Where are all the 3D platformers?

[DustyDrB]

Among some of my favorite gamers are a number of 3D platformers: Donkey Kong 64, Banjo-Kazooie, pick a Mario game, Psychonauts, etc. We haven't been seeing much from this genre as of late, though. Yes, a lot of these types of games have visuals that cater to the younger crowd. But they also often have creative artistic directions and a wide variety of gameplay elements. But the genre has been pretty vacant lately, aside from the odd Mario Galaxy or Prince of Persia. So...what's going on here?

 

[sheic99]

They have fallen out of popularity so many devs aren't creating them. If you give it a couple of years, they'll come back.

 

[WolfEdge]

I've always maintained that a free-roaming Sonic game would be the best god-damned thing. Ever.
Seriously, I want a Sonic the Hedgehog title that takes place on NOT earth (whatever the name of that original god damned planet was), with wide open spaces and lots of hills, valleys and cliffs to just rocket off from and jump around on. It'd be like Assassin's Creed, except, you know, really fucking fast.

 

[Wuffykins]

Hmm, I think the short answer would be that FPSes/Third person shooters are the preferred style of play these days, as I think they hit their boom within the last two console generations (as you mentioned titles from the N64 era, where GoldenEye/Perfect Dark where just starting to hit it big.), so the platformers have kind of hit the back burner in the eyes of developers.

I will admit though that the last console I actively played was a PSX (am a PSP/PC guy these days), so I may be off in this, but as an outsider looking in that is really how it's looking.

 

[Legendairy314]

Personally I can't wait for Enslaved: Odyssey to West. Publishers are mostly just sticking to what they know will make them money (mainly shooters) so all we can do is hope that those chances taken will be successful enough to warrant more of the same.

 

[DustyDrB]

Personally I can't wait for Enslaved: Odyssey to West. Publishers are mostly just sticking to what they know will make them money (mainly shooters) so all we can do is hope that those chances taken will be successful enough to warrant more of the same.

I'm looking forward to Enslaved too, but the platforming in the demo was very easy. Objects you can jump to kind of shimmer and all you have to do is tilt the stick in general direction and press A. It's a beautiful looking game, though, and the combat seems good enough.

 

[Telperion]

Personally I can't wait for Enslaved: Odyssey to West. Publishers are mostly just sticking to what they know will make them money (mainly shooters) so all we can do is hope that those chances taken will be successful enough to warrant more of the same.

I'm looking forward to Enslaved too, but the platforming in the demo was very easy. Objects you can jump to kind of shimmer and all you have to do is tilt the stick in general direction and press A. It's a beautiful looking game, though, and the combat seems good enough.

I wouldn't hold my breath when it comes to that game. I read a review on the game, and while I don't have the patience to type out the whole two pages, here are the main pros and cos with a numerical grade at the end.

Pros:
- Looks good and different from all the other post-apocalypse wastelands (it's more like a lush garden)
- The teamwork between the two main characters works well (at least in the beginning of the game)

Cons:
- Over designed characters
- Dodgy controls, especially on the hover surfboard thingie
- Tapers off towards the ending

It got a mediocre 75 points. The game has good ideas, but fails to impress.

 

[Hashime]

Among some of my favorite gamers are a number of 3D platformers: Donkey Kong 64, Banjo-Kazooie, pick a Mario game, Psychonauts, etc. We haven't been seeing much from this genre as of late, though. Yes, a lot of these types of games have visuals that cater to the younger crowd. But they also often have creative artistic directions and a wide variety of gameplay elements. But the genre has been pretty vacant lately, aside from the odd Mario Galaxy or Prince of Persia. So...what's going on here?

Well, the ratchet and clank series is around.

 

[Tanis]

I'm going with the 'Falling Out Of Favor' answer.

Shame, but that's how it is.
I wish Klonoa was more popular so it could try not being 2.5D (or w/e it's called) and try out the 3D realm.

