Every once in a while, there is a climbing mechanic that just fits perfectly in a game without causing too much stress to those playing. These climbing mechanics have been found to be very satisfying for gamers that enjoy the freedom to reach high and low in the environments they have explored while still being enjoyable.
Updated on December 20, 2022, by Megan Smith:Climbing mechanics are not only satisfying when they are used correctly but also incredibly useful when trying to explore diverse and exciting new worlds. Many open world franchises such as some that are mentioned in the article rely heavily on the player being able to climb their surroundings to not only experience the sights but also find hidden out-of-the-way collectibles.
Creating an immersive experience can be as easy as inputting the right mechanics and one simple way this has been done is by experimenting with a variety of climbing mechanics some of which are vital to the gameplay.
14 Double Jump – Deathloop
Players may be surprised to see the idea of double jumping as being a satisfying mechanic of climbing, but for many games it is essential to be able to double jump in order to be able to climb up higher.
In some situations such as Deathloop, being able to double jump is actually a feature which players can deselect, this is because double jump is one of many trinkets the player can equip. Each area in Deathloop has a variety of alternate paths a player can take, some of these require players to be able to reach higher in order to climb and that’s when double jumping comes in handy.
13 Climbing In VR – The Climb 2
Climbing a tall building in a game such as Assassin’s Creed and looking down can only amaze a player so much. However, being a part of the climbing and having to get involved through means such as VR can make for an even more immersive experience.
A great example of this is The Climb 2 on the Oculus Quest. Players can climb mountains, caves, and skyscrapers as if they were really there while taking in the surrounding sights, those that are afraid of heights may wish to take it easy though.
12 Leaping From Wall To Wall – Prince of Persia
Many players claim that Ubisoft’s original title of Prince of Persia inspired the climbing mechanics that make up most of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, and it isn’t difficult to notice why this is the case.
The motion of climbing flows freely in the Prince of Persia as the player is able to flawlessly climb surfaces and leap between the walls in order to advance in this action-adventure. Many players have continued to come back to this title as one of the few with the most satisfying climbing mechanics.
11 Climbing Axes – Tomb Raider Franchise
While arguably there isn’t a lot of realism in many climbing mechanics across a variety of franchises, some games still attempt to rely on the use of climbing tools to add some sort of immersion to how players can climb from one surface to another. The Tomb Raider franchise is one of many that has done this by relying on tools such as a climbing axe.
Besides the climbing axe being used to scale mountains it also commonly doubles up as a defensive weapon to use up close as well as somehow having the durability to open up doors for areas that Lara Croft couldn’t get to before.
10 Grappling Hooks – Far Cry 5
Far Cry 5’s climbing mechanics are easy to pick up. Many surfaces that can be climbed are highlighted. It has also been used in past titles of the franchise to unlock sections of the map by climbing radio towers.
Although radio towers were removed in Far Cry 5, the grappling hook still remained. Grappling hooks open the potential to swing across ledges or scale mountains, expanding the possibility of what can be achieved when exploring. Not to forget mentioning when playing Far Cry 5 with a friend you can attach yourself under a helicopter while it is being flown to swing around.
9 Climbing Everything – Breath Of The Wild
Working around objects that aren’t climbable can be a real pain when the quest marker is right above the player. That’s why many gamers enjoy the freedom of being able to climb any surface imaginable without much issue.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild does this imaginably, as Link is able to climb any surface ahead of him. This is especially useful when approaching mountains, where walking around may take too long. As long as the player has the stamina available, no surface is too hard to climb.
8 Blending Of Actions – Uncharted 4
During the birth of climbing mechanics in video games, going between ledges and even beginning to climb was incredibly broken. None of the motions fit, and the characters looked as if they were being thrown between surfaces.
In more recent titles like Uncharted 4, the motion between reaching for different surfaces is now a lot smoother and less likely to make payers motion sick while attempting to explore. Nathan Drake feels like he has skill when approaching climbing and that he has control over his own actions.
7 Hardcore Parkour – Assassin’s Creed Unity
One thing that players enjoy more than climbing is the ability to free run and test out their Parkour skills. The entire Assassin’s Creed franchise has prided itself on fulfilling this need to run freely across buildings while navigating towns alike.
Out of all the titles, Assassin’s Creed Unity is by far the most successful for representing the flow and ease of climbing through revolutionary France. Arno can drop from roof to pole and leap across buildings with ease, which many gamers have mastered during their own playthroughs.
6 Immersive Environments – Horizon Forbidden West
Every player has encountered it: vibrant paint marks on walls to signify where a character can climb or a conveniently placed piece of rope that suggests someone else has climbed there recently. Games that blend in where people can climb with the environment are far more appealing as well as immersive.
The recent release of the action RPG Horizon Forbidden West did this brilliantly, as Aloy finds a Focus, a device that unlocks a variety of abilities for her. One of these abilities is being able to highlight where in the environment Aloy can climb without the need to break up the aesthetic of the world.
5 Vaulting Enemies – Dying Light 2
Objects in the environment are not the only satisfying things to climb, as few games implement ways to use enemies as vaulting boards to help reach ledges or avoid getting hit. While playing the Dying Light franchise, players are expected to use this tactic in order to survive.
In this survival horror that prides itself on its somewhat realistic parkour mechanics, there is a lot of enjoyment from hopping over enemies to get a hit on them from behind or bolting past them to avoid danger. This opens up a variety of possibilities on how players can approach combat.
4 Auto-Climb – Fall Guys
For players that are sick and tired of climbing, the best feature ever invented for climbing for them has been auto-climb. This has been a great feature in the platform battle royale Fall Guys, as players are expected to stride across ledges for many of the mini-games.
Negating the need to press a button to climb can be incredibly helpful for gamers that struggle to remember buttons or would rather focus on other things. It also removes a lot of the stress of climbing for gamers that seem to struggle to reach these platforms.
3 Wall Running – Mirror’s Edge Catalyst
Looking cool while climbing may not seem like an important factor, but wall running doesn’t only make a player look cool, but also achieve longer distances when climbing across objects. In the free-running platformer Mirror’s Edge Catalyst, players can do exactly that while scaling the futuristic city.
In this high rising city, players control the main character Faith, who has the expertise to navigate the rooftops and avoid the authorities while trying to free her sister. With plenty of plat surfaces around, wall running is a great way to quickly get across areas, as well as combining it with other moves for more freeing movement.
2 Independent Control Of Hands – Grow Home
Further control on how a character climbs can make scaling objects much better for players, as they are able to achieve exactly what they wanted without the character completely ignoring their wishes and soaring to the ground.
Grow Home relies heavily on exploration through climbing the ginormous stalk surrounded by floating islands where no path is set to be taken. Being able to individually move the little robot’s arms makes navigating this world a breeze, creating not only a soothing climbing experience but also allowing players to make their own adventures.
1 Climbable Enemies – Shadow Of The Colossus
Ascending gigantic foes is an underused mechanic in many games. The sheer excitement of players when they must cling to an enemy for dear life and climb up it to defeat their foe is only something that can be felt while playing Shadow Of The Colossus.
Ico successfully makes the player feel so small in comparison to these stone titans which they must scale in order to bring them down, clinging to their fur as they attempt to shake off the player. Only once they have reached the top and defeated the titan do gamers feel the satisfaction of besting this humongous enemy.
More: Games That Introduced Gameplay Mechanics
