that I enjoyed most about Runner. When it comes to a 3D game, I understand that you want to be more adventurous - such as Super Mario Bros. jumping to a 3D world such as Super Mario 64. But the confusing camera angles, the dizzying visuals, the 10-year-old humour of farts and stupid faces really doesn't do the game justice. Now I really enjoy the difficulty, I admittedly loved suffering at the Impossible Levels, but the difficulty should come from the gameplay - not the frustrating camera giving poor depth perception.
The music is also lackluster - I enjoy Spookyland's soundtracks and visuals, much like I enjoyed The Supernature from Runner 2, but majority of the OST doesn't give that hype that the previous two games had. Most of the time it feels boring, bland, which isn't the kind of feeling you expect from a game that features energetic characters.
I enjoyed the retro level visuals far more than the game's 3D models. In fact, if ALL of Runner 3 was stylised and animated like the retro levels I'd enjoy the game SO much more. 3D doesn't always mean good. Though, I enjoyed Runner 2's 2D animation visuals more than Runner 3's - but they're similar anyway. And what is with the crude puppet show cutscenes? I could not sit through them, as I felt like I was being told the story as if I was a toddler (No offence Charles Martinet, I will forever love your voice and narration). Why not bring back Runner 2's simple get effective cutscene style? Why ruin your storytelling? Even though I collected all the puppets for these "shows" I never watched them - it might just be something that I personally disliked, but I feel as though you need to consider your playerbase a bit more.
The only reason why I answer "Yes" to recommending the game is that as a whole, the game can be quite enjoyable - it keeps you on your toes, has difficulty spikes to test your skills, and is something to pass time and entertain yourself. But there are so many cons, personally, and I was debating if I should REALLY recommend this game.
As a whole, if you're new to the BIT.TRIP series - Don't buy this game, buy Runner 2. You'll enjoy that MUCH more. And for those who have experienced all the other BIT.TRIP games like me, don't get your hopes too high. Yes, it's a RUNNER game, just as the title of the game shows, but the game as a whole isn't as polished and well thought-out as it should've been.

P.S. Charles Martinet, thanks for making the game experience much less painful.

fardin
fardin

Presentation:                                                                                                     ★☆☆
Gameplay:                                                                                                               ★★☆
Immersion:                                                                                                          ★★☆
Fun:                                                                                                                                                                              ★★☆
Graphics:                                                                                                                                    ★☆☆

---Grind---
☐ Nothing
☑ Average grind level
☐ Too much grind 

---Campaign Length---
☐ Short
☑ Average
☐ Long/Infinite

---Longevity---
☑ Short
☐ Average
☐ Long/Infinite

---Difficulity---
☐ Easy
☐ Need some brain
☑ Difficult

---Bugs---
☐ None
☐ Minor bugs
☑ Too Much

Overall: 5/10

speedyMF
speedyMF

Very polished sequel with even more challenges and unlockables.

existor man
existor man

cant wait till sequel!

choice provisions, if you ever see this, please say you are working on runner4 or the sequel to the BIT.TRIP please!

humsmedia
humsmedia

This is the 3rd game I have played from the bit-trip line up and I love all of them. Its such a unique platform game. Family friendly, good music and lots of fun. A great set of games.

fredphoesh
fredphoesh

Fun and simple, though not too easy, but satisfying nevertheless...

nego.rei.das.moedas
nego.rei.das.moedas

Today's thrilling episode is brought to you in part by...

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Nasty... Don't want that. Pretty disgusting, if you think about it. Who has boil oils anyway, and what do you do with it once they're gone? Oh, for crying out loud, I can't imagine anything more disgusting than a boil oil, unless it's two boil oils. Two boil oils would be twice as disgusting, and three oil boil oils - three boil oils would be even more disgusting, because it's boil after boil after boil. I wonder if I can get a boil on top of a boil, then would you get double the oil? Maybe get a discount, who knows? Well, I suppose I would get a discount- after all, Bargains Galore, right? You might as well bargain for things. Suppose I don't really want boil oils... I certainly don't want two of them, but if I get a 3-pack, I suppose that's a better deal, isn't it? I mean, if you’re gonna get boil oils, you might as well get a package of them, right? A big one, maybe... go to one of those big box stores and buy the 700 carted together. Just wheel him right up to the door - "Hey, I want to buy these boil oils, can I? Oh, I mean, I'm gonna buy Dill and Rewty's Cutie Patooties... Royal Doyle! I wanna buy Royal Doyle's Boil Foils. Lots of them... Aluminum ones! Lots of... boil oil foil... boil oil foil for me, please!" I'm going to go to the pharmacy now, just ask - "Excuse me, do you have, uh... *ahem* Royal Doyle's Boil Foils, per chance? And while you're at it, give me a package of those things over there. Yeah, you know don't talk- no don't- *stutter* -Don't say we- *stutter* -just put them in the boil oil... Thank you..."

ScoutMan117
ScoutMan117

Runner 3 follows on from its predecessor, and attempts to better it counterpart by providing new graphics and more mechanics. Unfortunately this is to its detriment in places, I will discuss this below but first the positives.

