This article was written by Peter Thomsen of macbody.dk. Indie Game Mag would like to thank him for his contribution and urge you to check out his site!

The ‘run forever’ game mechanic popularised by Canabalt immediately struck a fear in me. The problem was that it was so fresh and so very cool, that it would inevitably suffer due to over saturation from cheap know offs, ultimately destroying any magic it may have contained. However, Forerunner from All are Kings put those fears to shame. Not only does Forerunner manage to do the mechanic justice, but it does it with such style and finesse. Forerunner may be no genre defining effort, but it handles being a very fun and beautiful game more than adequately. Does it manage to live up the legacy of Canabalt though?

Although Forerunner bears many resemblances to Canabalt, it replaces the urgency and panic with a more sombre and dignified mood. The Run Forever Mode encapsulates this best, as the objective is merely to run as far as possible, rather than strain the player with a strict time limit or a pursuing danger. Whereas Canabalt focuses on survival, Forerunner is far more interested in exploration, at least in the Story Mode. While much of the game consists of performing the same movements over and over again, subtle nuances and the striking graphics makes the journey from left to right more… meditative.

The journey that Forerunner takes you on is a scenic one; starting in the City you must pass the Jungle, the Mountains and so on. I really bought into this voyage. It resonated deep within me, which is strange because if anything the story beats the drum of African culture. This is visible not only in some of the settings and architecture, but also within the image of man running across the plains. Of course, running is the most obvious theme in Forerunner and so it is a good job that the protagonist looks absolutely stunning while doing so. The showstopper for me are the in-game graphics though. The silhouetted foreground really brings out the best in the vibrant background colours and subtle lighting effects. Although simple, the graphics are hauntingly beautiful, and fit snugly into the mythic narrative that the game presents.

As running is automatic, you spend your time tapping the screen to jump, or double tapping to perform a double jump. You swipe down to slide along the ground, and if the same action is performed while in the air it results in a dive to the ground. All of these controls will need to mastered until they are second nature, because Forerunner is an unforgiving game. The jumps, slides and dives must be timed to perfection, and in the beginning you will die a lot.

Therein lies the main problem with Forerunner. It is too unforgiving; so many pixel perfect jump sequences are required to progress. In fact, frustration can become so severe that it may cause a number of players to never see the later levels. That is a real shame as in its latter stages, Forerunner truly displays moments of gaming perfection. Once timing and is perfected over a sequence of jumps, slides and dives; those inventive and imaginative levels are pure ecstasy to experience!

Consequently, the game lacks that extra layer of polish to be considered truly great. Don’t get me wrong, Forerunner is a wonderful game by and large, but unforgiving controls combined with spotty check points bursts the illusion it otherwise creates. If All Are Kings were to address these slight issues in a sequel, I would not be able to refuse the it status of ‘instant classic’!

You can purchase Forerunner from the App Store for 99c or you can go for the free version which includes just 6 levels and the Run Forever Mode.