During the 3rd week of August, users flocked to several new games on Steam. Gamers showed a lot of interest in the unique fishing game 'Fishing Method', and the soulslike 'Mortal Shell 2' received 'Very Positive' reviews. 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4' - Beta also opened, but it only managed 'Mixed' reviews. Among these new games, the hidden new game that caught the eye is 'Vholume', which was released on August 22.

Vholume is a first-person parkour platformer played out in a rather unique atmosphere. Set in a desolate capital ruled by an almighty entity that controls everything, the protagonist is 'Robert', who keeps running to secure distribution rights.

True to the name 'desolate capital', the overall background of the game is bleak. Simple yet gigantic concrete structures are built regardless of cities and jungles, truly conveying what the 'brutalist' style is about. Robert runs endlessly through this city of giant buildings to carry out missions.

The overall controls are quite simple. You run with WASD, slide with the left Control key, and jump with the Space bar. And like a proper parkour game, you can run on walls right from the start. That is literally it. Players just run and run again to perform given missions or reach destinations.

The overall screen composition is quite sparse. Only gigantic concrete structures are placed, with no UI to inform you of destinations or tasks, no simple map, or directional compass. Therefore, you just gaze at the open screen and run endlessly. Instead, the way it guides you to your destination is quite sophisticated. You head toward paths you somehow feel like taking, paths that look fun to run along, and lo and behold, that is your destination.

Of course, this does not mean there is no story or goal. Some stages give you missions to receive 'stamps'. There are bizarre-shaped people scattered across the map, and when you talk to them, they give you a stamp. Every time you meet someone, a red light turns green, and clearing all the red lights means victory. As much as you talk to them, short conversations are possible, mostly featuring negative, anxious, and despairing themes.

After beating a stage, it is possible to replay each stage in a sort of challenge mode. The goal is to run with a faster time, and for this, various mystical movements such as bunny hopping and levitation are essential. Even now, online videos of players leaping over buildings and reaching goals in the blink of an eye are receiving a shower of admiring comments from other players.

Online multiplayer is also supported. You can also run alongside the phantoms (ghosts) of other players who ran ahead of you. You can learn new escape routes by watching ghosts fly past you, or just stand there in sheer awe. Steam Workshop is also supported. There aren't many mods yet, but depending on the game's popularity, high-quality maps are likely to appear.

The game is recording 'Overwhelmingly Positive' (97% positive) user reviews on Steam. Favourable comments include, "A thrilling and fun game to run through amidst a bizarre and gloomy atmosphere", "There are many map routes, so find the optimal path", "Stepping forward into an unknown world where you never know where you are heading", and "Highly recommended if you enjoyed the Mirror's Edge series."