 

[gamer_parent]

that and good 3D platform design is really really damn hard to get right.

 

[DustyDrB]

Among some of my favorite gamers are a number of 3D platformers: Donkey Kong 64, Banjo-Kazooie, pick a Mario game, Psychonauts, etc. We haven't been seeing much from this genre as of late, though. Yes, a lot of these types of games have visuals that cater to the younger crowd. But they also often have creative artistic directions and a wide variety of gameplay elements. But the genre has been pretty vacant lately, aside from the odd Mario Galaxy or Prince of Persia. So...what's going on here?

Well, the ratchet and clank series is around.

I never played one. Believe it or not, I've never owned a Playstation of any generation. I want to get a PS3 eventually, though (after I get a new kayak and acoustic guitar). I've missed out on a bunch of great series.

I'm going with the 'Falling Out Of Favor' answer.

Shame, but that's how it is.
I wish Klonoa was more popular so it could try not being 2.5D (or w/e it's called) and try out the 3D realm.

You're right. I like a lot of these 2D and 2.5D games, but they offer a much different experience.

I'm wondering if the realistic graphics frenzy (not something I usually complain about) has a lot to do with this too. A lot of the design styles popular today wouldn't translate well to a platformer. Cel-shaded, however, seems like it would be a perfect fit.

 

[JaysonM]

that and good 3D platform design is really really damn hard to get right.

Which I find weird since 3D FPS's and the like they seem to do so well and you would have thought the complexity of FPS's would be waaayyy harder...

 

[DustyDrB]

that and good 3D platform design is really really damn hard to get right.

Which I find weird since 3D FPS's and the like they seem to do so well and you would have thought the complexity of FPS's would be waaayyy harder...

They tend to have similar camera issues. If you play a lot of platformers, though, you get used to it. I don't really notice it much.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

If you haven't played Mirror's Edge, give it a shot. I think it's the best 3D platformer this gen. I just played it recently and absolutely loved it, I thought the level design was great. There hasn't been many 3D platformers this gen, I played the Prince of Persia game and it was good but nothing great, the platforming was too easy and there was barely and traps.

The PS2 has a bunch of platformers and the Sly Cooper games are being released on the PS3 this fall. Also, Beyond Good and Evil is being released on both the PS3 and 360, but that's not really a pure 3D platformer.

 

[gamer_parent]

that and good 3D platform design is really really damn hard to get right.

Which I find weird since 3D FPS's and the like they seem to do so well and you would have thought the complexity of FPS's would be waaayyy harder...

Technically, FPS' would be more difficult to develop, since in the case of FPS, the quality of the game is hinged heavily on how much depth the physics engine is capable of delivering to the strategic component as well as the premium placed on graphical output for immersion reasons.

However, from a game play perspective, the nature of FPS' can actually help relieve some of that pressure. There are two major factors on this:

1. the conventions of FPS are generally far better defined. Your character's weapon list while might have one or two real innovations, most of the weapon designs will be drawn from a previous list. Because of the conventions being so well defined, it is easier for designers to actually FOCUS on the core FPS experience rather than having to spread it all over the place. Again, not saying FPS' as a genre is not conducive for innovation, but rather it is easier to design because of the more defined conventions.

2. UDK, or rather toolsets available to the public for modding/level designs, have contributed greatly to this. With this, amateur designers can actually experiment on their own to see what kind of things they can create. I firmly do believe that this alone has helped catapult the FPS genre forward and help the community weed out the bad designs and crystalize the best practices. This is especially so when you already have some genre conventions that you can stick with. This becomes a bit of a case of the chicken and eggs. Did UDK come around BEFORE or AFTER the conventions were in existence.

I do, however, believe that these two factors create a strong feedback loop that results in FPS' popularity. This in turn becomes a catalyst for game publishers to want to get into FPS' to cash in on the trend, which in turn creates even MORE feedback from further development.