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The 3D platformer renaissance is happening

T

Tuck

Member
Violet_0 said:
you'll do a lot more climbing and gliding (btw gliding feels great in this game) than platforming in Grow Home, there's very little actual landmass not counting the plants which in my opinion is a rather gimmicky mechanic and more of an annoyance than truly fun after a short while. The game is also quite short and you better enjoy searching every nook for collectibles, that said I still think it's pretty good for what it is

Lucky's Tale is missing in the op, it's not from a critically acclaimed developer but it looks nice quite so far at least
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Lucky's Tale also looks great.

Very pleasing art style.
 
M

Maximo

Member
hqdefault.jpg

STRAIGHT INTO MY VEINS. The one Genre I have been missing greatly.
 
L

Lijik

Member
Violet_0 said:
you'll do a lot more climbing and gliding (btw gliding feels great in this game) than platforming in Grow Home, there's very little actual landmass not counting the plants which in my opinion is a rather gimmicky mechanic and more of an annoyance than truly fun after a short while. The game is also quite short and you better enjoy searching every nook for collectibles, that said I still think it's pretty good for what it is
Click to expand...
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I think the climbing is a really fun tactile mechanic, and the games setup of growing a plant upward is a really unique way to frame the game. You're always progressing forward because of your immediate actions, not some collectible system. Its a far more satisfying way to take in a world than the empty, bloated hubworlds of old platformers and I would gladly play a sequel that simply featured more landmasses (although if they do make a sequel id hope they would do more than that). The areas the game includes are also more satisfying to me than most exploration-focused 3d platformers. Stumbling onto a hidden cave, or an out of the way alcove in the main landmasses are fun discoveries. The game has a simple objective (just grow the plant) and after unlocking the better camera controls the crystals can be ignored if the player really wants to (hell you can even ignore that if you really want). In most platformers, exploring is forced because thats where the objectives are and you cant progress unless you do those; in Grow Home exploration is its own reward.
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Its a game where the basic mechanics alone are fun enough to carry the game, which I dont think very many 3d platformers excel at (even some of my favorites). Buds animations and momentum to his leaps makes bounding around a joy, and between the climbing, gliding, and jetpack the game gives enough auxiliary moves to make dicking around the landscapes satisfying. Most of my playtime in Grow Home was spent treating the game as playground, and I think the achievements back this mentality up. Theyre mostly for drowning sheep, or trying to jump on a wobbly mushroom for a set amount of time. They would be tedious if the game presented a checklist and demanded you accomplished these tasks, but as optional rewards for just interacting with the games world they're satisfying.
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You start from a beach, you climb to space, you can jump all the way down and then jetpack your way back up. The world is aweinspiring the same way looking down from the top of light house in Treasure Tove Cove was in 1998.
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Play Grow Home 2k15 this is the hill im dying on.
 
L

Lathentar

Looking for Pants
Interested to see the reaction to these games. 3d game design is so much more work than 2d. Getting a working camera is enough of a hassle by itself.
 
D

doofy102

Member
It's funny Grow Home was just a thing that devs at ubisoft made for themselves.

Stuff like Grow Home is what I want to see. Even though the game seems flawed in a number of ways, it's overall idea seems like something new, with big potential. Just looking at 5 minutes of gameplay makes my mind explode with wonder at what could be achieved in a better funded sequel, and that's a good thing.

Flawed innovation is better than inferior clones of N64 games.
 
B

batbeg

Member
Haven't sheard of many of these, thanks OP. I'm not sure that I would classify Rime as a platformer, but I guess I haven't seen much of its gameplay. Whatever it is, I want it.

Platforming is my favorite genre and while I love 2D platformers I eagerly await a 3D resurgence. And of course, your list is missing a fantastic looking sequel from a rather large publisher.
Mirror's Edge 2 OMG I WANT IT
Though you for whatever reason specified indies (I guess because this is one of like two upcoming big publisher platforms alongside Ratchet & Clank).
 
B

BlackRainbowFT

Member
To me, the most important thing is the level design... and except for a hat in time, they don't look like they could hold a candle to spyro and the likes.

