Climbingis a feature that many modern titles, commonly open-world games, use to help players better explore the environments they find themselves in. Over the years, there have been some stressful renditions of climbing that players have found pointless or too complex, hindering the enjoyment of playing.
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Every once in a while, there is aclimbing mechanic that just fits perfectly in a gamewithout causing too much stress to those playing. These climbing mechanics have been found to bevery satisfying for gamersthat enjoy the freedom to reach high and low in the environments they have explored while still being enjoyable.
Updated on August 01, 2025, 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.
14Double 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 to be able to climb up higher.
In some situations such asDeathloop, 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 inDeathloophas 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.
13Climbing In VR – The Climb 2
Climbing a tall building in a game such asAssassin’s Creedand 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 isThe Climb 2on theOculus 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.
12Leaping From Wall To Wall – Prince of Persia
Many players claim that Ubisoft’s original title ofPrince of Persiainspired the climbing mechanics that make up most of theAssassin’s Creedfranchise, and it isn’t difficult to notice why this is the case.
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The motion of climbing flows freely in thePrince of Persiaas 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.
11Climbing 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. TheTomb Raiderfranchise 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.
10Grappling Hooks – Far Cry 5
Far Cry 5’sclimbing 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 inFar 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 playingFar Cry 5with a friend you may attach yourself under a helicopter while it is being flown to swing around.
9Climbing 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 manygamers enjoy the freedomof being able to climb any surface imaginable without much issue.
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The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wilddoes 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.
8Blending 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 likeUncharted 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.
7Hardcore 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 entireAssassin’s Creedfranchise has prided itself on fulfilling this need to run freely across buildings while navigating towns alike.
Out of all the titles,Assassin’s Creed Unityis by far the most successful for representing the flow and ease of climbingthrough revolutionary France. Arno can drop from roof to pole and leap across buildings with ease, which many gamers have mastered during their own playthroughs.
6Immersive 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 RPGHorizon Forbidden Westdid 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 environmentAloy can climbwithout the need to break up the aesthetic of the world.
5Vaulting 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 theDying Lightfranchise, players are expected to use this tactic in order to survive.
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In this survival horror that prides itself on its somewhatrealistic 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.
