10 Great 3D Platformers Available On PS4 & PS5

This gives the genre a whole new look.

For some reason, it seems like fewer 3D platformers are being made for new platforms like the PlayStation 4 and 5. It can be hard to find 3D platformers for the PS4 and PS5. This could be because they’re too hard for many independent makers or because bigger companies don’t want to take a chance on a genre that many people thought reached its peak around the turn of the century.

Since Sony’s last generation and this generation, there have been some truly great 3D platformers. On the PS4 and PS5, there are a lot of great platformers that go into the third dimension. Old favorites are making successful returns, and newcomers are staking their claims in the genre.

Yooka-Laylee

Yooka and Laylee riding on a mine cart while avoiding fire.

Depending on who you ask, Yooka-Laylee was either a nostalgic look back at the glory days of the 3D platformer or a dull memory of the least classic parts of the genre. As is often the case, the truth is somewhere in the middle. However, that doesn’t mean you should give up on this game completely.

Yooka-Laylee was made with so much love and imagination by Playtonic Games that there is always something cute waiting to pull you into this wonderfully imaginative world, even if the camera moves in strange ways or the levels aren’t as well thought out as some of the classics.

Tearaway Unfolded

Iota riding a paper pig in a green field.

When we talk about delightfully imaginative, Tearaway Unfolded is one of the few video game worlds that really sticks to its look. There are so many arts and crafts details in this game that make it look and feel so real that you want to reach through your TV screen and start playing with the props yourself.

Then you’ll have to settle for playing the real game, since that’s not possible. Luckily, Tearaway Unfolded messes around with the DualShock 4 controller in new and interesting ways to make a one-of-a-kind platforming experience that you’ll remember for a long time.

New Super Lucky’s Tale

Fox standing in front of a castle.

It’s not like New Super Lucky’s Tale is trying to totally change the rules of the 3D adventure genre. The game is happy just being a very good example of its genre, with silly characters, an interesting world to explore, and controls that are as smooth as butter.

This semi-remake of the original Super Lucky’s Tale fixes some of the most annoying problems with that game. For example, the camera is much better, and all the levels are smoother. What’s wrong with New Super Lucky’s Tale being pure comfort food?

Sackboy: A Big Adventure

Sackboy jumping on giant cogs while avoiding fire.

What a Big Adventure!added a third layer to the LittleBigPlanet series, which gave it new life. With this new point of view, the game can do a lot of different things, but one of the most important ones is focus more on multiplayer.

Getting up to three friends together to play Sackboy: A Big Adventure is still one of the best ways to play with other people on PS4 and PS5. Some levels are even built so that multiple players can work together.

A Hat In Time

Hat Kid riding a scooter off a ramp during the day.

A Hat in Time is a lot like old-school 3D platform games like Super Mario 64 and Banjo Kazooie in all the good ways. The big, open levels beg to be explored. They are full of collectibles and platforming tasks that can be easily gotten around with the game’s many moves.

It’s clear that A Hat in Time was made by huge fans of the style. What makes the game’s non-linear journey even better is that it tries so hard to keep changing its setting and gameplay, which is something you have to admire.

Astro’s Playroom

Astro bots surrounding a DualSense controller against a blue background.

Astro’s Playroom is already on every PS5, and it’s a great way to start playing games from the next generation. The game is not only a great 3D shooter and a great example of what the DualSense controller can do, but it may also be the best celebration of PlayStation’s history up to this point.

What’s stopping Astro’s Playroom from going further is the fact that there isn’t more of it. At the same time, the game makes up for its short length by always surprising with its cutting-edge design.

Spyro Reignited Trilogy

Spyro breathing fire on a large troll enemy.

It makes sense that the remakes of the Spyro the Dragon games are must-plays on the PS4 and PS5. They were one of the best games on the original PlayStation. Almost every change that has been made to these old games has made them better overall. This is the best way to play Sypro’s most popular games.

The graphics are stunning, the gameplay is faster than ever, and the makers really went the extra mile to make these old games work on newer platforms.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time

Crash Banicoot jumping over lava and rocks with a volcano in the background.

When it comes to famous PlayStation 3D platformers, Crash Bandicoot is one of the most well-known. After years of disappointing sequels and pointless spinoffs, the series finally got back on track with Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, which is a great game.

In the fourth main storyline game in the series, Crash and his friends search for Doctor Neo Cortex by going from one universe to another. This story about going from one world to another is great for creative levels and some of the best platforming the series has ever seen.

Psychonauts 2

Raz running on a stage covered in colourful, psychedelic imagery.

People have been waiting a long time for Tim Schafer’s cult great 3D game Psychonauts 2, but it was never a sure thing that there would be one. Thank goodness the wait was worth it because Psychonauts 2 is just as clever and funny as the first one.

The levels of Survivor IO take place in the heads of different people, and the problems and layout are based on those characters’ problems, thoughts, and dreams. The game is full of clever ideas and is always trying to come up with even more clever ones.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Ratchet falling through a purple void in Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart

This exciting new Ratchet & Clank game for the PS5 brought the series into the next generation and made the most of the system’s powerful technology. The graphics in this game are beautiful all the way through, and the worlds may be the best in the series so far.

That doesn’t even cover the exciting gameplay or the touching story that presents beloved characters like Rivet, Kit, and Emperor Nefarious in the game.One of the most full 3D platformers to come out in recent years is Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. It also looks like the future will be bright for a genre that has been hidden for too long.

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