Among the types of games I’ve played that I think can be the most difficult to implement well are first-person platformers. By no means is it impossible to make one that works and plays well, but having seen so many titles fall short in critical areas of concern, I have no doubt that the struggle is real. Of the first-person indie games I’ve played, the only one that comes to mind that left an impression on me was Cyber Hook, and it really went the extra mile with some pretty impressive swinging mechanics as well. Parkour Labs, by comparison, is a more humble effort, but it unfortunately stumbles in a few critical areas and is then simply unable to recover.

The name of the game definitely makes sense based on its action, as this is a pretty focused experience, with you simply trying to run and jump your way through courses. Where it mostly adds its complexity is by having you deal with surfaces that have a variety of colors, and your focus then becomes trying to stay on course while also being mindful of what’s coming so that you can maneuver through it correctly, whether being sure to move quickly before it disappears, using it for a big bounce, or understanding that you need to avoid it entirely. Throwing these elements together in different combinations, as well as adding verticality and surfaces on an incline, and you can get a fair amount of variety out of an otherwise simple combination of elements.

The problems that bring it down are sadly tied to the title’s core mechanics though, and since those end up detracting from the experience on a consistent basis, the game as a whole comes up short. The most critical problem begins with the fact that the camera is simply not far enough off of the surface, but then is also not angled well enough that you’re able to effectively judge where you are at any given point in time. It effectively feels like you’re trying to run and jump with your perspective at knee, or perhaps groin, level at best, looking almost straight ahead. This exacerbates two critical issues. The first is that simply knowing where your feet are can be extremely aggravating, robbing you of the ability to properly make long jumps. The second can be just as critical, and that’s the fact that without the camera being at a higher angle it can be difficult to understand what color you’ll be landing on, further complicating your ability to make a plan for where to jump to as you go. Aside from a bit less ambition and variety when compared to its peers, it’s the poor positioning of the camera that really makes it difficult to want to give the rest of the experience more of a chance.