Parkour - also known as 'free running' - has enjoyed a sort of cultural high over the last decade. This is especially true in the gaming sphere as the idea of smooth, flowing movement makes for great platforming. Vector by Nekki is not the first to come to this conclusion, but its sharp visuals and incredibly easy to master controls allows the game to explore the kinds of challenges other platformers would shy from.

The basic formula is much as you've seen in any other side-scrolling auto runner on the App Store as you swipe to jump, slide and bounce off of walls. However, unlike these other games the timing of your jumps will mean the difference between a flawless escape and being knocked out by a powerful stun-baton. This is because your proximity to the objects you're vaulting over changes how your character jumps over them.

Need to clear a series of small, but close together platforms? Keep swiping up and you'll bounce from one foot to the other. Need to jump just a bit further? Wait just a moment longer to plant both feet before springing in to the air.

You'll need to master the surprisingly nuanced controls in order to collect the many bonus packages located throughout the stage, though this is no easy thing as you'll often need to know where they are ahead of time to collect them all. In this way the game breaks its otherwise flawless sense of flow, forcing the player to take a less-than-optimal path (and potentially risking capture) to collect these packages.

You could avoid them, but you'll need the stars they unlock in order to not only reach newer content, but also in order to afford the rather pricey special maneuvers in the game's shop so you can unlock the third and final star of a stage.

While dying over and over may not appeal to everyone, nailing the perfect three-star run will keep you coming back to Vector's beautifully brutal stages until you've conquered all the content on offer.