They Always Run is an action-platformer that is distinguished by the atmosphere of a space western and the presence of a third hand in the protagonist. We tell in the review whether the project is worth your attention.

Aiden is a mutant mercenary who takes orders to capture and eliminate the most dangerous criminals in the galaxy. Along the way, he tries to find some villains on whom he sharpens his teeth, and in the course of the plot he is drawn into a famously twisted tangle of events.

The hero is charismatic and gloomy, does not like to rant about trifles, although he jokes very aptly, he is not averse to sitting in a local bar on the planet, where he delivers the captured villains. The name of the friv game is deciphered in the very first mission, the ending of which sends Aiden in pursuit of the criminal: they are always running, trying to save their miserable lives, but the hero always overtakes them.

Chasing is one of the best parts of They Always Run: in these episodes, online game from the developer Friv2Online Games Studio becomes a runner, and players have to chase the villains, jumping and avoiding obstacles, climbing walls and trying not to fall off rickety platforms. The chases are very dynamic, and the tests do not give much time for reflection: it takes a fraction of a second to choose the right path, while a mistake can cost you back to the checkpoint.

However, this is only part of the gameplay of the game, and not the most important. Most of the levels are typical action platformers where you have to explore branched locations and fight hordes of mercenaries ; some of them, by the way, may turn out to be fugitive criminals: with the help of a special scanner, you can calculate them and, having sent them to a knockout, transfer them to the galactic police, for which Aiden will receive a certain amount to his account.

I would like to praise the battles: the combat system allows you to use blades and pistols, counterattack and break through the enemy block, dodge and silently eliminate enemies. The third hand is used for powerful strikes that are effective against opponents who have gone into a deaf defense, but they will not be allowed to be abused: first you need to fill a special scale with the help of counterattacks.

Aiden spends earned credits on upgrades and ammunition. Leveling is simple, but some of the unlockable gadgets turn out to be quite useful - for example, a hook that allows you to be attracted to previously inaccessible ledges and snatch enemies from the crowd.

The big drawback of They Always Run combat for me was the lack of precise character control and weakly tuned hitboxes. This is especially noticeable in boss battles, which are more difficult compared to battles with ordinary opponents.

Here it can be difficult to recognize the line that separates a miss from a hit, and pay for it: bosses do not forgive mistakes. During fights with mercenaries, the hero merges with other fighters, and I was not always able to detect his silhouette surrounded by enemies. And, going back to hitboxes, sometimes it's very unpleasant to fly past the platform just because the character did not catch on to it - although he obviously should have.

On the other hand, once you get used to the combat system, it becomes enjoyable. With dexterity, it is possible to carry out beautiful combinations of blows, gracefully cracking down on opponents.

And They Always Run boasts a great picture. This applies both to the design of locations reminiscent of Star Wars and other space westerns, and to the overall art style and animation. At least take some screenshots and print them in a frame on the wall - they are so good.

The game turned out to be quite successful, although not without flaws. She can be forgiven a lot for the beautiful scenery and the atmosphere of a fantastic adventure, but character control problems can ruin your experience. Consider this when buying.