I didn’t enjoy most of my time with Runa & the Chaikurú Legacy. The 3D platformer developed by Fanny Pack Studios has a series of issues that tested my patience: frequent framerate drops, annoying bugs, freezing when you enter a new area, a silly AI companion that won’t obey your commands, and some puzzles that are way longer and more tedious than they should be. I also felt that my character’s attacks and jumps weren’t precise.
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It’s clear that Runa had some development issues, and maybe a few ideas should have returned to the drawing board. It’s a shame because I see glimpses of a greater game, with a cool story about a forgotten civilization and how sometimes we don’t put in the effort to protect the collective memory of our history.
However, much to my surprise, Runa ended up giving me one of my guilty pleasures: running-towards-the-screen levels in a platformer.
It All Started With A Bandicoot
When I was a kid, I couldn’t afford a Nintendo 64 and its expensive games, so I thought Crash Bandicoot was the best thing ever. Then I grew up and realized that most of the games from the original trilogy were just okay, with some cool ideas showcased in their strongest moments (mostly in Crash 2).
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time kicks ass, though.
But there was one type of level I loved back then and still do now. One that always raises my colleagues’ eyebrows when I mention them: those stages where Crash is running toward the screen, escaping from a giant ball, polar bear, or any other big threat. There’s at least one of these in the first three Crash titles, and they get more complicated with each new entry.
I know why they are generally despised: the camera is usually too close to the character, so you can’t see where you have to jump very well. Plus, the thing chasing you is fast, so you can’t stop to figure out where to go. I love them though. I can’t get enough of them. I enjoy their sense of danger and how they ask for quick reactions from you. It also feels like an extra challenge, making you learn the level in a different way. Hence the persecution.
And I Hope It Doesn’t End With Runa
Runa’s first boss is a giant snake. You start in a small chamber, avoiding its attacks while hitting its vulnerable tail. When its health bar is depleted, the snake becomes immune to your attacks, the scenario changes, and there’s only one thing left to do: escape! The camera changes, and you’re running toward your screen. One misstep and the snake will eat you, making you restart the whole sequence from the start.
It was a good ending for the fight, even if there was one tricky collectible that made me restart it multiple times because I couldn’t stop falling. Not only is it an homage to the old Crash Bandicoot days, but it was better designed too. You run in multiple directions, changing from back and forth to left and right, and you have a more than generous view of your surroundings, perfect for spotting any upcoming obstacles.
The escape ends with your character getting away in one piece, and the snake won’t be able to harm anyone any more. You discover a new subterranean location and keep going on your adventure.
If this wasn’t enough, Runa has a second escape sequence. This one involves a giant spider/ant creature made of stones, and while it isn’t as impressive as the first one — it doesn’t throw any new mechanic or cool obstacle to the mix — I was happy again. It took place a proper amount of time after the first one, and it helped me have a bit of joy with something that isn’t so common in 3D platformers.
I can’t recommend Runa & the Chaikurú Legacy in good faith. At least not at this time, with several performance issues and bugs that can make you restart a checkpoint. But I still want to thank Fanny Pack Studios for letting me enjoy one of my favourite guilty pleasures once again.
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