-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
The 3D platformer renaissance is happening
- Thread starter More_Badass
- Start date
Platforms by my research:
PC: 22
PS4: 4
Wii U 4
Xbox One: 3
I may be missing one. So yes, like many genres before it (2D platformer, strategy games, crpgs, etc), 3D platformers are finding new life in the PC indie scene. If you're still focused on consoles exclusively, you may be more limited. There is only one game (Rime) which is not coming to PC.
PC: 22
PS4: 4
Wii U 4
Xbox One: 3
I may be missing one. So yes, like many genres before it (2D platformer, strategy games, crpgs, etc), 3D platformers are finding new life in the PC indie scene. If you're still focused on consoles exclusively, you may be more limited. There is only one game (Rime) which is not coming to PC.
TheCanisDirus
Member
whelp... looks like ill be building a little gaming PC for the TV now.
3D platformers are my favorite! i still play SM64 completely through every few months.
3D platformers are my favorite! i still play SM64 completely through every few months.
Icyflamez96
Member
Ya'll are gonna burn me out on the genre already lmao
3D Platformers making a comeback is never a bad thing. Wait for a couple of them to become a hit and you will have a couple AAA studios trying to replicate that with bigger budgets.
Even if that doesn't happen, making games is so much easier now that we will just keep getting more and more of these games.
Even if that doesn't happen, making games is so much easier now that we will just keep getting more and more of these games.
Lucky's Tale is probably the worst offender. I mean, just compare the very appealing visual style of the gameworld to the truly awful mascot
Olivia & Spike on the other hand got it right with the redesign of the main character
KirbYuuYuu
Member
I guess I really don't grasp what other people are seeing with these titles so far. Because I feel like I'm seeing something else entirely here.
More_Badass
Member
What are you seeing?
Living Proof
Member
Yes, we understand. You've said that a few times over the course of this thread. If you've convinced yourself that there's nothing to see here, why are you still checking in? There's got to be threads full of things you're actually interested in.
NinjamicWZ
Banned
In the coming years, 3D platformer fans will know the pain of reading youtube comments on trailers for games like this.
Is RIME a lifetime PS4 exclusive? It looks so good
Sony is publishing it, so almost certainly yes.
Living Proof
Member
Is RIME a lifetime PS4 exclusive? It looks so good
It's being published by Sony themselves. While that's not a definitive no to releasing on other platforms, it's at least far less likely.
I'm more worried about Oliver (Olivia?) and Spike. It was announced for a ton of platforms, then was confirmed as an Amazon Fire exclusive game and being published by Amazon themselves, but now I can't find any platform info and their website/facebook are practically dead.
KirbYuuYuu
Member
Open World Exploration titles.
To see if anything else grabs me. And I guess... that didn't happen. I'm just starting to feel like "3D Platformers" were never really dead. They just ended up in a different genre.
More_Badass
Member
The devs have been working on Shiftings which was recently announced as coming to PS4, Xbox One, and Wii U too. So I imagine that might have something to do with the lack of recent O&S info
More_Badass
Member
Only Grow Home, Zineth, and Hover are open world. I think maybe Rime as well
Living Proof
Member
Well, that's definitely true. I think the cutesy 3D platformer bomb scared big publishers away with no indies left to fill the gaps at the time, but the platforming itself has been integrated and juxtaposed all over the place, for better or for worse. Now that we have smaller devs comfortable enough to tackle the "nostalgic" platformer of a few hardware generations ago, they're specifically targeting 3D mascot platforming with the type of blatant... jumping and object collecting that seems so essential to those mascot-based platformers but virtually died elsewhere.
That probably comes across as stale, especially to those who didn't harbor much love for the genre in the first place, but as you say, there's plenty of more "evolved" forms of platforming gameplay in other places. These games are for those who want to get in touch with the arguable golden age of platformers, even if it's unappealing to most. I think it's rather comparable to the distaste on display for indie 2D platformers these days, but that bubble's not nearly ready to burst yet in this case.
I've seen that mentioned a few times, but I keep forgetting they're making both games. It certainly does explain the silence on O&S, but I still find it odd how they've continually pushed its development back (when was it first revealed, like four years ago?).
the last update on facebook is two weeks old, and they've been posting updates rather regularly since November (after their partner project was canceled).
KirbYuuYuu
Member
Well for 2D platformers, there's just a lot of them being pumped out like say, shooters, so of course there would be distaste. Nevermind ones that don't do 8-bit justice by not being 8 bit. Granted, it's easier to know what you're going to get compared to the mascot platformers.
Which is ironic, given that I used to love the two titles I mentioned earlier, but revisiting them in 2010 did them more of a disservice in my eyes because I had other things to compare them to now.... and Ironically expecting more than what I felt like I got.
I think there was one in the OP because it demonstrated some ability of platforming, but the recent set of images posted didn't really help how I felt about it,
EDIT: Just went back to the OP. I don't get it, but some games actually look more interesting now. I might actually keep my eye on this for real.
Living Proof
Member
Well, I guess. Checking their Facebook shows a few recent posts, but it quickly drops to 2014, then 2013... and their "regular" posts don't do much more than provide screenshots and other things of varying significance. Hell, they renamed the game yet their facebook is still titled under the old one.
I mean, it's nice that they're still providing a trickle of information, but let's not act like there's a nice amount of exposition surrounding the game. And it makes perfect sense why-- I just personally have had an eye on O&S for a long while now, and would have liked to have played it at this point in time from when I first heard of it.
It doesn't matter at this point anyway, since it's stuck on a platform I'll never support.
