Why aren't modern 3D platformers as good as the PS2 era of 3D platformers?

Please prove me wrong and suggest me some modern ones that stand up to the older ones.

Also, why are there no 3rd person shooter/3D platformer hybrids aside from Ratchet & Clank / Jak series? This seems like an untapped genre hybridisation that works well together. Like literally why is no one making games like this. I would love some examples of 3rd person shooter platformers to prove me wrong again.

Edit: It’s not a nostalgia thing. The quality of the PS2 platformers was actually better. Even ones I discovered recently that exist on PS2 or that I hadn’t played before. If I compare them side by side with modern 3D platformers, they look like s*** compared to the PS2 ones. And case in point, there are literally no open world 3rd person shooter-3D platformers with detailed worlds/graphics outside of PS2 (that I know of) and those are the kinds of 3D platformers I enjoy most… give me an example to prove me wrong. Ok technically I know of a few examples which meet some but not all of this criteria (only because I’ve looked far and wide for them) but they’re very basic and nowhere near as intricate as these games.

MossyFeathers,

Would you consider Jet Set Radio a platformer? If so then Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is really, really good (and it has a kickass soundtrack like the JSR series did). Other than that, I haven’t really spent a lot of time playing platformers. At the very least there have been some good remasters like the Spyro Reignited trilogy and Crash Bandicoot remaster.

I think I’ve heard some of the recent Sonic games have been good, though I don’t really play Sonic stuff so I can’t verify that myself.

I’ve heard Super Mario Wonder is really good, but that’s not really 3d (though iirc there are some 3d wonder flower sections).

Warframe might help scratch the 3d platformer itch, it’s got a decent amount of platforming tiles, especially on Jupiter (the maps are proceedurally generated from a tile set, the Jupiter tiles have a lot of verticality); though platforming isn’t by any means a focus.

If you’re okay with foregoing 3rd person view, you might give Mirror’s Edge a try. It’s a 1st-person parkour/freerunning game.

If you like the collect-a-thon aspect, check out the Lego games, especially stuff like Lego Star Wars, Lego Indiana Jones, etc. those are very much collect-a-thons and tend to have platforming elements to them. They’re a lot of fun.

Otherwise… Maybe platformers just need a revival like the boomer-shooters got. From what I’ve heard, Yooka-Laylee kinda tried, but it ended up being nostalgia-bait and not too great standing by itself.

MacedWindow,
@MacedWindow@lemmy.world avatar

I know the feeling of “these games should exist” and then the disapointment of them just not existing.

I remember back in the super smash bros brawls days wondering why there were no good smash clones and nowadays we have several, so don’t lose hope. The day of the PS2 style platformer renaissance may yet come!

Speaking on PS2 though have you ever heard of/played Alien Echo? Its more of a hack and slash than a platformer but it does have shooting and its a lot of fun. Cheap too, I got my copy at a local store for $10.

tiredofsametab,

Can you give us better lists of games that fall into both your good and bad categories?

My hot-take answer was going to be that it's all nostalgia and there haven't really been any good ones (at least that I ever was aware of). Given your edit on nostalgia, maybe it's not nostalgia for an individual game or games, but rather a a time and a style?

je_skirata,

Ratchet and Clank had at least three good games on the PS3, and Rift Apart definitely counts as a modern game. I wish Insomniac (and other game devs) woul devote more resources to making hybrid shooter/platformers, but the devs who made those great PS2 games are being replaced by newer devs who want to make different things. Also publishers want to cash in on big money-making trends like live service games.

FullOfBallooons,
@FullOfBallooons@leminal.space avatar

I thought Tinykin from last year was really good. A bit short, and certainly not the hardest game on earth, but still fun.

Nemo,

You’re remembering the cream of that era and comparing it to all of the current area. It’s natural, but misleading.

otter,

I loved the 3D platformers from back then, including the ones based on whatever movie was out at the time

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