The Good:
- The game looks gorgeous, with cinematic's that are a step up for the series.
- Each world feels unique with its own sense of charm and style, this is partly thanks to the brilliant soundtrack that the series never disappoint on.
- It adds new mechanics and provides harder levels than the previous games.
- Hero's quest is an interesting addition to the game and gives you an incentive to revisit levels.

The Bad:
- One of the earliest problems I found in the game was the change in camera angle. It completely takes you by surprise and will make you have to start at the last checkpoint again, causing unnecessary frustration.
- New mechanics make the game harder in a detrimental way, where it has become more frustrating than rewarding. Examples include hard manoeuvres in vehicle stages, use of double jump, having to slide mid air at points etc.
- Cinematic's explaining lore in the game are hidden behind collectables. I personally think this should of been done differently, as it becomes more of a chore to get a reward at the end of each world rather than having something that could be enjoyed immediately.
- New impossible stages provide a fiendish new challenge that will not be for everyone, but perhaps this will be more of a positive to hard core fans of the series.
- The game loses the block mechanic from runner 2. Not sure why this was taken out as it feels missing when playing from runner 2.
- Retro levels were overall meh, but an interesting detour from the usual levels.

The Ugly:
- I experienced soft locking on cannon bonus. If you miss the target completely, sometimes the falling animation continues indefinitely.

Conclusion:
Runner 3 provides an interesting take on a sequel to runner 2, but falls short due to its new mechanics, change in camera angles and a few bugs here and there. Despite the amount of bad points I have made about the game, there a fun charming adventure here, as long as you are up for the trials ahead of you.

6/10

Beebo42
Beebo42

What a disappointment after Runner 2. First and foremost, the music just isn't very good, and it doesn't feel like you're creating the music like in past games. Secondly, this is the hardest game in the series and for all the wrong reasons. The camera rotates around you at times for a close up view or a behind the back view, which throws off your timing. But the worst is in the final world where obstacles are just dropped in front of you with little or no warning. It feels like trial and error just to get through the level. Finally, there's just not much here. Only 3 worlds with 10 levels each. They try to add replay value by added alternate paths and collectibles to the levels, but after awhile I was disliking the game so much that I just ignored them. I tried the first "retro" world and thought it was terrible.

Pros: Cheers to the art team, the stuff going on in the background is incredible. Makes me wish I was playing a normal platformer so I could slow down and take a look at it.

Clown Girl Gaming (She/Fae/Fart)
Clown Girl Gam…

island 2 music sucked
level design was 10/10
dialogue 10/10
gem paths being locked sucks
customization is okay
A LOT of content
overall it's good but runner 2 was better tbh

Grits n' Gravy
Grits n' Gravy

This is why you don't buy day 1. This game is a disappoint when compared to Runner2. The music not as good (subjective), and theres inconsistency in the rhythm at timeswhen collecting the gold bars. At this point, its just suffering to get thru it.Get it on sale at a deep discount...like I did.

Juan421P
Juan421P

Not my favorite out of the 3. Pretty good nonetheless.

luisarao
luisarao

This game is OK. Runner 2 is better.

xubiod
xubiod

is another solid entry in the bit.trip runner series

thank you for not opting to follow in the second game's footsteps for the name

Ay Tequila
Ay Tequila

Let's say you are playing a platformer and you have a jump coming up. You run up, measure the distance and jump. After you jump a giant rock comes out nowhere and crushes you where you land. You only see half of the rock because a giant mushroom flew by your camera and covered it, which decided to rotate in response, giving you motion sickness. There was absolutely no way you could have known about the rock. Meanwhile a cheap ripoff of generic halloween music is playing on a loop in the background. Later you find out you have a magic rock dodging button the game decided to spring on you and the location of the button on your controller was written on an owl in the background 5 km away.

Repeat this about 100 times, then you get this game.

Agilias
Agilias

I love the past two runners but this is simply horrible. The camera purposefully moves around, obscuring incoming obstacles and the same goes for the background that at some points of each level becomes a foreground - yeah, have fun with that; many of the said obstacles appear too late for you to react, so instead of relying on your reflexes, like in the past, GOOD runners, you now have to remember when to make your move; the collectibles are put in places that require you to be pixel-precise; the boss fights are easier than the first level of Tetris; and OMG don't get me started on those freaking vehicles, what mind decided putting cars and bikes and planes and mine carts in this game is a good idea. Overall, if you are a fan of the series, pirate this, like I should have, because the development team doesn't deserve a penny.

Skuidius
Skuidius

F*cking hell !
Animations are smooth, levels are nicely made. It's a good game.

Marfung
Marfung

I've never been more pained to give a game a thumbs down than this, but Runner 3 suffers from the dilemma faced by other games that managed to perfect their genre in a previous iteration... where do we go to from here? The answer is almost inevitably always "backwards". Runner 2 took everything that made the first Runner great and expanded on it, creating what is, in my opinion, the definitive Runner game. For the 3rd chapter, all the additions serve only to detract from the overall experience. Having the action obscured by things in the foreground? Not needed. Having bonus flying levels with extremely floaty controls? Completely unnecessary.

