[h1] A love letter to speedrunning and speedrunners alike [/h1]
Vholume is a unique game that brillantly combines [b]a tight, fast-paced parkour experience with a brutalist and ethereal atmosphere.[/b]
The universe is the first element that drags you in: this [b]strange, concrete filled world[/b] with no explanation and erratically placed platforms for you to jump in.
[u]Robert needs to run[/u]. So you run through a level, unlock the next one, and the next one, and the next one...
Playing the game from start to finish roughly takes [b]2-3 hours[/b] where you'll discover a variety of surrealist environments, accompanied with a [b]hypnotic soundtrack[/b] that never fails to elevate the experience.
From time to time you will check the leaderboard, at the end of a level. You'll realize that you're [i]a second[/i] away from the gold medal, and instead of mindlessly running to the next destination, you'll stop by and give it another go.
And that's how you discover Vholume's true mission: [b]bringing you a surgical and highly polished speedrunning experience[/b].
It feels like every advanced movement mechanic (bunny hopping, glide jumps…) is bundled here in a package that rewards any player who masters it with a [b]thrilling sense of speed[/b] - and a strong leaderboard position. Runs where the speed-o-meter mostly stays above 2000u - after optimizing every portion and hitting all the right techniques at the right time - always bring [b]an immense satisfaction and a hunger to repeat the prowess in every level[/b].
In order to help achieve this mastery, the team developed with great care [b]an extensive set of tools[/b] purely dedicated to learn from the best. The Ghost feature in particular is one of the most complete out there - with the possibility to not only play against others' Ghosts, but to also [b]spectate and dissecate any run with the Precision Mode[/b] to show the player's precise input at any given frame in the run. This allows to study the trajectories and techniques of the fastest Roberts out there and aim to replicate their behavior to the best of your capabilities.
The UX also helps a great deal by removing any friction to (re)play a map, the UI is concise and displays relevant information in strategic places, and loading times are nice and short.
The [b]level design (and level art!)[/b] need to be praised as well with how [b]unique[/b] and [b]distinct[/b] each map feels; how much it subconsciously [b]guides[/b] the player (it's almost scary to figure out the correct path out of a chaotic maze-like new map on the first try); and with [b]how many options[/b] it provides.
[b]No optimal path is set in stone[/b]: there will always be a new wall-ride to try or a new surface to climb to diverge from the road and chunk a few seconds from your best time.
And when you feel like you broke the game and strayed in the out-of-bounds territory (so much so that it can no longer reasonably be called a "shortcut"), the developers reward you with [b]hidden characters to talk to, environmental storytelling to appreciate, and even secret maps to try out[/b].
In summary, Vholume truly feels like a game made both by [b]Players[/b] who wanted nothing less than the most surgical speedrunning experience on the market, and by [b]Artists[/b] who aimed to create a unique and mesmerizing world to get lost into. By both standards, [b]the mission is accomplished[/b].
