Hey all I’m back with a fun side-scrolling action game for my latest review. It’s They Always Run! The game is available now through most of the PC gaming platforms including Steam, GoG and the Epic Games Store. We reviewed They Always Run on the Steam platform using a code that the developer provided.
Plot: The plot is pretty basic, you play as Aidan, a three-armed mutant bounty hunter who is after the biggest and baddest names in the galaxy. There’s not really a standard Hero’s Journey when it comes to the story, but it works. There is enough of a plot here to get you started on your running and gunning, and really, that is all you need with a game like this. It’s going to shine in the gameplay and graphics, not because of some amazing plot.
Gameplay: The gameplay is fun, though it’s a bit too focused on countering, and that honestly is a bit annoying for someone like me whose timing coordination isn’t the greatest. Still, the ability to counter three opponents at once, or attack two at once was amazing, and really leaned into the whole “Aidan has three arms” mechanic that he uses constantly.
Honestly this reminded me a little of Metroid although it sadly doesn’t always allow backtracking like most Metroid games, nor is there a map function to use to track where you might have been or not.
Still, the gameplay in They Always Run is fun, although for coordination challenged people like myself, you will find yourself dying a bunch. Honestly my main gripe with this game is that when you restart from a checkpoint you don’t get full health and you don’t get your health restoration ability/item fully restored. Instead you keep what you had at exactly at the checkpoint.
Yes that is a more “traditional” method of checkpoints, but there are reasons why it’s changed over the years. Nor are there refill stations scattered across the maps, which left me at about half health constantly. Regardless, even with these gripes of mine, I had a bunch of fun playing They Always Run.
Fun aside, you should expect a difficult run with They Always Run. This is most certainly not a beginner friendly game at all. In fact there is no ability to lower or raise difficulty levels in the game, which is a bit of a shame.
Art: Thankfully, They Always Run looks beautiful with it’s hand-drawn art style that constantly impressed me. I don’t have the flashiest computer around, but the game moved pretty smoothly for me even on my “old” clunker of a computer that’s four and a half years old now. The art is easily the best part of this game. I have no complaints about it at all.
Music: The music is okay, but it’s neither memorable or groundbreaking. It’s just sort of there in the background.
Overall: They Always Run does what it should, providing a very fun, and very beautiful game that is nonetheless very much intended for those who are not beginners.
For those who like: Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure, Side-scrollers, Amazing Art Styles.
Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above, or games where countering is a major part of combat.