But with a new quasi-rareware 3d platformer in the works... yeah, the genre is back.

And it's my favorite genre too (as long as it has big open levels with exploration and secrets...)
 
Y

yatesl

Member
In 20 years time, I hope my child is on NeoNeoGAF making the topic "Cool, FPS' are making a come back thanks to indies".
 
R

Ramenman

Member
Great thread ! Everyone, play Grow Home, it's ammmmaaaaazzziing + it's something new ! And it even got free new content last week, hinting at further support.


Violet_0 said:
you'll do a lot more climbing and gliding (btw gliding feels great in this game) than platforming in Grow Home, there's very little actual landmass not counting the plants which in my opinion is a rather gimmicky mechanic and more of an annoyance than truly fun after a short while. The game is also quite short and you better enjoy searching every nook for collectibles, that said I still think it's pretty good for what it is
Click to expand...

But it's actually the lack of landmass that creates the platforming. As you try to breach the gap between lands with those vines and their bouncy leaves and you're just bouncing around on them over the void from an island to another making big jumps with maximum momentum, it's simply amazing, it reminds me of Crackdown.

Its probably not a plaformer in the traditional "level design-ified" sort of way (because it's not retro, it's something new), but for the sheer joy and wonder and sensations of simply moving around, + exploring an charming place, it's amazing.

Edit : Also, everything the guy above me said with all those screenshots, he's 100% right :D
 
P

Phreakuency

Banned
How many are actually decent games though?

Cloudbuilt was terrible from my experience.

A lot of what's listed in the OP look like mobile quality games.
 
M

More_Badass

Member
Phreakuency said:
How many are actually decent games though?

Cloudbuilt was terrible from my experience.

A lot of what's listed in the OP look like mobile quality games.
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Which ones?

I really enjoyed Cloudbuilt. Great game
And Grow Home is awesome as well. The FreezeME alpha was a lot of fun

Sea of Solitude looks very promising IMO
 
Tntnico

Tntnico

Member
I truly hope that 3D platformers will make a comeback on this gen.
I missed Adventure / platformer games so bad on last gen.
 
D

Deputy Dangle

Member
Still hoping and praying there'll be an independent dev out there wanting to tackle a 3D platformer in the vein of the original '96 Tomb Raider.

Also, Grow Home is fantastic.
 
I

I Wanna Be The Guy

U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
KirbYuuYuu said:
Can't say it's something I'm pleased with after being bored with super Mario 64 and DK 64 traumatizing me
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You were playing the wrong games. You should have been playing linear 3D platformers where the focus was on the platforming like the Crash games or Rayman 2. I cant stand open collectathon platformers. But give me linear focused 3D platformers all day long.
 
V

Violet_0

Banned
the latest update on the Oliver and Spike website seem to be from 13 Feb 2013

e: the facebook page is still active and the game is now called Olivia &Spike
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looks great
 
shaowebb

shaowebb

Member
I have high hopes for A Hat in Time. I'm looking forward to seeing how far they take this charming platformer with its loveable worlds.
 
S

Saladinoo

Member
Thanks for this thread! 3D platformers were always my favourite as a kid and made up a big part of my childhood to be honest, such fond memories of banjo & mario 64 - I'll enjoy some of these soon (when i eventually get a new macbook oh my god).
 
nkarafo

nkarafo

Member
MrNyarlathotep said:
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I think that's a pretty harsh statement based on the only people making these sorts of games being individuals or small groups.
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I kinda agree with him though. At least as far as art direction goes. I don't know why but the art direction in most of these games looks uninteresting to me. I suppose good art directors are not that common in the indie scene. Not that there aren't talented people out there, but making a nice drawing is a different thing than being able to design a character (or a game world) that looks good for a video game.
 
K

KellyNole

Member
Those games look fantastic. I can't wait to check them out later when I get off of work. I love platformers and happy to see a little resurgence in the genre.
 
SerTapTap

SerTapTap

Member
Good trend IMO. Forward To The Sky and Cloudbuilt were great (cloud cloudbuilt made me a bit dizzyfrustrated at times). Looking forward to a Hat In Time and that Banjo But Not Banjo game as well.
 
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