In most reviews ofAstro Bot, you’ll find some variation on this line: “Team Asobi has crafted the best 3D platformer sinceSuper Mario Odyssey.” TheGamer’s Editor-in-Chief Stacey Henley went one step further inher review, stating that Astro Bot might even top the beloved plumber’s most recent three-dimensional outing. All of this talk of Super Mario Odyssey has me thinking about what other 3D platformers released in the past seven years could reasonably stake a claim for the crown (or, er, cap).
I would agree that nothing since 2017 has bested Mario Odyssey (save, maybe, Astro Bot, but I need to sit with the game a bit longer to know for sure). But what others have come close? I decided to approach this scientifically, by reviewing the games released every year since Odyssey and selecting the best of the best. This method turned out to be flawed — 2021 had several worthy nominees and other years had none — but this list should give you a solid rundown. Let’s a go!
2018: Astro Bot: Rescue Mission
This year’s platformer standouts largely stuck to two dimensions. Celeste, Gris, Mega Man 11, Guacamelee! 2, Iconoclasts, Yoku’s Island Express, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, Chasm, The Messenger, Dandara, Kirby Star Allies, and Dead Cells all launched in 2018 and, despite releasing in 2017, Hollow Knight first came to broader mainstream attention with its Switch release. There are some great games there, but none interested in exploring all of the dimensions the good Lord gave us.
There are a few round, bulgy contenders, but most come with asterisks.Little Nightmaresfirst scared players this year — but that’s 2.5D. Insomniac introduced us to its take onSpider-Manwith a game that has jumping at its heart, but which is really more of a third-person action game with terrific traversal than a true platformer. I never playedAstro Bot: Rescue Mission, because I didn’t have a PSVR headset. But judging by the praise that game received at the time, it’s probably the only good answer.
2019: Crackdown 3
Despite 2019 being a pretty good video game year (Outer Wilds! Disco Elysium! Devil May Cry 5! The Outer Worlds! Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order!) there were almost no traditional 3D platformers released. Looking for something more that fits the textbook genre definition, all I can come up with is Bubsy: Paws on Fire! The less said about that one the better.
Which leaves us withCrackdown 3which, like Spider-Man, would likely be considered a third-person action-adventure game by most. But the Xbox exclusive, which received a fairly negative reception after a tortured development cycle, is a 3D platformer at heart. I had a blast leaping around its open world, collecting orbs, and attempting to solve platforming puzzles. Really, it’s a slightly more realistic-looking collectathon in the vein of Banjo-Kazooie. If you only know Crackdown 3 by its reputation, it’s better than you think.
2020: Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
Finally some good frolickin' food, and not a moment too soon. As Covid raged outside, 2020’s 3D platformers gave players plenty of reason to stay inside.Crash 4was my personal favorite, with imaginative levels and challenging gameplay that updated the tough-as-nails platforming of the original trilogy with modern conveniences. It was a ton of fun.
Pumpkin Jack is a seasonal favorite, Astro’s Playroom was better than a pack-in game has any right to be, Sackboy: A Big Adventure brought the Little Big Planet mascot back, and Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout broke out to massive success. Plus, if you were looking to replay classic platformers, Super Mario 3D All-Stars and SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated had you covered.
2021: It Takes Two
Another good 3D platformer year; in fact, the genre took three out of six GOTY nods at The Game Awards, with nominations forRatchet & Clank: Rift Apart,Psychonauts 2, andIt Takes Two. Four out of six, if you expand to 2D platformers, which brings Metroid Dread into the big tent. That’s unusual, but it was a pretty undeniable group of nominees. It Takes Two took home the big prize and is, for my money, the best of the bunch.
The co-op game from Hazelight changes up mechanics constantly, introducing bold new ideas in each new level, most of which end in fantastic boss fights. The story is pretty weird, but the gameplay is some of the best the genre has ever seen. Psychonauts 2 and Rift Apart are nothing to sneeze at, either. Rift Apart has stellar shooting with wild weapons, and Psychonauts offered one of the year’s best stories.
2022: Neon White
Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Sonic Frontiers were both pretty good, but the best 3D platformer of 2022 was also its best FPS.Neon Whitetook Titanfall 2-style running-and-gunning to the next level, as you sprinted through a dangerous heaven while trading out guns with a unique card-based system. Add in a visual novel narrative that keeps you engaged between the blasting, and Neon White pretty handily takes the year.
2023: ???
2023 was a strong year for games that arekinda3D platformers. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Hi-Fi Rush, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor all have their fair share of running-and-jumping, but none of them have their feet planted firmly in the genre. I didn’t play SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake, but the reviews weren’t great. I guessGhostrunner 2wins by default?
2024 (Pre-Astro Bot): Celeste 64: Fragments of the Mountain
Though Astro Bot will almost certainly be remembered as the best 3D platformer of 2024,Celeste 64shouldn’t go unnoticed. It’s a little game that the development team said they only worked on for about a week, and as you might expect, you can finish it in an hour or two. But, it’s the perfect distillation of what made the 2D original work, perfectly translated into 3D, with tapes to hunt and ridiculously tough optional levels. If you love Astro Bot and want to keep playing similar games, Celeste 64 is great and free.