Look, this isn't a terrible game. It's just such a step in the wrong direction for the series that I can't in good conscious give it a thumbs up. I would rather replay the 2nd game again than play any more of this.

gneal77
gneal77

Runner2 was a game I radnomly picked up after watching Total Biscuit's WTF Is... video on it. I was surprised by how much I ended up enjoying it. I would eventually go on to get triple perfects on every level and has a blast doing it. I found the connection between your movments and the music super satisfying, loved the sound design, and enjoyed the wacky world of it all. I was super pumped for Runner3, especially after they announced Eddie Riggs as a guest character.

However, I became very frustrated with this game very quickly. I found it much more challenging for than the second game, but for reasons I would consider bad.

- The music feels much more limited and premade in this game. I never felt like the moves I was or wasn't making impacted the sound. As a result, the repetition in the tracks was much harder to get into a groove with the movements. I also found the music much more repetitive.

- The graphics are a little too flashy for me and I don't think there is enough differentiation between layers. Things fly at the screen all the time, so I made mistakes because I could not see an obstacle rather than user error.

- There are some vehicle sections that feel very out of place. Rather than being the type of thing where you jump from lane to lane, you have to try to hit exact spots in between obstacles and the controls on it don't feel tight enough for this type of game.

My favorite levels were easily the challenge levels. Graphically there is muhc less going on and I really felt I was changing the music much more. Even though I am not skilled enough to complete most of the challenges, I still enjoyed them more than the regular ones because of the gameplay.

mirtsos
mirtsos

it manage to go one step beyond from 2, like 2 went the same way from 1.
1 is indie hardcore, 2 adds some better visuals/moves/characters/mini games/presentation/contend
3 adds 2.5d/double jump/vehicles/gems/impossible maps and is work with the same flow as the 2 b4!
fantastic game!!!!!

EatBolt
EatBolt

Tried for 15 minutes to get xbox 360 controller support functioning, eventually giving up and requesting a refund. There forum posts by the developer more than three years old that say they are aware of the issue and are working on a solution. However, you can still give them money and enjoy the rousing experience of getting a game to correctly respond to controller input (something even the most inept game developers don't seem to have a problem doing). They really need to update the product desciption so it no longer shows controller support.

IHateStairs
IHateStairs

What a fantastic game. I've been a fan of Bit.trip runner since I was in elementary school, I even made a little commander video out of clay in art class (which looked really bad looking back) and to tell you the truth this series has been sort of a guilty pleasure of mine, it's guilty because it's a simple runner game not because the games are bad mind you.

Runner 3 is very similar to the past two games, however runner 3 goes above and beyond to fix the issues that everyone including myself complained about in previous entries. There's multiple difficulty options for more/less checkpoints, less monsters or more if you prefer and stair assist which helps with multiple jumps.

On top of all this, Runner 3 sports the slickest, smoothest controls in the series. jumping, sliding, and kicking just feels perfect and it never feels like it's the game's fault when you die in this game and that's a great thing. There are 2 big mechanics Runner 3 introduces, the first one being you can double jump which both allows for more leniency in the platforming but also introduces new level designs and platforming potential along with it. The second thing is you can now perform a "ground slam" by pressing down while in mid-air to instantly slam to the floor. This mechanic in particular changes the entire game, now you can get past multiple obstacles in succession quickly and with more ease.

Now I know what you're thinking, they dumbed this series down with all these changes and made it too easy didn't they? Nope, not even close. This game still busted my balls and I spent hours on certain levels (dear god I am having flashbacks to the final impossible level) generally this game is easier than the other two but I also find it more fun than the other two as well. And that's not to say it's a baby game now because Runner 3 has unlockable "impossible" levels, levels that in my personal opinion are a virtual violation of the geneva convention. A practice in abject cruelty, these levels will drive you insane and if I'm being honest I don't recommend trying these out unless you're weird like me.

Runner 3 is the best game in the series in my opinion. It's got refined controls and difficulty, tons of unlockables and replayability and plenty of options for hardcore players as well. I have no complaints really, besides that final impossible level raising my blood pressure to heart attack inducing levels. If you've never played one before, I definitely recommend this as the first one you try out.

Magnus
Magnus

Really sad to give this a thumbs down.
The game has heart and humor which really counts for something!

That being said, the game misses the beat when it comes to gameplay.

I simply struggle to get in a state of flow in Runner 3 which was the great thing about the former two games. Suddenly your reflexes take over, you tune in to the music and it feels like your are playing an instrument. A very rewarding and satisfying feeling! I simply dont get this in Runner3.
Is like playing guitar hero, but where the camera suddenly flips, the colours change or you get dust or a type of minigame(Car/plane segments) thrown in your face.

Runner3 has many good things and ideas (Great with the difficulty system and challenge levels!) But despite me being good at the game and completing it on the hardest difficulty in 3 hours (BTW a very short campain! ) im more frustated than focused.- and simply because of that i cannot recommend the game. Play runner 2 or 1 instead!