We sure had our fair share of troubles with O&S. We have been working hard on it the last year and where under NDA during the whole year. As mentioned on our FB: the partner cancelled ours (and other projects) without really giving a reason so now we are left with going back to the meeting table with other possible partners. Unfortunately we had other interest but eventually decided to go with the partner that dropped us. That's how it goes sometimes
Additionally, we were super busy also working on Shiftlings as someone mentioned. And since we are a small indie studio we didn't really have time (or the ok) to share progress on O&S last year. We just now are ramping up for the Shiftlings release by the start of March and then hopefully can go back to more O&S updates again. Oh also, you can't actually change the name/title/url of a FB Page if you have more than 200 followers/likes -.-
Sorry about the lack of info for those who are (still) interested in O&S. It's kinda tough to find the time for everyhing. Especially if you are a small studio and most of us are doing a bit of everything for development
Just know that all the support and feedback and interest is super appreciated <3
Surface of Me
I'm not an NPC. And neither are we.
I'm loving Grow Home.
Favorite platformers were Spyro, Bandicoot, and Ratchet.
Favorite platformers were Spyro, Bandicoot, and Ratchet.
Maybe but that's not the point. Even if only 10-20% of the incoming 3d platformers turn out to be great games I'll be more than happy.
SinCityAssassin
Member
I wonder how many of the PC titles will make it to console.
Miles Quaritch
Member
No love for Crackdown?
It's just one of the greatest olatformers ever released...
It's just one of the greatest olatformers ever released...
Hopefully at least a few of them that turn out to be good/successful.
I hate to be harsh, but while you may see a ton of quantity in PC indie titles, its easy to forget that a lot will likely turn out to be mediocre or just plain bad. It seems consoles tend to get a lot of the higher quality indies that stand out. Not all of them, of course, but enough.
Surface of Me
I'm not an NPC. And neither are we.
Some people acted like I was crazy when I said Crackdown was my favorite platformer on the 360. Not that it had a lot of competition, they argued it wasn't a platformer. It was surreal.
Miles Quaritch
Member
I remember having similar arguments at the time. Some people couldn't reconcile its strong focus on platforming with the vehicular and gun play that was also on offer.
Tntnico
Member
Oh god ! It looks gorgeous ! Thanks I add it to my wishlist
I suppose that I will need a new laptop to play (I'm on Surface Pro 1).
More_Badass
Member
The funny thing is that it's from ex-Last Guardian developers.Oh god ! It looks gorgeous ! Thanks I add it to my wishlist
I suppose that I will need a new laptop to play (I'm on Surface Pro 1).
Here's the game's site:
http://www.friendandfoegames.com/vane
While the dev blog hasn't been updated recently, they're active on Twitter
If I was on a PC I would have tried some of those games out definitely. But my expectations are quite low and I don't think I'm missing much to be honest. There's only a few developers who actually make good platformers. Platformers are like Fighting Games in that they are heavily reliant on perfectly balanced controls and gameplay mechanics. They just don't feel quite right when the timing, physics and controls are even the tiniest bit off and 90% of developers can't seem to nail that.
flintstryker
Banned
OP you have my interest, how many of those are at least as good as the worse 3d mario platformer btw?
Absolutely, that's the nature of the "curated experience." They filter out a large portion of the games so that you only get the cream of the crop.
But as you said, the filter isn't perfect. Some bad games make it through, and some good games get left out.
-MD-
Member
I bought the Dragonrock bundle on Indiegala this week and it included a game called Karmaflow I never heard of.
Its a relaxed 3d platformer in a cool looking world. Theres a rock opera aspect where all of the dialogue is sung which is pretty neat
Its a relaxed 3d platformer in a cool looking world. Theres a rock opera aspect where all of the dialogue is sung which is pretty neat
I played it for an hour and a half so far, its linear and a bit simplistic but on occasion theres larger areas to explore and the game makes good use of its glide move (theres been some Spyro-esque "to get to the platform you want, you need to find a higher one and glide over" moments)
More_Badass
Member
I really like that art style, need to check that game out
poopninjamvc3mk
I sucked six dicks to get this tag.
I really dislike alot of those game's artstyles listed in OP cept hover
StarStabbedMoon
Member
Indies ushered in and thrived on the 2D Platformer renaissance. Consoles and AAA need not apply (and we're better off if they stay out, honestly).
The OP should include Lovely Planet. I finally got around to playing it after picking it up in some bundle a few months ago, and it's fucking magical. It's almost like a first person Mega Man, with the way it combines hardcore platforming and precision shooting while using its pinpoint perfect controls to allow for levels which are deviously challenging yet entirely fair in their design, which makes them supremely satisfying to complete. Throw in the overly saccharine visual style and delightful soundtrack, and I was hooked from beginning to end, not just on completing all 100 levels but on getting the extra stars for speed and perfect accuracy on each one as well. (I only have a few levels left to time trial but actually pulling off a perfect speed run on some of them is so difficult I damn near pulled all of my hair out!) If you're a fan of 3D platformers, first person shooters or weird Japanese games, you NEED to pick it up. It's insanely cheap, so you have no excuse!
Icyflamez96
Member
So i'm downloading one of the free ones today. Any suggestions?
More_Badass
Member
Ehh to unfortunately it indeed looks like it, I just hope that many indie devs still stick to making 2D games, which I personally prefer by far. Don't really like 3D platformers at all.
And if this indie dev cycle is cyclical and resembles console generation trends, I really do hope in ten years we're gonna be getting cinematic games with high production values from the indie devs of today :-D
And if this indie dev cycle is cyclical and resembles console generation trends, I really do hope in ten years we're gonna be getting cinematic games with high production values from the indie devs of today :-D
More_Badass
Member
Zineth, Tiny & Big, Rova's Adventure, Deadcore, Drew and the Floating Labyrinth, and Forward to the Sky are on Mac
Ha, trust me, you don't have to worry about 2D games going anywhere.
http://platformerpower.com/watchlist