The platform game genre and Mario have been intertwined ever since the early days of the game. Few other series have managed to conquer an entire space like it, but even though Nintendo's flagship series has dominated the platform scene for over four decades, there are still plenty of other exceptional triple-A platformers out there for players to enjoy.
The genre is diverse and innovative, including franchises with a long line of impressive titles, one-off hits with impressive worlds, and co-op adventures for players of all ages to enjoy. Despite being a space full of smaller games from indie developers, it's always nice to jump into a polished and refined triple-A platformer with a big budget and the support of a huge development team behind it.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
The perfect successor to PlayStation Legend
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time represents the series' first main entry in over two decades, and picks up right after the previous game's cliffhanger ending. Neo Cortex and N. Tropy have both escaped imprisonment, torn holes in the fabric of spacetime, and threatened the entire multiverse. This forces players, like Crash, to jump between dimensional rifts and encounter alternate timelines and universes as they race to repair reality itself.
Activision's triple-A support allowed the developers at Toys for Bob all the freedom they needed to create over 100 detailed stages across a range of settings and eras, with more graphical fidelity than the series had ever seen before. This higher production value, combined with refined controls and mechanically rich platforms, shows how beloved franchises can be transformed into contemporary masterpieces that honor classic gameplay while pushing technological boundaries.
Ratchet And Clank: Rift Apart
True next generation platform
Rift Apart is the latest chapter in Ratchet and Clank series, takes a bold step forward into separate realities and dimensional errors. The story follows the tyrant Emperor Nefarious and his reality-conquering mission, and the titular heroes are tasked with saving the universe from collapsing dimensions and putting an end to the Emperor's greed.
From a technical standpoint, the platforming and level designs are exceptionally fluid, giving players a lot of control over how they want to approach each challenge. The stages flow together effortlessly, and the overall look and feel of the game is only made possible by the talent and extensive resources the team at Insomniac had access to.
Little Big Planet 3
The creativity of the player that drives the whole experience
Little Big Planet 3 represents the culmination of a string of successes, combining all the warmth and sweetness that made the original so entertaining and going beyond that for one final adventure. This time around, players can switch between several different characters, each with their own unique abilities, turning simple platforming sections into satisfying mind-bending puzzles.
The graphics have improved slightly, but the real revelation comes from the world design and the creation tools that players have access to to make their own custom levels. Despite being removed from stores and the servers being shut down, Little Big Planet 3 remains an icon of the genre and a testament to how creativity is always the driving force for success.
Portal 2
The benchmark for cooperative platform
Portal 2 remains one of gaming's crowning achievements, combining technical perfection with a world that's both compelling and fun at the same time. Valve are known for quality above all else, and their platformer is no different, taking the simple concept of portal guns and creating a game that is still talked about over a decade after its release.
What makes the game so much fun is the cooperative aspect of each puzzle. Players must communicate and time their movements to cross gaps and avoid towers, bringing a unique communal feel to the proceedings enhanced by a notoriously robust and technically polished gameplay core.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Bring the leaves back to the big screen
The prince is back with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crownthat mixes Metroidvania action with precision platforming in a way that feels familiar yet completely new. Players must fight their way through corrupt warriors and mythological creatures, using time-bending abilities to uncover the ancient secrets of the menacing Mount Qaf.
With a studio like Ubisoft backing it, The Lost Crown was always going to have huge production value, both in terms of graphics and gameplay. Thanks to the passion of the development team and the support of a huge developer, the game was able to revive a dormant franchise in a big way, proving that old IPs can still hold their own even after a long hiatus between mainline entries.
Split Fiction
Modern Day Co-Op Excellence
Split Fiction is Hazelight's bold step into a whole new world of platformer madness, taking players on a physical and emotional journey into the minds of two aspiring writers. The game switches between genres on the fly, shooting players into a cyberscape for one level and a fantasy world full of dragons for the next, opening the doors to new challenges and new ways to surprise the audience along the way.
What makes the game even more special than the developer's previous titles is the level of ambition on display, executed perfectly at every step. There were no limits to what the developers were willing to create, with each new setting setting a new standard for what modern big-budget platformers can and should be.
Donkey Kong Banana
More chaos and more destruction
Mario may be Nintendo's poster child, but Donkey Kong can still embark on some pretty incredible platforming adventures. IN Donkey Kong Bananathe lovable gorilla teams up with Pauline to recover stolen banana diamonds that have been taken by a group of rogue monkeys who want to acquire as much wealth as possible.
Despite being the first 3D Donkey Kong since the 90s, Banana feels about as modern as any other first-party Nintendo game, combining open-world exploration and sandbox levels with their own themes and biomes. Comparisons have been drawn Super Mario Odysseyas both games take simple concepts and go above and beyond in exploring them, delivering experiences that transcend traditional platforming and set the tone for future games.
Astro Bot
Surprise players with charm and humor
Astro Bot is the success story no one saw coming, winning Game of the Year at the Game Awards and showing the world that sometimes all a game needs is whimsy and some tight controls. The game is a love letter to PlayStation history, taking players on a journey through jungles, cities and other environments full of references to iconic PS series.
What started as a tutorial for the PlayStation 5 and DualSense controller in 2020 quickly grew into a full-fledged triple-A release, with as much ambition as any other established platformer in the space. Every aspect of Astro Bot is expertly crafted, and each stage doesn't just feel like a variation on the previous one, but offers new and exciting challenges and obstacles for players to overcome, all the while being cozy and fun.
