Vector PC Review

With the recent release of the Xbox One and PS4, most of the industry's attention is on next-generation consoles, but the most consistently fast-growing platform for gaming is mobile. This increasingly popular outlet has not gone unnoticed by developers, with mobile games being ported both to and from traditional systems such as consoles and the PC. The latest release to make the jump from mobile to PC is Vector, a 2D, free-running platformer developed by Nekki.

Vector sees you playing as an agile fellow who's perpetually being pursued by an equally agile, gun-wielding guard - presumably because our protagonist stole something important. An “autorunner” in the vein of Rayman Jungle Run, the gameplay's mobile roots will immediately be apparent to most players. Since the character is always running to the right, the player's controls are initially restricted to jumping, sliding and a speed boost that is available in certain areas of levels, although they are later given the ability to wall jump and slow down quickly after a sprint.

The first impression of simplicity soon gives way to the gameplay’s hidden depth, and timing is the key to mastering Vector. Jump over an obstacle too early or too late and you'll trip and stumble. Time your jump just right, though, and you’ll perform a vault, gaining extra speed and putting valuable milliseconds between you and your pursuer.

Unlike similar, procedurally-generated games such as Canabalt, Vector’s levels have been carefully designed. Many of the levels include alternate paths, meaning you'll have to replay them multiple times in order to find the optimal route.

Vector's 50 stages - which take anything from 30 to 90 seconds to complete - are split into three areas: Downtown, Construction Site and Technology Park. The player must obtain a certain number of stars to progress to the next area, with each level offering three stars - another sign of the game's mobile origins. In order to get the full three stars you have to collect all the floating orbs and perform three special moves at specific locations within a level, a process that can be the source of much frustration when you mess up a near-perfect run.

Before the special moves can be performed they must be purchased using the game's currency. This is one of Vector's most annoying aspects, as instead of unlocking the next level by simply completing the previous one, you're forced to play the same stages repeatedly. While this isn't much of a problem on iOS where the game costs 69p, the £4.99 RRP on PC makes the forced repetition a bit harder to stomach.

There is one major improvement over the mobile version, though; the touchscreen swiping controls have been replaced with the more responsive arrow keys, allowing for more forgiving platforming. This is a bit of a godsend since many of the levels require pinpoint precise timing in order to obtain three stars.

There’s a real sense of momentum to the gameplay, which is helped in no small part by some incredibly fluid animation that makes every jump, slide and bail feel realistic. Generally speaking, the game's visuals are certainly one of its strong points. Objects in the foreground such as characters and obstacles are silhouetted, while the backgrounds consist of dystopian, futuristic cityscapes that feel very Mirror's Edge.

Unfortunately, the audio isn't quite as impressive. I soon got sick of the repetitive techno music, and I finally resorted to muting the game audio and listening to other music instead. The dull music, combined with tiresome grunting sounds, make for a pretty underwhelming audio experience.

Overall though, Vector is an enjoyable distraction. The precise parkour gameplay makes for some thrilling chases, and the game features a pleasing visual style. It's held back by a few issues, but Vector provides fast-paced fun for those who don't mind a bit of repetition.