Runner3 Reviews

Runner3 is ranked in the 63rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Evan Norris
Top Critic
7 / 10
May 19, 2018

Runner3 is a wonderfully weird game.

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6 / 10.0
May 23, 2018

RUNNER3 is a remarkable aspiration. The game wants to be fluid, colorful, charming, and accessible, but fails to achieve these goals. RUNNER3’s gameplay is a true test of patience and persistence. For those who can bear it, the game is rewarding, but for those looking for a fun romp, they might want to look elsewhere.

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85 / 100
May 20, 2018

Runner3 is an entrancing and demanding title but the repetitive structures force players to repeat the same stages.

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80%
May 17, 2018

Overall, Runner3 represents a welcome return for Commander Video, especially in his best form. Runner 2 was one of the best rhythm games on the Wii U and, although there is much stiffer competition on the Switch, Choice Provisions have done it again. Providing a fun, personality-filled musical running experience, Runner3 is a no brainer for rhythm game fans. Its a pity there are only 3 worlds, and the extreme difficulty will not be for everyone, but I really enjoyed it. Even if I wanted to throw my controller out of the window a couple of times.

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7 / 10
May 22, 2018

I loved Runner 3, surprising seeing as I have a short attention span and even shorter temper. I guess that’s a testament to the level design, music and the graphics which all keep you hooked. There is plenty to do and find which gives the game some longevity which given the price of £24 is much needed because it’s not a cheap indie game. Gamers who are thinking of picking this game up should think long and hard about if they can stomach the sheer frustration this game vomits out at you. I hear it can be done in around 4 hours (not done by me I hasten to add) but getting 100% probably takes god-like powers.

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8.2 / 10.0
May 28, 2018

Runner3 is an amazingly crafted arcade experience that’s perfect for short bursts of hair-pulling runny goodness. It sticks to the Runner formula and it doesn’t do that much to change things up, but it does push all the dials up to 11, and the result is a really layered arcade title.

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7 / 10
May 19, 2018

Runner3 is overall an uneven experience. For every great feature or moment, there’s always something weighing it down not far off. Its soundtrack is fantastic but sadly the visuals disappoint. The game is tough but sometimes unfairly so. The worlds are overflowing with craziness but there are only three to explore in all.

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7 / 10
May 30, 2018

Despite a five year wait, Runner3 feels more like an add-on than a fully fledged sequel. Yes; it's fun, looks fantastic, and the new features and abundance of collectibles are welcomed. But the lack of content and lower quality retro levels leave me wishing for more. Although the core of the series remains joyful and functional, Runner3 struggles in launching Commander Video to the next level.

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7.5 / 10.0
May 19, 2018

Taking it all in, scoring the game for a general audience is a challenge. On the one hand it has a ton of very cool content, with a terrific funky design, creative levels, exciting new elements, surprising unlocks, and a soundtrack that sticks with you. On the other it's not hard to see where mainstream audiences are likely to get too frustrated with the game to bother to see a lot of it. Score-chasers and speedrunners will no doubt revel in the challenge, but the thing is that regardless of whether the game was made more mainstream-balanced those elements would still be strong. With a patch to tone things down I could easily see the game jumping up a point as it became more inviting, just right now it's much more of an acquired taste and that's a shame.

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May 18, 2018

Truth be told, I loved Runner3. For $29.99, it’s offering a lot of value (though it’s 15% off for the next 4 days if you pre-order). Much as I enjoyed Runner2, this game provided a lot more incentive to keep on playing, and easily 10 hours of content just for beating the game, with plenty more required to 100% everything. The additional difficulty, though somewhat off-putting, also provides a great reason to keep on trying (especially the brutal Challenge stages). Best of all, there’s a ton of stuff to unlock, from new characters to diabolically well-hidden VHS tapes to snazzy new costumes. Runner3 is a celebration of platforming, and easily the best game I’ve played from Choice Provisions so far. If you want a fun challenge, look no further.

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7.6 / 10.0
May 20, 2018

Even though it's the third game in the series, Runner3 is full of a surprising amount of variety and challenges to master.

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6 / 10.0
May 18, 2018

The only people I'd wholeheartedly recommend this game to are the ones who thought Runner2 was too easy. This one's for you. It sure as hell isn't for those who want a gentler stroll or don't have experience with the series.

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8 / 10.0
May 30, 2018

Runner3 is an excellent runner game, a good music-rhythm platformer, and a great challenge for those who dare to take it. It has an odd charm that you either love or hate, but if it resonates with you, it'll blow you away in a hurricane of music, sweat, and endless retries.

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7 / 10
Jun 6, 2018

Runner3 is a very well done addition to the series. The new dynamic camera, combined with more visually interesting environments, makes for some memorable locales, which are bolstered by the distinct level design. The new move-set abilities provide some freshness, and there's plenty of optional content to test your skills. It's a shame that said optional content is usually tedious to deal with, and as nice as the dynamic camera is, it can also sometimes lead to a few cheap deaths. Despite that, Runner3 is an addictive (albeit short) experience that platforming fans should look into, if they are up for the challenge.

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7 / 10.0
Jun 25, 2018

Runner3 brings some fresh air to the formula built by past titles in the series, but it frustrates players a bit more than its predecessors.

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6.5 / 10.0
May 19, 2018

While still an enjoyable game to play, Runner3 has serious balancing issues. I little bit of polish here and there would have seen frustrations turn into a lot of fun.

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4 / 5.0
May 21, 2018

Few games can tout that their frustration, difficulty and somewhat teasing attitude is what makes them so enjoyable, but Choice Provisions prove once again that the only thing more palpable than failure is the inevitable triumph.

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GameSpace
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
May 31, 2018

I would generally consider runner games to be a poor choice of port to pick up on a fully fledged console. After all, infinite runners practically choked mobile app stores at one time. Runner 3 is, however, an entirely different type of experience.

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7 / 10.0
Jun 19, 2018

Runner3 is a game that, in many ways, has taken one step forward while taking two back. One of its biggest alterations was an area that needed none, difficulty. Many of its newer additions have left me feeling rather indifferent. Still, I commend Choice Provisions for not resting on their laurels. Runner3 is still entertaining with its brand of frustrating (at times discouraging) fun. It'll keep me playing to improve my stats and unlock more goodies. Still, I do recommend playing the prior games first, if you haven't already. Get a feel for them, and you might be tempted to grab the cool physical edition from Nicalis with neat extras.

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8.5 / 10.0
May 29, 2018

Runner3 adeptly balances pleasure and pain

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