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Platformer/3rd Person Shooter Hybrids
So I want to discuss about platformer shooter hybrids, and the questions I have about it.
Why aren’t there more of these?
Ratchet & Clank is the quintessential Platformer/Shooter hybrid (as well as the Jak and Daxter/Jak games after the first one), but how come there aren’t more games like it?
Here are a few guesses:
RAC wasn’t always the most popular thing outside of the States, they couldn’t surpass the sales of Mario, the charm of sonic, nor the popularity of Crash. They never peaked until they outlived their neighbors: Jak, and Sly, or now with Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.
It’s hard to fuse 2 genres with conflicting themes associated with them: One with colorful characters and cheerful worlds, and another with gritty characters and serious stories. The result would likely result in an “Edge platformer” the likes of Shadow the Hedgehog.
Aside from the big names, platformers were dying in the 6th gen, they were becoming less and less common, making a new platformer IP would definitely be something companies would not really want, on top of that shooters are becoming increasingly multiplayer based, with platformers being a predominantly singleplayer genre.
Here are some other 3rd person Platformer/Shooter Hybrids I know of (other than R&C / J&D):
• MDK and its sequel predated Ratchet & added platforming elements to a 3rd person shooter
• Blasto and Jet Force Gemini mix shooter elements into Mascot-style games
• Later Sly games added gunplay, but not much shooter elements.
• There were a few games that tried to cash-in on R&C, some good, like Metal Arms and others not so much like Ruff Trigger.
• Sunset Overdrive is developed by Insomniac, however is more action-adventure than platforming, like Recore.
• There are also some indie titles like Cloudbuilt and Onirism. I’m looking for more of these.
I have tried every single of these games, and even some others barely scooting into the category like Rayman, Automaton Lung, Splatoon, or Returnal, and mostly unsatisfied (though the two 3D Raymans are good).
Looking for more 3rd person shooter/3D platformer hybrids!
Journey to the savage planet is a very recent game that ties those two genres together. There is a lot of platforming to do and you eventually unlock more equipment, such as the grappling hook and a limited booster jet, that further improve how you traverse the environment. Unfortunately the shooter part is kinda basic from beginning to end, but if you liked Ratchet & Clank, you’ll be okay with it.
Aside from that one, I don’t remember other games that try to blend platforming with shooter. In Psychonauts you shoot psychic beams, but maybe that’s a bit of a stretch.
It may be a stretch but Spyro, Tomb Raider and Portal may scratch that itch it thier own ways. Rad Rodgers is a side scroller 3D shooter and anything in the Contra style is going to be madness. The old Skylander games depending on the characters you used could be played as shooters I suppose.
I came here to comment Psychonauts (both of them), cause those are the games that popped into my mind when I was reading the post.
I’d say they’re good recommendations for this game type. I’d also argue that aside from punching, your main attack is your Psi Blast.
Megaman Legends 2! It’s a bit dated but you may enjoy it.
Also shoutout to Delta gal which is a spiritual successor. Only a demo is available right now but what’s here is really good.
Seconding this masterpiece, the first Megaman Legends is hard to play nowadays since you need to stop to aim, but 2 introduced lock-on so it’s much more agile and dynamic, still great, replayed it last year.
This is absolutely a tone shift from R&C and Splatoon but you could try Warframe. It is a third-person shooter with a heavy emphasis on movement. It’s not huge on platforming but the gunplay is nice.
It was a long time ago I played it, so I’m not sure how well it has aged.
But I recommend Ty the Tasmanian Tiger. It’s a platformer where boomerangs are your weapon. Over time you unlock different kinds of boomerangs with different perks (like fire boomerangs or exploding boomerangs). I remember it being quite fun at the time.
It’s aged pretty well, especially with the HD remasters available on steam. My favorite is Ty 2.
Risk of Rain 2 maybe?
I would love their to be more games like this. I just finished Nexus and just started rift apart and absolutely loving it. So annoyed we’re not getting another R&C game til 2029. I LOVE the Spiderman games but rift apart is leagues ahead of them.
Rift Apart is an excellent game. It’s the epitome of what the games I’m talking about could be in the more modern era of gaming, although a new Jak game in the style of Jak II and Jak 3 would be even better to me. I just feel like this genre has such untapped potential. A more realistic game like this would be awesome to see as well.
Oh absolutely. Jak 2 and 3 are some if my all time favourite games. I always preferred the Jak games over Ratchet but sadly Naughty Dog only do mature dramas now :(
So true. I feel like Insomniac sold their souls to the Marvel machine by pumping out so many Marvel games at the expense of the creative original games they were known for. With Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man they got a taste of success at a level they’ve never had before and now they’re just running with it. Don’t get me wrong, those games are good. But Insomniac games were amazing. It feels like capitalism has sucked the life out of them. Maybe a controversial opinion, I don’t know. But I hope they snap out of it and make some original games again, and more Ratchet… also if Naughty Dog doesn’t revive Jak and Daxter, Insomniac should pick it up too.
I’m hoping they’re just using it as a way to get the money to fund an absolutely breathtaking R&C game, especially since the end of the PS3 area it seems like it’s always struggled to get the budget it deserved. Especially with how short Nexus was.
It always seemed like “Baby’s first GTA” to me, but I think the Spyro the Dragon series might scratch that same itch. Especially the second and third games on the PS1.
If you can find it anywhere, I recommend Gex. It was a fun 3D adventure platformer with shooter elements about a Gecko surviving his way through TV channel worlds.
